by Rain Itika
"Lara. Stop." his voice broke her senses. She turned to look at Roland as he stared at her. His voice had calmed her down a little, but she still wanted to kill someone.
"Do not fucking tell me what to do!" she emphasized.
Someone laughing distracted her, and Lucius moved from his spot to stand in the middle of them. "You are all captives, and yet you fight with each other. That is why your species needs to be eliminated. You are weak."
"Free me and I will show you weak," Roland demanded.
"Later, but for now, we need to talk about you, Bill."
He moved forward and around until he was standing behind Bill, the knife in his hand.
"Your experiment has failed for she is a wolf; emotional and weak. That will be the last thing you see, her disappointment in you."
Lucius slit the knife under his arm but instead of cutting skin, he cut off the rope. Bill looked up, confusion in his eyes.
"Take it." Lucius held the knife out and Bill took it. The Mesmer in his voice confused Lara and Roland. They were both drawn to it, fighting the urge to do as he said.
Lucius glared at Lara and the next sentence destroyed her.
"Cut out your heart."
Bill gave Lara a sympathetic look before the knife sunk deep into his chest.
"Nooooo." her screams filled her chest. She watched as Bill sliced through his skin then hacking open his bones. Blood was oozing freely over his body, his clothes and the carpet red from the vast amount he was losing.
His screams mixed in with her beggings. Suffering played on his face as he had no other option but to follow orders.
"Make him stop, please." Lara begged, but Lucius kept laughing, watching the scene.
Bill's hands began to slow down, his bloodloss to high. The knife dropped from his hand and blood splattering on Lara's leg as it hit the floor.
The life began to drain from his eyes and before it was gone, he mutters his last words, "I love you."
Tears streamed down her face, her voice raw from the screaming. Her hands were starting to bleed from where she was tied down. The anger surfaced again and fur began to sprout. She eyed Lucius, murder in her eyes.
He noticed what she was doing and stopped it.
Don't shift, he instructed mentally.
Pain engulfed her as she the force stopped the shift. Her bones had doubled in size but her skin had stayed the same, pulling taut over them. Her nails were sharp and black, pressing into her fingers. She tried to fight the request but it buried itself in her mind, making her a mere puppet and him the master.
"Well, wasn't that fun to watch." he clapped his hands together. "Who is next?" he eyed Roland, who had kept quiet throughout the whole ordeal. It was a first for him since he never heard of a power that could control people, even supernatural. He was too shocked to say anything.
Lucius bent down to pick up the knife and wipe the blood on Roland's leg. He stood up and straightened his outfit, giving Lara a sadistic wink before cutting his binds. Roland began to jump up but Lucius stopped him.
Freeze
He sat motionless, only his eyes moving. It had turned black, the resentment clear.
"You see, Lara. I was once normal, a human. I had a wife, a son and a job. One day, I came home and they were both slaughtered. By an alpha for no apparent reason. He had kept me alive to look at their mutilated bodies." Lucius started, walking behind Roland. He pressed the blade to his throat. "The pain I felt was so severe. I had begged him for mercy, to kill me so I could join my family. He had laughed at my request and just left. After he was gone, I took a knife and slashed my wrist. As I lay there dying, an angel appeared. He told me my anger had called to him and he was there to save me. I blacked out after that and when I woke up, I had these powers. I knew what I had to do deep down, and so I did. My purpose is to kill all the supernaturals. You could say it is a divine purpose."
Lara remained still, not knowing how to take this information. She tried to shift, but his request stopped her.
"It is no use fighting me. My word goes," Lucius spoke. "Now, where were we? O, yes. Roland."
He dug the knife deeper in, piercing his skin.
"Stop. Please do not do this. I will do what you want." Lara pleaded. She could not see him hurt.
"Too late. Being a wolf already sentenced him to death. I want you to watch me kill him, to feel what I felt. After which, I will grant you what that Alpha did not grant me. Death." he removed the knife from his neck and then placed it in his hand.
"Cut out your heart. Slowly"
Lara lost all hope as she watched his hand move to his chest, the knife cut into his skin.
CHAPTER 29
"No." she screamed, her throat throbbing. The blood seeped from his wound as he cut it. Roland would cut it open, blood pouring out, and then the wound would heal. He did it over and over, his wolf repairing him every time.
"Please, stop." she begged Lucius. She could feel the pain emanating from him.
"Why? He has done worse to others." Lucius stood to the side, admiring his handiwork.
Lara looked at Roland, his eyes piercing hers as he cut himself. There was a pleading emotion in them, begging her to make it stop.
Lara struggled against the bonds. The bindings were cutting deep into her skin, getting rubbed raw. Roland kept cutting, the blood loss making him heal slower. She could see the cut was taking longer to close, making him bleed more. Minutes passed when the wound did not close anymore, his bone peeking past the blood and flesh.
She knew what was going to follow, his death.
An excruciating scream slipped from Roland's lips as he began to hack at his chest, his movement slowing down. The pain doubled in Lara, her chest cramping up. She felt the shift coming on, a surge of power coursing through her. Her muscles expanded, bones breaking and coming together. Her scream mixed in the air with his.
Lara's action pulled Lucius' attention to her. Stop, he commanded her. She was caught mid-shift again as she stopped, the agony intensified. She refused to look at Lucius, instead kept looking at Roland. Something in his eyes gave her power, made her stronger. Her mind kept fighting the order, refusing it by the second. Fur began to sprout from her arm and her nails elongated.
Lucius stomped over to her, grabbing her chin and making her look straight into his eyes. They glazed over as he commanded her. The power flowed off of him and pierced her mind.
It slithered into her, wrapping itself around her and making her freeze. Lucius smiled at her, knowing he had achieved his goal, so he turned back to Roland, losing interest in her. She did the same.
The second their eyes met something strange happened. Roland mouthed sorry to her as death closed in on him. She was seeing him die before her eyes, and it let the band snap back. Her mind shoved at the command, forcing it out of her. Lara's lungs took a deep breath as she ripped the binds off, her force breaking them in half. As she leaped from the chair at Lucius, her body morphed, shifting into the white wolf faster than before.
Lucius twisted around, her growl distracting him, but he was to slow. His hand moved in front of him as he tried to defend himself, but it was futile as she came crashing into him, the force making both of them tumble to the floor. Her paws pressed him down, each on a shoulder.
"How?" he mumbled, disbelieve on his face. She bared her teeth at him, a snarl escaping.
"Wait, I can help you. I know who your parents are. " he bargained with her, tears streaming down his face.
Lara paused for a second. She wanted to know who they were, the need more significant than anything else.
"Lara." a soft whisper called her and
she glanced at the voice. Roland was still busy cutting into himself but he was moving slower while the wound did not heal. Her emotions were scrambled. She needed to save Roland but she also needed the information Lucius had.
She turned back to Lucius when pain slammed into her. A rip cracking told her he had sucker-punched her side. Lara snapped her jaws at him, inches from his neck.
Get off.
The command engulfed her, forcing her to pull back slightly. A smirk crossed his face as she wrestled internally. His hands tangled in her fur, shoving her off him. The contact sent shivers down her spine, his touch revolting her.
Her strength came rushing back as she overpowered his command. His action's sealed his fate and a split second, Lara bites down.
Her teeth pierced the soft flesh of his throat, her jaw grasping it all.
"No." he wheezed out, the sound vibrating against mouth. She closed it harder, the feeling of warm liquid running down her throat. She could taste the blood, the iron giving her strength to finish this. His weak arms tugged lightly at her side as his soul left his body. Without a second thought, she pulled her head back, ripping half of his throat with her. It left a gaping hole in him, the blood spurting out, coating her fur.
She stepped back to look at what she had done. This was not her first kill, but it was the first time she felt relieved. He was the demon that has haunted her dreams since she was small, the one who had turned her into an emotionless being, until now.
Klank.
She whipped her head at the sound, staring down at the bloodied knife on the floor. She had forgotten entirely about Roland while caught up in her revenge. She sprinted towards him, shifting back to human. She ignored the pain, kept her focus on him.
He sat motionless on the chair, his chest ripped open. With the bloodied knife in her hand, Lara cut him loose and slowly lowered him to the ground. His heartbeat was faint, his eyes fluttering open and close.
"Roland. Please wake up." she begged.
Lara moved him so that his head was cradled in her lap while holding him tight. His breathing became shallow as blood still seeped from him. She pressed his wound together, hoping it would heal faster. Tears streamed down her face as the pain of seeing him like this broke her inside, all because of her actions.
The doors were kicked open as people came rushing in. She was so focused on keeping the wound closed that she ignored them. The now-familiar scent of wolves hit her nose and she silently prayed that Mark had made it.
"We need to take him to the doctor." a hand touched her shoulder. She glanced up at Mark, pain in his features.
"Help him." she pleaded.
Without saying another word, the soldiers picked up his body, leaving her on the ground. She gazed at her hands, red with all of the blood. Her whole body was cover with only the blood while she was naked. It did not bother her, only the loss from tonight on her mind. If he was dead, she had no reason to live. He was her mate, her other half and she was the reason he was dying.
"Let's go" arms wrapped around her, lifting her.
"No." she said, pushing them away. She looked at Mark, angry. "It is all their fault. I need to make them pay."
Mark watched her as emotions flashed on her face. Sadness, regret, shame, and finally, anger. He understood what she was going through, but he had to bring her back. Roland was going to need her to recover.
"Listen. I understand how you are feeling, but we need to leave. We have saved Roland and stopped The company. You do not have to fight anymore." he stepped closer, trying to make her see it his way.
She moved back, away from him. He was right, but she had to finish this. The company still had people out there. She had to stop them. She stared at Mark with determination.
"I need to put a stop to them. I am sorry, but I cannot stay." Lara announced, stepping closer to the balcony.
Mark saw what she was about to do and he reached out, trying to catch her. The tips of his fingers touched her skin momentarily before she jumped over the railing, shifting as she went. He peered over and stood watching as her wolf set into the woods. The darkness was making her disappear and melt in.
CHAPTER 30
It had been a week since the confrontation. A week since Lara had lost the man she thought had loved her. A week since she had left her mate. Even though she did not understand the way of the wolves, the separation left a hole inside her. She felt empty and miserable, but luckily there was something else to take her mind of it.
Lara had spent all this time tracking down The Company and putting a stop to them. After what Lucius had told her, doubts had surfaced for why they were trained. Hours had been wasted on research on her previous kills, finding out it was all lies. The people she had killed were not only decent folks but also supernatural. She had unwittingly killed her own species.
So here she was, trying to rectify it. Three of the headquarters were destroyed by her hand, burned to the ground, along with it all their intel. No more would they be able to cause harm to innocent people. She knew more was needed to stop them, but she currently had all the time in the world.
There was this deep need in her to shift, and so she did. Currently, she found herself somewhere deep in the woods, trees thick enough it covered out the sunlight. She had carefully chosen an isolated place, not wanting any humans to stumble upon a werewolf.
The dirt felt great beneath her paws as it sandwiched itself between her toes. The wind lightly caressed her fur as the smell of nature infiltrated her snout. This is what true freedom tasted like.
Lara ran as fast as she could, jumping off trees and darting through small puddles. She came to a full stop as a small river laid across her path. The water felt cold as it rushed down her throat when she took a big sip. When her needs sated, Lara glanced around the meadow, admiring the beauty of the valley. The grass was dark green with moss growing up the trees. Small critters and animals going about their business filled the space with their sounds. Sharts of sunlight broke through the treetops, illuminating the variety of wildflowers growing around. This was indeed a paradise.
Lara took a little nap, making sure her ears were up, listening to any intruders that might stumble across her. After her strength recovered, she ran back to the road where a bag with her clothes was hidden. She quickly got dressed, climbed into the car, and drove back to the motel. The next move had to be decided. Back in the room, she stripped off her clothes, turning on the shower to hot. The water felt great against her skin, the heat calming the tight muscles that littered her back. Since her first shift, unknown muscles had made an appearance, and to be honest, she loved the new look.
With regret, Lara turned off the shower, drying herself as she got out. A pair of pajamas was ready on the toilet cover and as she got dressed, a wave of exhaustion hit her. The room was pretty basic as she would only spend a minimum time in each place, so the style was not part of the package, but by God was the bed the best part. She would sink right in, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself. Not a breath later and she was fast asleep.
"Found you."
The words echoed in her mind as she slept. The words sent a shiver down her back, his voice awakened a deep desire within her. He always appeared in her dreams, tonight no different. All she wanted was the sound of his voice wrapping around her, forcing her never to forget him.
"Wake up." the bed dipped as someone sat down, her focus on high alert. The hilt of the knife felt cold against her skin as she slowly snaked her hand under the pillow to grab it, pretending to be still asleep. The person shifted closer to her and that is when she sprang into action.
Her eyes shot open and seeing a black figure leaning closer, Lara pulled out the knife, her movement quick as lightning, pressing t
he blade to the intruder's neck.
"Why did you come after me." she murmured.
Roland gave a deep chuckle while he shifted closer, the moon illuminating his features through the partially open curtain. His eyes glazed black as he stared at her intensely.
"Do you really think I would just let you go?"
Lara had hoped he would, after all, she was to blame for the deaths of his pack members.
"Yes"
"How else am I going to punish you?" his mouth formed a smile. Those words made her dread going back, knowing he would hate her for how things had turned out.
"I truly am sorry for what happened, but please believe me, I did not mean to play out like that. I left because I tried to save you." she pleaded with him.
Roland moved closer, the blade pressing deeper into his skin, but not yet piercing it. "I know, but you still need to be punished for running away from me. "
In a heartbeat, he grabbed out at her while her instincts took over. His hands wrapped around her waist at the same time she pushed her legs against the bed, flipping them over.
Lara sat on top of him, straddling his waist while holding the knife still against his throat. At this angle, his beauty was magnified and she couldn't help but ogle him, the masculinity taking her breath away. He noticed her distraction and quickly grabbed the knife from her hand. Before she could stop him, he threw it across the room. The silence was shattered between them as the blade hit the wall and then dropping to the floor.
"You are my mate and I will never leave you again. No matter how much you anger me." he gripped her hand, pulling her closer to him as their faces were mere inches apart.
His hot breath brushed her cheek, his smell engulfing her senses. Her body leaned into him on its own accord. A low growl escaped his lips, and as she opened my her eyes, his black gaze met hers, the lust in them obvious. A sudden heat ruptured from below, making her pulse quicken.