by Chris Savage
He noticed a light up ahead, signifying the exit of that part of the woods. It was a house at the outskirts of the city. He was relieved as he walked towards the light, hoping to get to the end of the woods without a hitch. Walking towards the light, he noticed the presence he earlier felt was closer to him now, and he was sure at this point that he was not getting out of the woods without confrontation. But he decided not to stop moving. He was going to protect Henry with his life. Suddenly, a giant wolf man appeared before him. His hair covered his entire body and his face bone structure was already shifted to that of a wolf. He had bright, sharp red eyes and his stare was piercing, as he looked straight into Casper’s eyes. He had red eyes, which signified the fact that he was an alpha. Casper was not afraid. Well, there aren’t a lot of alphas around anymore, so you’re either Damion or you’re not. You might as well show yourself first, or let’s just goddamn fight.
The alpha stepped forward as he shifted back to his human form, his wolf features going out of sight. It was indeed Damion.
“Hey Casper,” he said, smiling mischievously.
“Dr. Jeffery Hagen,” Casper replied, calling him by his alias to signify to him that they were already on different sides now, and that he had found out everything there was to find out about him. Damion laughed.
“We’re going official now, aren’t we? I love your confidence, Casper. I have always loved your confidence. Look at you, unfazed at the sight of all this. I bet you think you know me already. Your little friends at the Naltice must have told you stories. Isn’t that right now, Casper?”
“What’s there to know, Damion?” He called him by his actual name now, showing that indeed he was not afraid of him. “Apart from the fact that you’re a coward who hides behind the soldiers inherited from his father and claims to be the alpha? Or the fact that you sacrifice members of your pack like pawns as you send them out to any and every battle, ignoring the consequences? Or the fact that despite losing them in battle you keep sending them out in the hundreds, and repeat the same thing as you continue to lose more of them? Tell me Damion, what else is there to know?” Casper said, speaking confidently and loud enough for Damion to hear him.
“What else is there to know, eh? How about the fact that I killed your parents?” he asked Casper, trying to catch him by surprise.
“Damion, Damion,” Casper said, laughing. “I already knew that. However, I’m not exactly sure why you feel it is necessary to tell me at this point. You’re trying to throw me off guard? Emotionally attack me and break me? Or you’re trying to make me recklessly attack you so you can have Henry after knocking me out? Come on, Damion, aren’t you supposed to be the alpha here? Even as your enemy I’m hugely disappointed in you.”
“Are you now? How about the fact that you were promised? Huh? Did you know that? Did you know that you were promised to William by your parents? Did they tell you that? There we go, that’s the face I’ve been dying to see. So they didn’t tell you, huh? Why do you think they chased you all the way into the woods, the night I pretended to be drunk? You think they genuinely cared about your safety just because you’re a wolf? Come on, Casper, there are thousands of wolves out there.”
Casper stayed silent. Before he had time to think, Damion attacked with a swift punch with one leap from where he stood.
He’s fast! Casper thought. Instinctively he was able to dodge the attack, but it only missed him by a hair. He never knew Damion had such speed in battle. He had heard stories about Damion being fast, but not that fast. Not ‘almost William’ fast. Still holding on to Henry, the omega began to allow his wolf side to come out. He was at a huge disadvantage here, since he was incapacitated and was fighting with an alpha. He was genuinely scared at that point.
Rather than attacking Casper for the second time, Damion suddenly grabbed him and dragged him into the house which Casper noticed earlier, from which the light emanated. He threw Casper onto the floor in the house. Casper did not really care about his own safety but the safety of his son, whom he held tightly.
“Casper, Casper. Let me tell you how this will go. That beautiful boy you’re holding, what’s his name? I’ll have to collect him from you, and kill him, in case you’re wondering what I want with him. I need to kill him before I kill you, so you’d die knowing your son is dead, after that I—”
His threat was interrupted by a loud thud at the entrance. William broke down the door. He dashed in and immediately launched an attack on Damion, hitting him in the chest with every ounce of strength he had in him. The punch sent him flying to the other end of the house, crashing into the wall and cracking it upon impact.
“Long time no see, Damion!” William said as he strode forward. The hunger for blood was written all over his face.
“This was supposed to be a fair fight, eh? Me being an alpha, you being an alpha, but I don’t see any fairness here if you ask me.”
Damion was on the floor, bleeding through his nose and mouth as he stared at William. He managed to get up, wiping the blood off and staring at William from where he stood, staggering.
“You won’t leave this room alive, William. It’s perfect, since you and your little family are all present here. I finish off the lot of you, and my job is all but done. Members of the Naltice Pack will either join my pack to save their lives or rebel against me and get killed. But whatever happens I won’t leave Shane alive, no. He won’t comply, he’s too loyal to you. I will consider leaving his little pawn Mark alive too. I can force him to comply once I kill his lover, which will automatically break him. What do you think Willy, come on, genius right?” he said, laughing unnecessarily loudly.
William was enraged. He felt insulted by Damion’s words, as he could not imagine members of his pack, whom he had devoted his entire life to, being subject to Damion. He knew they would all rather kill themselves in an instant than join the Hagen Pack, but Damion’s words still got to him. He looked up at him from where he stood with bitterness and rage in his bloodshot eyes.
“Don’t call me Willy!” he yelled, as he charged at Damion once again, this time with a level of speed even Damion could not see coming. Casper remained on the floor, holding Henry and watching with absolute fear in his eyes. William’s attack was too fast and blurry to him, as he suddenly saw his mate standing before Damion with his hand buried deep in his stomach. He pulled out his hand, worried he’d killed him, as he wanted him to suffer before that happened. He grabbed Damion by one shoulder and forced him to his knees.
“Alpha!” he yelled as he pulled off his left arm. Damion screamed in agony as he watched his arm being thrown away by William. His nose was beginning to bleed again.
“How exactly do you command respect within your pack, Damion?! Because I know it’s certainly not your honesty and virtue! It obviously cannot be your physical strength, seeing how weak you are! Is it the money, Damion? Or do they just accord you the respect they had for your father because you’re his son!” He inserted his hands into Damion’s chest and grabbed his heart, squeezing with enough pressure to make Damion scream even louder.
“Please! Please William, mercy!” Damion cried out.
Still with his hand grabbing Damion’s heart, William leaned in and whispered into Damion’s ear, “You don’t even deserve to say that word, Damion,” as he finally pulled out his heart.
William stood up as the life finally faded out of Damion and he fell flat to the ground. He dropped his heart on his lifeless body, and said to him, “You just lost the war. Have that as a souvenir.”
Chapter 20
William rushed towards his family and heartily embarrassed them, raining kisses upon Casper and Henry as Casper hugged him in return.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Casper repeated, as William kissed his forehead and face continuously.
“I’m sorry, William, I’m sorry for not being understanding and being unreasonably selfish,” he continued to apologise. William was not capable of speaking yet. He was overwhelmed by the fact that he
just ended the war and got his family back at the same time. He was filled with a mixture of relief and overwhelming joy, which could not be put to words.
“It’s okay, Casper,” he finally whispered. All of that doesn’t matter now. The important thing is that we’re all okay now and that’s all that matters to me. That you’re fine and that Henry is fine.”
“We just won the war,” Casper whispered as he smiled at William. He was proud of William, and felt totally safe with him.
William was covered in blood, all of which belonged to Damion. He stood up and walked towards the entrance, allowing the cold air of the night to blow through him as he closed his eyes and decided to finally speak to Casper.
“I should apologise to you too, Casper,” he said from where he stood. “At different points in time I had the choice of delegating certain responsibilities which I did not. I should’ve given you more time than I did. My lapse in judgment almost cost you your life. I just want us to move past all that now, as I have all that I have always wanted in both of you. We’ve won the war and we’re at peace now. It will take some time to get all the fallen packs together, but I want you by my side, and me by yours as we do it together. You and Henry will continue to be my source of happiness no matter what, and I’m just glad we have an opportunity to start over.”
William’s words soothed Casper from the inside. He trusted every single word he said. He smiled at the prospect of starting over with William, without any lingering war meddling with their happiness. He was happy that they would raise their son, Henry, into a strong wolf, stronger and more virtuous than even his father.
“I want you by my side through everything too, William,” Casper said.
He carefully placed Henry in a safe spot and walked towards William. He shut his eyes as he was hit by the cold of the night, and held William’s hand very tightly.
Like a meeting of their minds, both wolves shifted to their wolf form and disappeared into the night, with Casper ready to submit himself to William, just like the good old nights of perfect, passionate love making.
Thank You From the Author
I want to sincerely thank each and everyone of you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.