Fangs vs Claws

by Rua Hasan

  But I blocked them out as I focused on my steady breathing.

  I heard one person call my captor, none other than Alpha Argon. I then heard footsteps come toward me. I was now lying in some rogue’s arms as I tried to ignore his awful smell.

  “What happened here?” he growled out.

  I then felt the rogue’s heartbeat increase in fear as he spoke, “A–Alpha, we don’t know, she just f–fainted all of a sudden.”

  Normally, I would have smirked at his weakness, but I had to keep up with my act.

  Which was probably a bad idea because I felt them change directions as they walked down the hill. The breeze was colder than earlier as the wind’s pace increased.

  Did they give up that easily? Were they finally going to take me home?

  I wanted to give myself a pat on the back, but I should have known better because the next thing I know I’m thrown from the rogue’s arms and into an icy pond.

  I let a shriek escape me as I shivered, trying to keep my body warm.

  I was soaking wet! I looked at them as if they were crazy and walked out of the water. I wish I could have wrapped my arms around myself to help increase my body temperature, but they were tied up.

  “What was that for?” I yelled.

  I heard someone mutter, “Problem solved.”

  The three rogues who were holding me earlier completely ignored me as they walked toward me and surrounded me. One gripped my arm, but I yanked it from his grasp and kicked him right between his legs.

  I was pissed.

  Even though I had a magical rope tied on my wrists, preventing me from using my strength, I still had enough energy to defend myself.

  The rogue fell to the ground as he grunted in pain while the one behind me took a handful of my hair and yanked it toward him.

  “You little bit–” he was interrupted by an angry voice which boomed through the night.

  “Enough! It’s almost twelve am, and you are wasting my time!” he growled.

  The rogue let go of my hair and pushed me forward. I heard the wolf I just kicked whisper something to the wolf next to him about him killing me if it wasn’t for the angry Alpha in front of us.

  Sure, he didn’t stand a chance against me.

  Everyone fell in silence as we continued to walk up the mountain. I was exhausted; all I wanted to do was be in my soft, cozy bed as Aiden played with my hair.

  But no! I just had to be kidnapped by a crazy Alpha and a bunch of lunatic rogues.

  What if I never saw Aiden again? It wasn’t like after Argon got his mate back he’s going to thank me then let me go home. Hell no! After watching so many horror and crime movies, they were definitely going to get rid of me when they have what they were looking for.

  Sadness crept into my heart when I realized I might never see Aiden again. Or never tell him how much I love him.

  No, I mustn’t think like this! I have to believe in him. He will come, and I will see him again. It’s just how on earth will he know where we are at? I mean, just looking at the place, it looks deserted.

  Then it struck me.

  We were in Alpha Argon’s old pack that got destroyed many years ago. No wonder this place looked haunted and creepy. Thousands of wolves died here. I wouldn’t be surprised if this place were really haunted.

  Finally, the moment I had been dreading arrived. We were on the top of the mountain. I could see the unpleasant view as I looked past the rogue’s shoulder. There were no trees in sight as crows flew above us. The sight made me cringe. I could already hear the screams of sorrow from the people who died here many years ago.

  If I weren’t so sure about my surroundings, then I would have thought I was in some horror movie.

  I looked around and saw a chair that sat right under the full moon. I gulped nervously as I knew what was going to happen next. Two rogues dragged my soaking wet body to the chair and forced me to sit down.

  In the corner of my eye, I saw Ian walking toward Alpha Argon. I still don’t get why Ian was betraying us. I mean, there had to be a reason why he was helping Alpha Argon get his mate back. He couldn’t just be here because he felt like it.

  There was definitely something I didn’t know.

  The rogues stepped back once they were done tying me to the chair. I felt my skin become numb, for it has been stung by these annoying ropes from hell for ages.

  Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit.

  All the rogues then lined up right behind Alpha Argon—or who I like to call the psychopath who lost his mind.

  He took a couple of steps toward me and was now hovering over me with his very tall frame. I then saw him take something shiny out of his pocket. My eyes widened when I saw what it was.

  It was a blade, but not any ordinary blade. It was a chromium blade. It was known for being used on vampires when werewolves attacked. I thankfully never once saw it in my life until now. They say that it’s really painful to us vampires, and they would use it because it would slow down the healing process.

  I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down, but it was nearly impossible with that torture device right in front of me.

  “After all these years, tonight! In just a couple of minutes, I’ll finally have what I have been looking for,” Alpha Argon said.

  His voice was loud and clear as all the rogues started to cheer, while Ian looked very happy for some unknown reason.

  Geez, he talks about his mate as if she’s an object.

  I guess they had to wait for twelve am exactly, because after a moment or two, Alpha Argon took one step closer, then in one swift movement, he dragged the blade from my shoulder all the way to my wrist.

  I let out a piercing scream of pain as tears formed behind my eyes. I closed my eyes shut, not wanting the tears to fall out or it may show my weakness, but I couldn’t hold it in for much longer.

  The pain was too much.

  It was as if I was beaten up then barfed all my insides and got eaten by a shark then came back to life and did it all over again.

  “God it hurts! Make it stop!” I screamed as I tried to break free from my seat.

  I wanted to rip the bastard’s heart from his body so badly and drink the last remaining blood he had in his body.

  “Oh hush, the pain will fade away soon, but now, it’s time to wait until your blood reaches the bottom of the mountain,” he said as everyone turned their attention to my running blood.

  I then realized that my blood was running down the mountain, under a full moon, in a place that looks deserted.

  Just like in my dream.

  Oh goodness gracious! My dream is coming true!

  My blood started to slide down the mountain, but thankfully it was nowhere near the bottom.

  I still have time. I just need to think.

  But my thoughts were interrupted when the sound of howls filled the air.

  And one particular howl sounded so familiar. My lips moved upward into a big smile when I figured out who it was.

  Aiden.

  I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy to see him in all my life.

  All the rogues, Ian, and Alpha Argon turned their heads toward the direction of wolves running to them with wide eyes. I was the only one who looked happy and pleased. I noticed that there were about fifty to seventy wolves from our pack while there were only twenty rogues.

  Warriors from our pack attacked the rogues by surprise, and they ripped them to shreds. I could already see that we were going to win, and I was proud. I suddenly felt Aiden’s presence, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. I was whipping my head from side to side, trying to find him when I saw a raging Alpha running toward me.

  And unfortunately, it wasn’t Aiden.

  When nobody was looking, Alpha Argon rushed to me and untied the ropes that were binding me to the chair.

  How could no one not notice a psycho Alpha taking away their Luna when that’s why they were here in the first place?

  I sighed when my wrists were freed,
and I rubbed them, trying to make them feel better. I got up to my feet and took a step back, but Argon grabbed my arm and started to drag me away from the fight.

  “Let go of me!” I hissed as I punched his chest, which seemed useless. I looked around for help, but everyone was too busy fighting for their lives. I couldn’t help but feel guilty for putting my people at risk, but I had to believe in them.

  After all, they were trained by none other than Aiden.

  Alpha Argon stopped in his tracks suddenly, stopping me as well. I looked up to see a furious Aiden standing right in front of us as he sent death glares to the jerk next to me. His jaw and his fists were clenched. His eyes held anger as they turned into a dark shade of blue.

  “Aiden,” I cried as I tried to run into his arms but was held back by the dangerous grip on my arm. Aiden’s eyes flickered to me for a second, and I saw them soften but soon returned to Alpha Argon.

  “Let her go, and I won’t make your death too painful,” Aiden growled, but Alpha Argon just chuckled next to me emotionless.

  “Get out of the way, Smith, and I promise I will return her once I have what I need,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Everyone knows that’s a lie. For if he did let me go, then I could just report to the elders that he kidnapped me. Especially because I’m a Luna, they will punish him. And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want that.

  I noticed his attention was fully on Aiden as his grip loosened a bit. I took this advantage and punched him in the stomach with my free hand, with all my force. Once he let go of my arm, I ran toward Aiden. He took me into his arms and hugged me so tight. I could hear his breathing calm a bit.

  I then looked around and saw that our pack was winning while most of the rogues were either injured or dead. But I didn’t see Ian anywhere.

  “Are you okay?” Aiden asked as he looked down on me. I saw him cringe when he saw my gushing blood.

  Oh shit, I almost forgot.

  “I’m fine, but we have to do something. Once my blood reaches the ground, I will have to bring someone back to life,” I said as I looked at Alpha Argon as he got off the ground.

  “What?” Aiden asked. He sounded confused, and I couldn’t blame him.

  “I’ll explain later, but now we have to get rid of him,” I said as I pointed to Alpha Argon in front of us.

  Aiden then pushed me behind his back and took a step forward, then turned toward me and gave me a pleading look.

  “Whatever you do, do not interfere, okay? I will take care of this,” he said.

  At normal circumstances, I would have disobeyed, but now wasn’t the time, so I just nodded obediently.

  Aiden then ran toward the Argon and tackled him to the ground.

  I know that Aiden is very strong, and he will win this, but I can’t help but feel nervous. Seeing him fight with another Alpha scares me. I don’t want him getting hurt.

  What surprised me was that they didn’t shift. They kept on fighting in their human forms. No one but me watched their Alpha fighting as they continued to bring down the rogues.

  Aiden and Alpha Argon were throwing punches at each other with their bare hands as they growled viciously. It looked like Aiden was much stronger. Especially because he was a well-trained Alpha while Alpha Argon just spent his years mourning about his dead mate.

  Not like I was blaming him or anything. I knew how losing someone felt like, but you didn’t see me kidnapping people as I tried to bring them back to life.

  It’s just fate, and sometimes you just have to accept it.

  I did a little happy dance in my mind when I saw Aiden on top of Alpha Argon as he punched him in the face. But I stopped breathing when I saw Alpha Argon take out the same blade he used on me.

  I forced my legs to run toward them, but I was too late. He stabbed the blade right into Aiden’s heart. I felt something inside me break as I stared at Aiden’s almost lifeless eyes turn to me in guilt. He looked guilty because he wasn’t able to save me, but that was the last thing on my mind. The pain on my right arm was completely forgotten as I felt a different kind of pain.

  The pain of losing your second half.

  A sob escaped my throat when his beautiful blue eyes closed. I then heard a scream of agony.

  And it was mine.

  Tears fell down my cheek as I saw Aiden fall limp on the ground while that bastard stood over him. Everything around me became a blur as I focused on his tired yellow face.

  “No! Don’t close your eyes! Look at me! You promised!” I screamed as I fell to the ground. I felt useless.

  “Oh, Aiden, please wake up,” I whispered to myself.

  He can’t leave me! He promised to stay by my side until he got old, but this was too early. I can’t handle the thought of losing him. It’s like losing my soul.

  I felt everything come crashing down when I didn’t hear his heartbeat.

  And that’s when everything turned black.

  Chapter 40

  I felt black, but I saw red. Everything around me was a blur as I focused on my target standing right in front of me. I wanted to see blood. I wanted revenge, and I wouldn’t relax until I made sure Alpha Argon was burning in hell along with his pathetic minions.

  I felt time stop as I ran toward him, letting my inner vampire come to life as my eyes reddened and my fangs came out of my gums.

  Everyone said that it was impossible for me to beat an Alpha, for Alphas have a higher ranking than I do. They said that I couldn’t do it, for I was weak. I was useless and didn’t have the ability. But tonight, I will show everyone who doubted me they were wrong.

  For nothing could stop me.

  I tackled Alpha Argon to the ground and sunk my fangs into his skin, forgetting about everything around me. I gave my complete attention to the bastard in front of me. I couldn’t go home until I was satisfied. I felt my sanity slip away as I ripped him to shreds, enjoying the sound of his screams of pain. He tried to fight back, but he was no match for me. I was going to bring him down, even if it were the last thing I do.

  My humanity was crumbling to the ground.

  Every good that was in me disappeared along with Aiden. Tears formed in my eyes as I screamed. I let everything off my chest as I sunk my nails into his chest.

  “He was everything I had,” I yelled while staring at the weakened Alpha in front of me.

  The darkness crept closer as I wrapped my hands around his neck and lowered myself to his ears.

  “Everyone doubted me,” I whispered.

  “Everyone told me I couldn’t do it, except him. He took away my pain and gave me happiness. But you took away my happiness,” I said as I stared at him with murderous eyes.

  “So now, I will give you my pain,” I said before inserting my hand into his chest slowly, making sure to hit every single bone and muscle as I saw the life drift before his eyes. I then grabbed his heart and twisted it painfully before yanking it out of his chest.

  I watched him fall to the ground with his cold heart in my hand, but it didn’t wash away the sadness in me like I expected. I still felt lonely.

  I felt like a monster.

  Tears ran down my cheek as I dropped his heart to the ground and rushed over to Aiden. Suddenly an idea came to mind.

  What if I injected my blood into his body? What if his body reacted to it before it was too late and saved him?

  But it was too risky. There were either two outcomes. Either I save him and he becomes a vampire when he wakes up. Or my blood will make it worse and kill him. Even though his heartbeat stopped, there could still be a chance of survival. But knowing that I was the one to kill him by inserting my blood, then I would never be able to forgive myself.

  I would hate myself forever.

  But I had to take the risk. If I never tried, then I know I would hate myself even more.

  So I took a handful of my blood that was still dripping from my arm and poured it into Aiden’s mouth. I didn’t stop giving him my blood until I knew that it
was enough.

  I then lay my head on his stomach as I let everything out. I cried on his chest, still not paying attention to the fight around me. I cried for Aiden. I cried for Alice. I cried for Sarah. I cried for everyone who has suffered because of me.

  And I cried for how lonely I felt.

  I was alone.

  I waited and waited for a heartbeat, hoping that it will work. That’s when I felt Aiden arch his back, and a loud piercing scream escaped his lips. By now there were a couple pack warriors surrounding us, but I didn’t pay attention to them.

  I lifted my head up immediately and looked at Aiden’s face. I heard his heartbeat increase as I saw pain in his now opened eyes. Hope flickered in my heart for a millisecond, but it disappeared when I saw Aiden cough out some of the blood I gave him.

  He let out another scream of pain as his eyes held something I couldn’t describe.

  It was death.

  I grabbed his face in my hands as his eyes started to close again and brought it to my chest. My breath stopped when his heartbeat slowed down then stopped as his body fell limp for the second time. But this time, it was all my fault.

  I did it.

  I killed my mate.

  I took a handful of his hair in my fist and brought his face up toward me as I placed a lingering kiss on his lips. Then another sob escaped my throat.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered as I looked at his white face.

  He seemed so peaceful. Away from all the problems, away from reality, and away from me.

  “I’m sorry for failing you.”

  Another tear escaped my eye.

  “I’m sorry for being such a horrible mate.”

  Now mostly all the warriors were surrounding us, but I didn’t dare look at their faces. I knew what they would hold, and I was afraid to see it.

  “I’m sorry for never telling you how much I care.”

  One howl broke loose as another and another filled the night’s air, mourning over their Alpha’s death.