Lycanthropy

“Not anymore, I’m right here.” My grandmother said, coming down from the mountain. “You have found yourself in quite the predicament, haven’t you?” She continued, while kneeling down next to Radu.

While still holding on to Radu’s heart, I looked around us.

Even though I have the Monarch of the Nightstalkers in a terrible situation, all of Radu’s scouts and assassins kept on fighting against our wolves. It was odd to see that they just kept on going, even though they wouldn’t have a leader anymore, once I decided to rip his heart out.

Radu couldn’t get out of this anymore, I would kill him and this was the end for all of them.

“This is too easy.” Dakota said.

“Yes, but how? I mean, I have him, right here. What could happen once I pull his heart out?” I asked her.

“I don’t know, but there is something off.” Dakota said again and I nodded.

I looked around again, trying to figure out what was going on. My grandmother heard my thoughts so she kept him talking, and stalled some time.

Radu was saying loving words to her, but I didn’t listen to that. I was focused on all the other things that happened on the field.

Dimitri was now on Magda’s tail, and every single one of the Nightstalkers that she had injured, he had run his blades through. Killing all of them, with the slice of his blades.

And he smiled towards her, when she didn’t see it.

Then, the scouts came close to Daniel and his wolves, as they were fighting ferociously as well. And unfortunately one of the Nightstalkers came closer to Daniel than he had wanted, and he got himself bitten in his upper arm.

Magda had seen the scout, who bit Daniel, come towards him, but hadn’t put up the effort to kill the scout on time. Instead, she had ‘accidentally’ impaled Daniel's shoulder and apologized for doing so. “Sorry, I guess my aiming is a bit off.” She said smiling and ran around him, fighting off other scouts, together with Dimitri following her, leaving Daniel roaring in pain.

“Aron, call Dimitri.” I linked him and so he did.

I saw Dimitri looking, at which he instantly ran towards us.

While killing some more scouts and jumping over dead bodies, that laid around on the field, he slowed his movement once he got nearer and furrowed his brows.

I don’t know why he hesitated to run his blades through Radu’s body, the moment he had the chance, but it only confirmed my thoughts that there was something off. If this man, of whom I held his life in my hand, almost literally, was truly Radu, then Dimitri would have known.

Dimitri’s life has been nothing but preparing for this moment. He has taught himself every fact about him, and he has a far greater hate for him than any of us on this battlefield combined.

Besides, this Radu isn’t reacting to my grandmother, the way that I had expected him to be. He only came up with general caressing things to say as ‘You were the only one for me.’ or ‘Please come back with me.’.

He also had pretty much begged me to rip his heart out. Something the real Radu wouldn’t have ever done.

Then it dawned on me, and I decided on an instinct. I ripped this man’s heart out, without discussion, and threw it on the floor in front of Dimitri. He pushed one of his blades in it, to make sure it wouldn’t beat ever again.

Marius had gasped for a moment, but it wasn't sincere. His reaction wasn't one of a person who just lost his brother.

The imposter tried to take a few breaths, but failing, his body had given up.

Some warriors who were close to us, howled in approval, but kept on fighting as the Nightstalkers did as well.

“He was an excellent actor, but you have made some mistakes in this act, Marius.” I said to him and he frowned.

“And that is?”

“Oh, you know perfectly well. I bet you even wanted me to notice this early on, as some twisted way from you to help me. Now tell me, where is Radu?” I asked him.

“Not here, but he will be soon.” He replied, and it annoyed me.

“Call off your people Marius, if he isn’t here, than this has no point.” I said while gesturing to all the people who were still fighting, and he nodded.

Within a few moments, all of the Nightstalkers cleared the area and our wolves howled, as if they had won. We immediately informed every one of the situation, and I had asked the medical bay to be prepared to help a lot of wounded wolves.

Others, who were only exhausted and not injured, helped with moving the dead wolves to an area where we could attend to them later. And the dead Nightstalkers were put on a pile, to be burned.

I could see Amy help with the dead wolves, trying to soothe the people mourning for their losses. I’m glad that she is still here with me, but why hasn’t she been on the battle field? I wanted to ask her that, before I got interrupted by Marius’ touch on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry that I had to fight your mate.” He said to me.

He hadn’t truly injured Aron, only hit him and held him tight, but didn’t do anything else. And besides that, he is a royal Nightstalker, so he kind of has to be on the enemy team.

“Yeah whatever.” I said, but now that he was here, I was wondering the same thought I had earlier.

“He’s had a month to prepare, and now he is late? What is Radu doing, Marius?” I asked him, while he was walking with me.

I had commanded for everyone to not attack him, as I still needed him for information.

“I can’t tell you. Well, technically I could, but he would kill me if I did.” He said.

“Yes, obviously, that’s what everyone would have said in a high position. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t tell me.” I said while helping out to carry some dead Nightstalkers up on a pile.

Marius just shrugged at the action and didn’t help at all. He didn’t look disgusted either or being remorseful for all the lost Nightstalkers.

“And what about his face? How could the man that I killed, just look like him?” I asked him now.

“Facial recognition software, together with some rubber and a pretty good dimensional printer. And also a small sensor on his chest programmed to be able to show every facial feature, black nails and what not more. And finally an ear piece so I could talk him through this shit, and tadaa…one fake Radu.” He said while faking a smile.

“And his strength?” I asked him, remembering that he pushed Aron away with ease.

“Steroids. They do wonders for us, temporarily.” He replied without hesitating.

“Right, should have known.” I said, and within minutes we had lit the pile of Nightstalker bodies and the burning smell that came off their skin, roamed through the air.

“Marius, where is he?” I tried again, as I still didn't have my answer.

“Not far. He will be here soon.”

“But why now? Why didn’t he do, whatever he is doing, earlier?” I continued my questions.

“Because then you would have known. Now it is too late for you to react.” He simply said and then Daniel came rushing in, his arm and shoulder in heavy bandages.

He looked disgusted towards Marius, but soon turned his gaze to me.

“A single Nightstalker has attacked your father’s old pack.” He said and I looked baffled at Marius.

“Marius? What is he doing?” I asked him and he shrugged his shoulders unsympathetically, making me more and more angry.

I grabbed Marius’ arm and turned him towards me again, as he was about to walk away. Then I shifted my hand and wrapped my claws around his neck.

“Tell me!” I commanded of him.

“Either you or Radu will kill me. It doesn’t matter if I tell you or not, I’m dead anyway.” He said defeated.

“Marius! Tell me, you lousy son of a bitch!” I said to him again.

“No, you will find out sooner or later, just wait.” He replied and he got me over an edge of anger that I have rarely felt before.

I looked him in the eyes, and mustered up all the Alpha command that I had, from every fibre in my whole body.

Fully shifting, while keeping his neck in my hold, I felt myself grow larger and even more determined than ever.

“What are you doing?” Dakota asked me, and I chose to ignore her.

Marius is a large man, and a strong one too, I mean he is a royal Nightstalker after all. But even though the fact that he is large and strong, I was still able to lift him from the ground, where he struggled to keep his neck safe.

He pulled himself up on my arm, at the best of his ability, but coughed and chocked even so.

“TELL ME! WHAT IS HE DOING?!” I roared with all my might, that it even made Daniel become uneasy with his own presence and the ground shuddered lightly.

I could see Marius twitch in confusion, trying to shut his own mouth as he was unwilling to tell me. Yet, this fear in his eyes, upon receiving an Alpha command, a face that I have seen plenty of times on my own wolves, confused me a little as well.

Aron and some of the others came running towards us, as they had heard me roar, probably thinking that battle had started again. I guess the whole mountain had heard me roar, as more people came in right after, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the thing that was happening right in front of me.

It wasn’t possible for Nightstalkers to command another one, not even for royals.

Yet, the way that Marius was looking at me now, made me aware of my own royal power. And the next thing that he had said, had made me drop him.

I shifted back to human form and stoically had looked right in front of me.

Aron shook my shoulders, Amy had yelled to me, Frida was talking to Daniel, as well as many other things that were going on around me, which I didn’t register properly.

I dropped on my knees and put my face in my hands, repeating the sentence, that Marius had said, over and over again in my head.

An instant headache forming, over the thoughts that now roamed through my mind. Of the disability of this information, of all the strange things that have happened so far, of the probability that I could see her one more time, yes her… My mind was roaming full of thoughts, of memories of her.

Because, of what Marius was just compelled to say to me. Commanded to answer my question…

“Your mother, he is reviving your mother.”

A/n: Are you still breathing? Or have you just lost your mental sanity? Just curiously wondering, for experimentational purposes, of course. 💛