Austin stood in between 3 fierce-looking demon, with calculated steps he moved back and lurched at the first. Each demon attacked with only one thought on their minds, kill him.
With a loud shout, he drove the sword into the demon’s heart. The demon muttered a shriek as it fell to the ground, blood oozing out of its mouth. This only made the others more furious, with angry strides, their swords and daggers clashed with his.
He could hear a warning from his demon. He hadn’t slept for two straight days and his eyes revealed it all. Anger grew inside of him as he remembered Ariana.
With furry, he used his sword to slice the demon into two halves.
Fiona noticed how her son behaved, she ran to his side as he slumped to the ground. “You need some rest” She whispered as she knelt beside him.
“No, I have to continue. I’m not a coward, I won’t run away” He protested as he rose and killed the demon who wanted to cut off Fiona’s head.
“Son, get some rest. We can handle them. There’s only a few left” She insisted and reluctantly he gave in and with a last glance vanished.
With tiredness, he slumped to the bed, ripping off his black blood-stained shirt. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
“Austin wakes up I’m back” Ariana said, waking Austin up and he stared at her then opened his eyes wide, dazzled.
“Y .. you.. you’re b.. back?” He squealed and hugged her, smiling happily.
“Yes, I had to come back. Let’s go downstairs” She replied as she held his hand and they walked downstairs.
He stopped midway when he saw another Ariana. He turned to his side and saw Candy smiling. “What is wrong?” Ariana demanded coming to his side and he moved back.
“Y.. you.. you” He stuttered and stopped when Nicole appeared. Both girls cackled evilly as their eyes turned red.
“You killed us” They said together and stretched their hands, holding his neck as he was lifted from the ground.
He clutches the hand that held his neck tightly, trying to remove the hand as his legs dangled. He tried to say something but couldn’t find his voice.
Candy laughed as she watched him groan in pain. “Even when you’re still a murderer, I loved you but you ignored me, the only thing you deserve is death” She replied with a laugh.
“After knowing what a beast you are, I stayed with you yet you murdered me. I’ll murder you the same way I was murdered” Ariana sneered, floating to his side.
“Brooklyn had always been right” Nicole said and Brooklyn walked inside, Ariana ran to him and they kissed. Austin struggled to free himself as he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Ahhh!” He yelled and sat up, opening his eyes.
Sweat covered his face and his heart raced. He turned to his side and found Candy staring at him.
Startled, he produced an iceball, growling. Candy stared at him with confusion.
She had walked inside and had seen him covered with sweat as he moved his body. He kept muttering some words and when she stood beside him he opens his eyes, sitting up.
“Are you okay?” She inquired, concern etched on her face as she touched his forehead.
“Leave” He replied coldly, removing her hand.
“Au.. Aus.. tin…”
“I said leave now!” He yelled, pushing the lamp to the ground and she stepped back with fear.
“Why are you acting this way because of a stupid human? You’re the alpha but a lady could belittle you. I liked the old, cold and bold you, not the wallowing you. You’re pathetic now” She spat out angrily and he threw an ice ball at her.
He held her neck, raising her from the ground, his eyes were dark with fury. “I’ll spare your life because of Donald but don’t think I’m stupid, your life means nothing to me” He gritted out, releasing her.
She fell to the ground, gasping for air as she coughed, recoiling with fear, she left.
Austin looked at his bed and images of their passionate nights came to his mind. “Ahh why!’ He yelled as he began throwing things on the ground.
He punched the mirror, crying as he brought out clothes from his wardrobe and began ripping them apart.
“If only she hadn’t come into my life, if only she didn’t make me fall in love with her. I was better off without her” He wailed, slumping to the ground and he began to remember the good times they spent together.
Just heart bled with pain each time he remembers her smile. “Why couldn’t she trust me? If she truly loved me, she was supposed to trust me wholeheartedly” He yelled with frustration and anger.
“Why did you leave? Why couldn’t you trust me? I would willingly surrender my life just to make you happy. But why?, why was I made alpha? Why wasn’t Brooklyn made the alpha? It’s too late now, the deed has been done and it’s up to me to defeat Dracula, everyone is hoping for me but I don’t think I can do it Austin thought as he put his head on the bed.
Fiona walked inside and stopped when she saw him on the ground. She started at her once glowing son, he looked rough, shaved and thinner. His face was expressionless.
She missed his old face which had a touch of gentleness but now it doesn’t require a soothsayer to tell he’s devastated.
With a sigh, she walked to the bed, sat on it and touched his hair. He lifted his face to look at her and it took every ounce of restraint in her not to cry.
Her family was in disarray yet she couldn’t do a thing. “I’m sorry son, this is all my fault” She sobbed, kneeling beside him and he shook his head.
“No, I was foolish enough to fall in love with my enemy” He replied.
“No, I brought her. I didn’t pay enough attention to Brooklyn and now I’m completely powerless. Forgive me, son” She retorted, holding his hand.
” I would do everything I can to stop Dracula and I won’t spare Brooklyn. Whatever it takes, I’m doing even if it means sacrificing my life” Austin vowed with determination.
“Brooklyn said he found Ariana” Donald announced
“What! Where?” Austimn demanded eagerly, his heart racing
“She’s not far from here. He also said you should call him” Donald informed and Austin ran downstairs with Fiona and Donald following behind.
Charlotte was playing with Travis, she had been acting strangely for a while. Sometimes she would smell of blood or have stains on her lips or palm.
Donald questioned her but she brought up another subject.
“Did you miss her that much?” Brooklyn taunted with a loud laugh as he heard Austin’s voice.
“Where is she?” Austin requested with a scowl and Brooklyn chuckled.
“You still have that rude streak in you. Listen well alpha. Surrender and I’ll tell you where she is” Brooklyn teased and Austin clenched his fist.
“If a strange of her hair gets missing, I promise to feed your body to Dracula” Austin threatened.
“You speak so boldly yet you couldn’t protect a girl. I feel sorry for the wolves who think you’re capable of protecting their lives because you’re a failure” Brooklyn replied harshly and Austin tightened his grip on the phone, veins popping on his white knuckles.
“Where the fuck is she?” Austin inquired.
“I dare you to find her with your extremely sharp senses. I’ll give you a hint. She’s not on land and she’s suffering. She prefers suffering to be with a liar” Brooklyn declared with a hearty laugh and angrily, Austin threw the phone on the ground, sauntering into his wolf form, he ran out immediately. Fiona and Donald ran after him.
Charlotte waited for some minutes before she stood up. she checked the whole room before going out.
She dragged a lifeless human body to the garden and smiled as she sat down. She was about to put his hand in her mouth when Donald shouted her name.
“What are you doing?” He demanded when he saw her holding the hose.
“I’m.. I’m. Trying to use water to wash off the blood and check whether he’s still alive” She stuttered and he noticed her hand was shaking.
“Must be because of fear, probably never seen a dead man before” He thought as he checked the corpse.
“He’s dead, you can go inside. I’ll take care of this” He instructed and her face dropped.
“Oh.. okay, I’ll wait for you” She mumbled and went inside. He started at the body for a while. He had seen the body lying outside before and how was she able to bring him in easily.
“But the gate was locked when I left” He wondered but shrugged it off when he couldn’t think of any reasonable explanation. He took the body to the forest and returned home.
Austin ran into the forest and stopped when he got to a cliff. He climbed the high stone and let out a loud cry. The moon shone brightly and he shifted to his human form.
He started at the moon, thinking. “Austin, you have to be brave” Donald comforted, patting his shoulder.
“How would I be brave? The school has been closed till who knows when people keep dying, and lots of families relocating to safer places. Dracula keeps bringing in more demons. Every day it’s the same routine, we fight and fight without any sign of victory. I’m fucking tired, more wolves keep joining Dracula, I’m being referred to as a weakling and you want me to be brave? The number of wolves alive keeps decreasing, the president has advised citizens to leave California, the houses are deserted and if I go out now, I’ll either see lifeless bodies of brave soldiers or vile-looking demons. My luna who’s supposed to provide support for me has eloped, she abandoned me knowing I’m not capable of protecting her and you want me to be brave?” Austin wailed and Donald sighed, he had never seen Austin this broken before.
“The shaman could assist in finding Ariana” Donald suggested.
“Why? If she’s found how would I forgive myself and watch her get sacrificed?” Austin replied.
“I wish I could help but this is totally out of our hands”
“Donald, can I have a word with Austin alone?” Fiona demanded.
“I’ll head home” Donald replied and left.
“Son, you have to stop wallowing in self pain, if actions are taken, it’ll help matters. Let’s find a solution. Let’s try to find Ariana if there’s no other option” Fiona suggested.
“Mom find Ariana? If I find her would I have the heart to sacrifice her? my option left is to fight till the last of my breathe”. Austin declared with determination in his eyes.
“I’m so proud of you son, I know it won’t let us down” Fiona confessed, patting his shoulder.
“I need to take it to the shaman” Austin replied and vanished.
He went inside the house and met the shaman having a conversation with a few wolves, they weren’t smiling.
“We’re tired already, if Austin won’t do anything then why waste our lives fighting a lost battle?” A man from the crowd brought up angrily and many murmured their approvals.
“I have a pregnant wife, if I tell her to stay that things would get better, I might end up with her corpse and that of my child” Another man voiced, filled with sadness.
“I’ve lost my husband and sons, what more do I have to live for? We’re all fighting a battle which we’ve lost already” A woman shouted with a frail hoarse voice.
“I can’t continue anymore, the safety of my family is the most important thing to me now” A man in his mid-60s retorted with anger.
“Let’s be patient and think of a way forward. If everyone should forsake Austin, what histories would we tell our children? How would we present our existence, how would we have freedom and not be enslaved to demons?” The shaman requested.
“If we stay with Austin and perish, now how would we have children to tell our histories to? How would we even have a history? Stop reasoning selfishly, your daughter is one of the major causes of all this. If you had trained her well, she wouldn’t have been cruel enough to betray her father and pack” A lady shouted and everyone turned silent. The shaman had a look of hurt, pain and confusion. Never had he been in such a situation before.
“That’s enough! I’m the one you whom you should channel your anger but before you say a word, I have some words to say. When everything was fine, did anyone think about visiting the shaman to show appreciation? When companies were built and you guys were given means of getting a livelihood, no one deemed it fit to leave or grumble. When my father fought Dracula just for everyone’s safety did anyone say a word? My father died at the hands of humans, did anyone deem it fit to start up a fight for their beloved alpha or try to find the human who killed him? When my father died, did y’all match to his house and mourn your alpha or talk about all the things he has done? Was he buried with the honour he deserves? No! The answer is no. Now that there’s a problem we are supposed to join forces and fight together to protect our existence instead all y’all can do is argue and lay blames on everyone. If I surrender to Brooklyn, you still wouldn’t be satisfied. Do you think Brooklyn would treat you any better? Brooklyn is angry for not being made alpha, do you think he wouldn’t have his revenge if you go to him? You would become slaves to Dracula and other demons. And I would watch you suffer because he would treat me better than you guys. The only option now is to get prepared for war and I’m using this opportunity to declare my intentions of using the monk’s sword to fight” Austin announced and they all cheered for him, shouting joyously as they claimed and the shaman looked at him with a smile that showed he was proud of him.