25: The Mastermind

Book:The King's Mate Published:2024-11-12

Chapter 25
POV: Aeron Darkwood
Somewhere in the middle of the dark woods. A loud whimper echoed in the middle of the dark forest, followed by a painful growl making the birds fly away from their own resting nests and breaking the deafening silence of the night.
Dark red blood splattered the ground and painted the wild grass and weeds.
The entire place was terrifying and perilous at just one glance.
A man with no left arm was slowly breathing and sniveling due to the agony he felt. He already knew that he would face his tragic end today. He knew he wouldn’t have another chance at proving his worth and loyalty.
He would face his disastrous demise without any sign and confidence.
One of the people staring at him younger than him slowly shook his head with too much disappointment.
It pained him more for he served this family for almost two decades of his life.
A young lady just raised her brow while looking at him whimpering on the muddy ground. Her eyes were cold and haven’t had any reaction at all.
The head of the family just blankly took a glance at him, and nothing could ever be drawn from him just plain emotionless.
While the woman who was holding his detached left arm and slowly piercing its skin as his blood sluggishly flowed down her arms, was wearing an evil and petrifying expression.
Her eyes were glittering with so much anticipation as it sparkled towards the light of the near full moon. Her devious aura strengthened as her shadow covered half of her face making him tremble in so much fear.
He just wanted to make his heartbreaking departure in one strike, but he knew them better he wouldn’t escape his perilous death in a slow, painful, and terrifying manner.
The woman’s bared canines were visibly seen on her lips wearing an extra red lipstick. Her wicked smile matched her pitch-black vicious eyes while looking at him with no amount of remorse seen.
She just threw his left arm into the depths of darkness as if it was just a simple uninteresting object, and in just a blink of an eye, she was already in front of the lying man forcedly gripping his neck.
He caught his breath and his eyes rolled at the back of his head. The part of his eyes that was supposed to be white was now bloodshot red and only seen. The pain he felt was excruciating yet he couldn’t do anything about it.
These people are the strongest he knew and witnessed that. They were so powerful, yet they were still concealing that truth. One mistake and you were already blacklisted. No more chances, no more life.
The man was thrown to the ground vehemently a loud thud that resonated together with the breaking of the back of his bones. He wouldn’t feel anything anymore due to the immense pain he felt.
All his entire system was numb and couldn’t even move an inch as he was surrounded with the coldness of the dark forest.
The melancholic scene revolves and he, as the center of it, was lying and nearly out of breath. The rustling sound of the wind danced with the lofty trees making it more dramatic and miserable for him.
He could hear his own heartbeat at a slower pace than normal.
“I already told you to find her, yet you hadn’t done your best. What a bastard, you are. You are useless!”
The woman with gritting teeth told him with too much danger and madness in her tone as she slowly pierced her elongated claws to his right leg, making him tremble and cry in so much pain. An immense pain that he thought he wouldn’t have felt anymore.
“Yes… that’s it. I want to hear your loud cry…” The wicked woman whispered with so much desire and satisfaction as she broke his right leg and had it apart from his entire body.
Piles of blood watered the dirty soil, and some were splashed to the woman’s face some were located near her lips which she gradually tasted with her own tongue, then a cruel smile appeared on her face.
The scene was so petrifying!
The man’s face was so pale and subsequently close to paperwhite that only meant he was deliberately losing his own blood, and therefore so near in losing his own life.
His eyes were bloodshot and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
Unrestrained tears streamed down his face making the woman look at him with pure disgust.
“You were so weak and have the guts to show your tears?! What a shame! You really don’t belong to the pack.”
The woman let out a wicked and malicious chuckle.
“You already knew what I am doing to those who aren’t accomplishing my orders, right? And to those who bring complications to the pack. Yet you had the guts to spend your time in leisurely places and just purely delegated the search party that I gave you. What a bastard, you are!” The woman said furiously as she gritted her teeth and snarled with her bare sharped canines.
Her elongated claws scratched his face down to his chest.
The lying man let out a slow miserable groan as he just stayed unmoving for his strength was slothfully dispersing from his body. He knew that the woman wasn’t still done with him.
For this family was the most frightening of all. They have neither the conscience nor the soul to give anyone in their pack a second chance to live. Enforcing fear for every member of their pack followed poisoning their minds and every member of their concealed alliance.
Everything about this family screams of greediness and massive madness.
With that, he already had accepted his fate to give his life to this cruel and merciless woman.
With one last blow, the woman grabbed his neck tightly as she gave her huge force towards it making his neck broke and pierce his skin.
His last breath was now mixed up with the icy cold wind hustling around them for his soul was now freed from his body.
The man was unrecognizable, as he was now as white as paper and as cold as ice and covered with his own pile of blood some were fresh, and some were already dried up.
“I don’t want another disappointment this time.” The woman said coldly and laced with emotion showed with so much power and authority.
The two younger versions of her just lowered their heads for they didn’t want their mother to turn her deep anger towards them.
“Leah,” the head of the family, called the eldest of the two.
His voice was full of seriousness for his wolf was now at bay.
“Y-yes, father?” She nervously uttered as she looked directly at him as she tried her best not to break the eye contact.
“Do everything to eliminate that Davis girl.”
The old man ordered with his cold and authoritative voice.
“Yes, Father.”
Leah answered in a low but maddening tone as her fist clenched tightly and she gritted her teeth with intense ferocity.
Because even though his father wouldn’t order her to do that she would gladly do so.
“Do not just say it this time, Leah. Do it.”
The woman’s voice was in maddening mode and resonated the whole place making Leah shake a bit in an abrupt fear as she lit her cigarette and ignoring the splattered blood all over her face and body.
“Y-yes, Mother.”
In a low and disappointing tone she answered. She was more upset with herself she needed to contemplate a solid plan. This time, she needed to succeed.
“They were really challenging us.” The woman said as a menacing smirk appeared on her lips covered with both dark red lipstick and blood.
“Aeron,” the woman called her youngest.
“Y-yes, Mother?”
With his shaking voice, he carefully asked and looked directly towards where his mother was.
“Do our next plan. Do it exactly as we planned. I don’t want any more gaffes this time.”
The woman’s voice never faltered as she said those pressing and dangerous words.
“Yes, Mother.”
The young man answered instantly with a tone full of conviction.
“And…”
The woman trailed as her eyes wickedly narrowed down into thin slits.
“Find me a capable and efficient second in command as soon as possible.”
Her jaw clenched as she blew the smoke from her lips.
“Yes, Mother.”
The young man answered as he pressed his lips together, and he gazed coldly towards the man lying covered in his own blood and now dead.
He shook his head with so much disappointment.
All of their plans crumbled down as that Tamara Davis appeared right in front of their noses.
Tamara Davis.
The woman they wanted dead.
Is Tyra Amaris.
The servant omega from the Lunar Pack and unfortunately, the same woman who just saved his life.
***
POV: King Hades Pierce
“My King, the first round was a huge success, and we will now proceed with the next round a few days from now.” Arlan eagerly reported as he went into the throne room and started blabbering nonsense about the competition.
“The Were Elders’ Council was now being reprimanded for their abrupt opposition towards the first round. They have also been-”
“Where is Raven?”
He, who was boredly looking at the huge glass window, interrupted him before he even finished his uninteresting report which he already knew.
Tsk!
He wanted to roll his eyes.
Arlan cleared his throat as he swallowed hard. He doesn’t know how to address his question for he, himself, doesn’t even know deliver the prince’s given reason without making the King mad.
He was confused about Prince Raven’s sudden change of mood. He was as if covered with a dark aura turning closer like the King and didn’t like it a bit.
The King, with his forehead furrowed, took a glance at where his second in command was standing for he remained silent, and didn’t give him any answer… at all.
“My King, Prince Raven doesn’t want to be disturbed at the moment and asked me to tell you that the second round is up to y-you to decide.”
The poor subordinate uttered carefully; for he doesn’t want any complications right now, nor a pain in his neck, literally.
He knew the king’s reaction very well. He will not tolerate any disobedience, disrespect, and inefficiency not even to his brother, well, especially not to him.
The king raised his brow as a wicked and ruthless smirk appeared on his lips.
An idea came to his mind as he believed his younger brother was now licking his own wound.
What a heartbreaking scene, he thought.
Satisfaction filled him instantly.
Now, he wasn’t just the one having a problem with this kind of setup.
“Tell him to fix himself and face his responsibilities or I will rip someone’s head off. That is another warning for him.”
His words were deep and delightful followed by a humorous chuckle that abruptly escaped from his lips.
Arlan, on the other hand, was confusedly looking at the king, who was now filled with fulfillment and joy.
Someone? He thought.
He slowly shook his head why do these two brothers love whenever one of them was in a foul mood.
“Are you with me?” A serious tone from him made Arlan flinch a bit.
“Y-yes, Your Majesty.” Arlan instantly answered and didn’t want to ruin the King’s joyous mood.
“Good. And don’t forget to strengthen the sentinels guarding the entire castle as well as each of the top six candidates, as long as the competition was still on.”
He seriously ordered his playful smirk was now gone as his lips curled up into a darker and dangerous one.
“For I know someone might sabotage someone.”
He lowly whispered, and not enough to be heard by Arlan, who’s brows furrowed in so much confusion.
“Do you understand?”
He asked once again as he darkly looked at his second in command.
“Y-yes, My King.”
Arlan even though in his confused state answered immediately.
“Good. Now, leave.”
He dismissively said and waved his hand at him.
Arlan bowed his head and immediately turned around and walked towards the door.
He was now embraced with cold and deafening silence which he mostly liked.
A genuine and proud smile escaped his lips as he remembered a certain red head who was answering the tricky question during the first round of the competition with so much certainty and confidence.
He couldn’t help but bit his lower lip with so much anticipation.
He would make sure the competition would end up as he planned, or else… he would make everything upside down… just to have her.