“No, no, no. Claude, don’t do this to me,” I said as I held his face as he coughed more and looked into my eyes.
He smiled faintly before he told me, “Please remove them. Quickly…” he demanded as I nodded to remove them.
It was a good thing that Doctor McKenzie spared us a few antidotes in case something like this would have happened. Claude immediately took the vial and was about to bestow me the other one when someone shot it. Gasping, Claude quickly shielded me when we heard footsteps from where we came from.
“Well, well… I did not know I had a guest tonight.”
Claude and I growled a warning when my father, Magnius Lothim, appeared with a sinister smile plastering on his lips. His hands were smeared with blood and I was horrified upon seeing that he was holding the… decapitated head of-
“Doctor McKenzie…” I mumbled his name as I started to feel disgusted at my father. “Why did you do that to him, Father?!” I hissed in pain when I felt the pain surge on my back.
We only had two vials that were bestowed on us. And an archer ruined the last one Claude was holding. The wolfsbane poison started to scatter through my whole body. I was worried that I would be immobilized soon if I hadn’t taken any antidote yet.
Father chuckled and glanced at the head he was holding before he rolled it in our direction. I clenched my hands upon seeing the horrified expression of Doctor McKenzie. I felt sorry that he had to sacrifice himself just to save us.
Claude growled and shielded me more as soon as we felt that we were being surrounded. “Stay behind me, Rachelle. I am not going to hand you back to your father again,” he said as he was glaring at Lothim.
I only nodded while I kept an eye behind us. “I will keep an eye on here,” I said while I growled a warning to those rogues who would dare to step forward.
“If I were you, Rachellian, I would lessen my movements. You know that I do not use an ordinary concoction of wolfsbane,” Lothim said in a menacing tone.
I stiffened. I almost forgot about that. Lothim was using an added ingredient to create such a strong poison that would easily affect a werewolf. I hadn’t gotten the gist on what plant he added that caused Claude’s injury on his face.
Wait…
Claude’s injury?
Why didn’t I see that from him?
I glanced at Claude who caught me looking at him before his eyes landed on Lothim. “You must be wondering how I healed from your new formula, father-in-law.” I creased my forehead in confusion. I also noticed how emphasized the word, father-in-law. It was as if Claude was mocking Lothim.
I was also wondering how it happened as well.
My father didn’t look happy at Claude. “I do not consider you as my son-in-law.” He cocked his head from side to side as he snorted bitterly. “Luna Queen Beatrice is the dumbest person I’ve ever known to even make such an agreement against the Moon Goddess who is my mate just so she could assure that her son will be protected?” He drew out a smirk.
Claude growled. “Do not insult my mother!” he said angrily. “She just did that because she loved me, you bastard,” he said through gritted teeth. “How about you? What deeds have you done to love your daughter and you just abandoned her just because the Moon Goddess never wanted to see you again?”
“Claude!” I said, horrified. I shook my head, indicating that was a sensitive topic for my father. I hadn’t asked my mother about the real reason why She avoided Lothim after their heated argument. I wanted to know if what my father told me was pure truth or they could be mistaken as lies just so he could manipulate my thinking to hate the Moon Goddess.
My father’s face darkened. “Moron… How dare you…” With that, he immediately attacked Claude which earned me a gasp when Claude unleashed the sword that was on his waist holster.
I immediately ducked down when I almost got hit and gathered enough sand before I threw it off to the rogues that were about to approach me. Even if my body was gradually paralyzed, I could still move swiftly and evaded the arrows that threw in my direction.
Then I attacked one of those rogues who had a spear weapon. I stole it and started killing them without mercy. I glanced in Claude and my father’s direction where they started to fight and collided their swords with each other.
I had this urge of wanting to protect Claude right away as I silently prayed to my Moon Goddess to grant me more strengths so I could be able to fight more.
“Get out of the way!” I said as I started swinging the spear I had in my hand, not daring to show my claws as I wanted to preserve my energy more than ever.
I need to refrain from using my wolf strengths as much as possible but the more I kept on fighting, I couldn’t avoid fighting them with all my might.
I somehow got worried because I knew that I wouldn’t last long. Were there really no reinforcements that could help us here? Did Claude come here on his own accord? He wouldn’t come here if he hadn’t brought some of his men to come to this place, right?
“Eagle Mist…” I murmured the name of the elite troops I had trained. They must be here… It was impossible that they weren’t with the Alpha King. I trained them to serve the royal lycan family in case I lose the power of leading them. They must remain loyal to them even if they wanted to defy the royal lycan family.
“Rachelle, behind you!”
My eyes widened as I immediately turned around to see that my father was already pointing the blade in my direction. I gasped, horrified as I looked for Claude seeing his head bleeding, trying to stand up while my father had wounds on his body, standing in front of me.
Angered at seeing Claude in that condition, I immediately waved the spear and attacked my father. “I cannot forgive you for hurting him, Father!” I said angrily and let the emotions get the better of me which was the wrong choice to do.
I ended up cornered by my father as he had the blade near to my neck and threw the spear I used for battle. “Surround the Alpha King!” he ordered. I hissed and was about to step forward when Father gripped my hair and placed the blade on my neck. “I am so disappointed in you, Rachellian. And to your mate as well. Though Claudian has excellent fighting skills, he couldn’t just outsmart who is well-experienced in defeating many Alphas. How much more if I kill him, right, my beloved daughter?”
“Father…” I said with an abomination smeared on my tone. I didn’t move for a while before I pushed his hand that was holding his sword as I ducked and raised my fist to uppercut his jaw.
“Damn it!” He cussed as he stepped backward.
I took the spear before I attacked the people that kept on kicking Claude as I pierced them with the sharp blade of the spear. Claude took that as a chance to stand up as he was the one attacking my father.
‘Did you really not have any reinforcements with you?!’ I asked in a frustrated tone through mind link while trying to avoid the chemical that was about to throw away in my direction. I didn’t hear any answer from Claude. Impatient, I looked at his way, who was busy fighting with my father.
My eyes widened when Claude transformed into his humanoid wolf form while Father transformed into his wolf form. I snapped back and decided to slash all the enemies that dared to approach my beloved husband.
“I am here! Do not be distracted!” I said to my enemies as they started to swarm me. Panting, I held to the spear as I felt that the arrow that pierced me had started to bestow me with a dizzy feeling. I shook my head to castigate myself so as not to be distracted by this.
I must keep going.
I must fight the poison that was already spreading in my body.
Normally, I could fight more than a thousand werewolves without incurring an injury however, my case was different as I had a poison dramatically damaging my movements. That made me kneel to the ground which Claude turned in my way.
‘Rachelle!’ I could hear the panicking in his voice when he saw that I was being surrounded.
‘I am alr-‘ I didn’t finish my words through our mind link when I suddenly coughed blood.
From what happened, I heard my father laugh maniacally like he had already gone insane. I ignored it as I felt my breath that was getting heavy as my visions were getting blurry. I suddenly felt my body being heavy as well like my strength had been drained away.
“Rachelle!”
All of a sudden, I felt someone tapping my cheek as I slowly peeled my eyes open. I squinted my eyes a little to visualize the person who was holding me as I gasped faintly when I found out that was…
“Claude…” I called his name in a meek tone. I held my chest tightly and screamed in pain when I felt that I was getting burned from it.
“My new concoction seems fatal right now. It might be slow but the effect is greater than the ones before.” I heard Lothim say. Then I saw the blade on Claude’s neck from behind. I raised my hand to reach the blade so I could keep it stay away from my beloved mate.
“Rachelle… No… Don’t go to sleep. Love! Don’t do this to me!” Claude said angrily and panicked, not minding that he was being threatened right now by my father.
“Your Majesty, you cannot save my daughter like that…” Father said as he leaned forward and looked at me with his cold glare. “Unhand my sword, Rachellian. You do not wish to be poisoned more, correct?”
I looked at Claude who was already crying. I mind linked to him that we must kill my father now or never. The way my father acted right now was letting his guard off because he thought that Claude and I were too emotionally damaged to even fight back.
‘Do not die before my eyes, Rachelle. I cannot allow it,’ he cried before we counted.
Giving my last ounce of strength, I pulled Father’s sword to steal it from him which earned him a surprised gasp before Claude managed to tackle him and pierced the sword to his stomach while I did the same thing when I managed to get up and kneel.
“F-Farewell, Father…” I said meekly.
After that, the last thing I heard was my name being called but my eyes wouldn’t let me open them anymore.
I guess this must be my last farewell for Claude, my mate and Cloudy, my son.
Do forgive me, my two Claudians if I have to be away from all of you… I am sorry…