Chapter 52

Peter’s pov I watch her run away, her speed amicable. For a none werewolf, she was pretty fast. But that probably had to do with her knowing her life was in danger.

People tend to have a speed they usually never knew they were capable of until they get frightened.

She stumbles, falling to the ground. I reign in a snort.

Clumsy girl.

I watch her, suddenly intrigued when she stays down longer than necessary. My palms push on the bark of the tree as she finally gets to her feet, seeming to be contemplating before deciding on what course to take then, runs.

I take a step forward, stopping when she slows down to take a look back. I hide in the shadows, not wanting her to see me.

My eyes fall to where her eyes were fixed on and my eyebrows shoot up in shock. Is that what I think it is?

Wolfsbane?

That witch Malia was right. She was right about everything. About all the events that happened tonight.

She was absolutely right.

Which meant she was probably right about Essi’s true intentions.

My wolf howled in my head in pain, knowing that our mate was deceiving us in the worst possible way.

I stiffen when the scent of a rogue reaches my nose. That thing wasn’t supposed to be here.

It bounds out of the shadows, its fur matted and its scent nasty. I could tell it was female due to its size.

Its yellow eyes are beady as it stares at me.

It snarls knowing that it had breached a territory and I could have its head. But instead of coming towards me, it runs in the opposite direction, towards Aurora.

I don’t bother trying to catch it, in fact, it would be a good thing if it manages to catch Aurora and kill her.

Shaking my head a little, I step out of the shadows and strut over to the blooming flower. I stared at it, utterly shocked that I was face to face with one. It had been years since I last saw one.

Not since our council destroyed every single plant.

Who would’ve thought Aurora could create such a poisonous flower?

The girl never seemed intimidating. In fact, she had seemed practically useless. Until now.

Did Raphael know?

No. If he did, he would’ve surely used her already. I don’t think anyone knew, well anyone other than Malia and Essi.

Her name brought on a wave of pain. I didn’t want to think that she was using me to get to Aurora. I didn’t want to think that she wanted to destroy my kind……me.

Angered by my wave of thoughts, I pulled out the plant from the earth, my intention set on confronting Essi about all of this. I need to know the truth. I need to know if she was using me all along. If she never intended to ever make me mark her.

I walked into the mansion, my eyes scanning everywhere. I clenched my jaw when I saw Malia already standing beside a wall, leaning against it as she regarded me.

She must’ve already seen me coming because she didn’t look the least bit shocked to see me burst through the door. In fact, she looked like she was expecting me.

Her eyes fall to the plant and she smirks. “Did I not tell you?”

My canines throbbed as I pictured tearing off her neck. “Where is Essi?” I snarled. I needed to know if she was truly just using me.

But before Malia can answer, Essi comes downstairs in a blurry flash. Her fangs jutting out as she looks at me in annoyance. “I thought I told you to come back when you have her!” She ground out, but then her eyes sweep low and they widen.

I throw the wolfsbane at her feet. Her eyes follow the plant.

“What did you do?” She ground out, snapping her head up to glare at me.

“Found out why you were telling me to keep an eye out on Aurora. Why do you want the wolfsbane Essi?

What are you going to use i t for?” I asked tightly. Her eyes flashed red.

Her long fingers grab around my neck so quickly that all I could let out was a breath before I am slammed to the wall. I hear the sound of wind before more than twenty vampires join us.

I looked down at my mate, not once seeing any other emotion than disgust. “You were using me,” I whispered, hurt that I would’ve left my pack for her. I didn’t care that it wasn’t common to be mated to a vampire. I had wanted her.

But she didn’t want me.

My wolf whines in my head.

Essi levels her head to a side and stares at me coldly. “You mutts have pin-size brains. Years I’ve been keeping a low profile, for years I stayed back, waiting for that dumb girl to grow up. I’ve waited too long.

Too long to get my revenge. I’ll wait no longer. I refuse to wait any longer!” She snarled, black veins crawling on her neck to settle on her face.

She adds pressure to my neck until I was nearly choking. I looked around, too outnumbered. “Now. Tell.

Me. Where. Is. She?” She gritted out every word with malice.

She moves the pressure of her hands a little so I’d be able to speak. “She escaped. She’s heading to Alpha Xavier’s territory.” I said i n one breath. With the look in her eye, she’d kill me if I didn’t speak, mate or not.

Her eyes flashed more. “Alpha Xavier! The most ruthless and cruel Alpha alive? You dumb mutt! How am I supposed to get her away from his clutches now?!”.

“You can’t” Malia suddenly speaks up.

I sweep my eyes over to her. She doesn’t look the least bit afraid.

Essi turns to her, her expression angered. “You saw something, didn’t you?! Tell me what you saw!” Essi snarls.

Malia doesn’t cower. “I saw your death.” She stated blandly. She then turns to me. “I saw his death.”

“And I saw the death of every vampire. Your clan, your people will die.” She stated. For someone who always cowered when Essi was near, as of now her posture was straight and unafraid.

Essi stiffens, her eyes blazing with rotten fury. “You knew this. You knew everything, didn’t you? You planned all of this!”

Without warning, Essi leaves my neck, her hands now around Malia’s neck. She doesn’t flinch just looks at Essi dead in the eye and said. “I have played my part. Everything I have planned is set. No matter what way you go, you’ll fail. She’s in the arms of her mate and he’ll fight demons if he has to for her. He’ll protect her. She has a pack now that will protect her. You’ll fail Essi. And I have won.”

Essi beyond furious at the witch’s words plunged her fangs into Malia’s neck who only gasped but made no effort to move as the vampire queen drank every last drop of her blood.

But before dying, Malia whispered.” You’ve already lost.”

I watch her body slump to the floor but Essi doesn’t stop there, she starts to tear off every limb of her body while snarling. “This ugly bitch. How dare she trick me! How dare she fool me! Traitor! Fucking traitor!”

I watch as everywhere tumed a bloody mess with Malia’s blood. When Essi seems to calm down, she doesn’t tum around to stare at me. No. She only murmurs coldly. “Kill him.”

Essi’s pov I licked the blood off my fingers while staring at a dying Peter. His chest rise and fell as he fought to pull air into his lungs. I felt no remorse, no pain. I can’t feel that emotion again, not since one of those dogs killed my little brother.

“Well it was good while it lasted mutt. You fucked great. But all great things must come to an end. I’ll make it quick for you so it wouldn’t hurt anymore.” I said playfully and pushed my foot down on his neck until I heard the sickening crack.

Well, that was one distraction out of the way.

“What are we going to do now Essi? The girl has escaped Raphael and from what I’ve heard Alpha Xavier is ruthless and no one can hold a candle to him.” Rick says beside me.

I licked the blood off my fingers and removed my foot from Peter’s neck. Can’t say I won’t miss his warm cock.

I looked over at what remains of Malia. I didn’t even think clearly when I killed her. All I could feel was rage. Pure rage that I had been tricked by such a useless being for so many years.

Now I understood why she made me wait all those years to go after Aurora. She needed the girl old enough so she’d find Alpha Xavier.

The witch had all this planned. Every single thing.

I kicked one of her limbs.

She may have tricked me for years but no more. I’ll get that girl. I’ll get my revenge. Fuck her stupid visions. She saw wrong.

Because there was one thing she didn’t see coming.

“We’ll join forces. There’s someone who would love the kind of power the girl could give. Someone who’d want to rule. Someone who would do anything for power. Someone who we can use to distract Alpha Xavier enough to get us what we want.” I hummed, kicking another limb.

Bet you didn’t see this one coming you dumb whore.

“With who?” Rick’s voice is heavily coated with confusion.

I turn to him smiling.” Alpha Raphael. We’ll go to him, try to bargain with him. He’ll want the girl once he hears what she possesses. If he has her, he can rule the entire wolf community. At least that’s what we’ll tell him to have him agree. We’ll pretend we’re on his side, that we mean no harm.”

Rick shakes his head. “That sounds dangerous Essi. He’s an Alpha male, a strong one. He’ll not agree to join forces with us. In fact, I think he’d kill us when he hears of what Aurora can do, especially if he craves power. He’ll seek for her himself.”

“Not if I’m the only one who knows about pixies and everything that has to do with them. Don’t forget I have roamed this earth for centuries. Longer than Raphael has. He doesn’t know what else pixies can do. He’ll need me if he wants to get her.” I said.

“I still think this is dangerous Essi. Can’t we find another way?” Rick asked in worry.

I turn to flash him a glare. “Look around Rick. There is no other way! You don’t know how long I had been waiting for a pixie to be able to create the most powerful wolfsbane plant. What you fail to realize is that normal wolfsbane would be easier for the dogs to heal from. But the wolfsbane Aurora creates,” I clicked my tongue. “They’d be dead in seconds.”

My eyes drop to the flower. “Just look at how beautiful it is,” I whispered.

“Pick it up Travis. We’re going to need evidence for Raphael to believe us.”

“But Raphael will know why you want the girl Essi. It wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together.

He’ll not allow you to kill his people.” Rick points out.

I shrugged.” Dogs are dumb, he’ll not see it coming. For all he knows I’m helping him get an opportunity to be the king of wolves. If he has her as a weapon every wolf, Alpha or not will fear him. I just have to make him see that he needs me to get to her. When we get her, that’s when we will strike.”

“Strike?” ….

“We’ll kill them all.”

(Aurora’s pov >>

*present moment*

Lily looks over at me, clearly flabbergasted by Rodrick’s words.

A pixie?

I was a pixie?

She shook her head in disbelief. “Aurora is that true?” She whispered in disbelief. I opened my mouth to speak but my throat felt painfully closed up.

“Don’t really put blame on her Lily. I am sure she didn’t know what she was until now. In fact, your father had a book I kept with m e. It had different species, including pixies. He found it a long time ago, before the title had even passed down to him. Only one of a kind and your father was lucky to have gotten his hands on it.” Rodrick started, his eyes sweeping over to me.

“It was only when Alpha Xavier brought her here and I saw her eyes and her ears did I remember seeing something like her in the book. What happened to Mary confirmed it. I didn’t want to tell Xavier as yet until I knew for sure so I didn’t. I should’ve told him, maybe then he would have been more prepared.” Rodrick sighs.

“From what I remember reading, it’s your blood that creates the wolfsbane? It has to touch the earth to bloom the plant but the blood may already contain some traces of the toxic plant?” He hums as if asking himself the questions even though he was looking directly at me.

I nod. I knew about the blooming of the plant when my blood touches the earth, but I didn’t know that my blood would have harmed Xavier. But thinking more clearly about it, it would make sense if there were traces of it in my blood.

Lily’s eyes filled with unshed tears, her gaze slipping into one of betrayal. “You knew about the wolfsbane?” The question was directed at me.

The look alone in her eyes made my heart ache. I nod truthfully. I didn’t want to keep any more secrets, not when my life would be o n the line. Not when I’ve already hurt her, Xavier…

Not when I have betrayed them this way.

She hiccups. “You knew what was happening to him. You knew!” She yelled loudly, her words slamming painfully into my chest.

“You knew and you just stayed there and said nothing! You let him mark you despite knowing that your blood is poison!” She snarls.

I flinched. This side of her was completely different but still understandable.

I swallowed harshly, feeling the bum of tears in my eyes as I finally found my voice, even though it was scratchy with emotion. “I’m – I’m sorry,” I stammered, my bottom lip quivering as I felt cold from the look of betrayal in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry Lily,” I whispered, feeling angry with myself for ever thinking that I could be good enough for Xavier. For thinking I could never be his enemy. I was wrong. So wrong.

Lily wiped at her tears harshly, her voice cracking but the volume alone gained attention. “Sorry? You’re saying sorry to me? What about Xavier who’s currently fighting for his life because of you!? You’re a monster. You’re so cruel to come back here and act like you didn’t know what was happening!”

Her words finally pierced my heart, the pain so unbearable I stumbled back until my back hit the wall. I shook my head in denial, wishing the words she said would magically move out of my head.

“Now Lily, you should Rodrick started but stops when we hear movement behind the door.

The door suddenly is burst open, the hinges slackened by the mere force of Beta Samuel. The door hung limply as if it wasn’t locked a while ago.

“Beta Samuel, the door Rodrick stopped when he saw the Beta’s expression.

Eli and Chris were behind Samuel, both tensed and ready to hold back their Beta if they have to. Samuel glared at me before tossing his gaze to Lily. “What is happening here?” He asked suspiciously and on edge.

Lily turned to stare at me, her pretty amber eyes turning emotionless as she asked me. “Are you going to tell them or have someone do it for you again?”

My heart slammed against my ribcage painfully as I looked at the wolves in the room. Fear licked my spine.

“Lily, what’s going on?” Eli asked, confusedly shifting his gaze from Lily and I.

Lily snorts and murmurs something lowly before she spoke louder. “Aurora is the reason my brother is in this mess. Her blood is poison.”

“I knew this bitch was a traitor!” Beta Samuel snarls, his eyes flashing as he starts towards me. I plaster myself to the wall, my eyes clenching shut tightly as I await my painful death.

But nothing comes. No.

Only a very faint voice speaks up.

“Leave her.”

The voice belonged to Xavier. Hearing his voice had my heart stilling and my eyes opening quickly. The first thing I saw was Beta Samuel being held back by Eli and Chris but when I shift my gaze to where he lay, my heart drops painfully.

He hadn’t woken up, his eyes were still shut, but they clenched, which showed he was slowly but surely regaining his strength.

“Leave her.” His lips moved on a whisper but his eyes remained shut.