HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
Sorry for one day delay!
BTW, Thank-you soooo much for your support of my post in WATTPAD BLOCK PARTY. I love you all. If you haven't checked it out, then please do check it out. It has a post on Cortez and Malory's future :D
Anyway, after a long wait the chapter is here and it is dedicated to @Pattelabone @Patellabone :D
Cover above done by @CharlesMegan :D
Enjoy!
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"I guess I'm getting my test on patience. I'm going to be patient, but it's tough."
- Sam Mitchell.
QUILLON P.O.V
It started as a wonderful day, which got even better after Darya joined me in the shower.
My wolf purred lowly and I felt uneasy at the instant raise of interest at my groin. Only Darya had that affect on me and I was secretly very glad she didn't know it.
Compressing my lips, I then paid attention to the meeting that was going on.
Ten minutes later, my dad connected with me through the link. When I raised my hand, the staff stopped explaining about the growing stock market.
'Q, come home soon? Something's wrong with Grace' he said anxiously and I stiffened, while my wolf stood on his fours.
'What happened?' I asked, furrowing my brows.
'I don't know. She is crying... saying the same thing again and again... Where are you? Come home!' he almost pleaded and I stood up.
"The meeting is over" I muttered as I walked out of the room without my coat. 'I will be there' I told my dad.
I used the stairs because it was almost empty and I could use my werewolf speed there without anyone finding anything suspicious.
Thirty seconds later, I was out of the building and in the woods, running back home to find out what happened to mom.
I couldn't bear the thought and my wolf growled fiercely. He wouldn't be convinced she is alright, until he sees the evidence for the same in his own eyes.
Almost twenty minutes later I reached home and found pack wolves blocking the door. They were all whispering and wondering what happened to mom. One feral growl from me and they all scrambled away. In a flash, I was in the living room of my parents home where Quinn was already present. The sight in front of me pained me and my wolf howled in anguish.
"Don't kill him. Please don't... I am begging you" my mom was sobbing repeatedly.
Dad was holding her and asking her to calm down, while Quinn and Nevin's mom were rubbing her hands.
"Q" Quinn almost sighed in relief when he saw me. His eyes were cloudy and I gulped when I saw that.
"Don't kill him... no... please" my mom screamed slapping her hands on the floor and without wasting further time, I fell on my knees in front of her.
"Mom... Look at me" I said holding her arms. "Mom" She was not looking at me. She was staring into distance. "Ma... look at me" I growled and shook her body, but she didn't. She kept saying the same thing.
To stop this, I knew I had to use my gifts on my mother.
"You could have stopped me that night?" Darya had asked me that evening in the hill, after we made love.
"I could have, but I am not sure to what extent" I answered sincerely.
"Then why didn't you?" she asked in a whisper, turning on her side to look at me. Her grey eyes puzzled.
"Felt like I deserved it" I said looking at those beautiful eyes.
"No you didn't. It was wrong of me to burn down the pack. Horribly wrong" she whispered the last part and avoided my eyes.
"Hey" I called her, tugging a strand of her hair behind her ears. "Nothing happened" I assured and she numbly stared at me. "Nothing happened. You didn't do anything"
"I could have... I could have done something worse" she added shakily. Before I could protest, she shook her head and nervously licked her lower lips.
"Promise me one thing" she said out of the blue and I blinked. "God forbid, I wouldn't repeat what I did, but if I do... you use your gifts on me" she permitted and I furrowed my brows.
"You know I don't want to do that" I said pulling away from her.
"Using our gifts on someone we love can sometimes save not only others life, but also their own life" she said, and I looked away. Sighing, Darya had rested her chin on my shoulders. "Think about it" she said and hesitantly, I nodded.
And so, for the first time after years, I used my gifts on mom.
I looked at my mom's eyes and saw, what she was seeing. She was seeing her brother, Cortez's father, being hacked to death by the rogues. It was brutal even for me to see and I winced when I saw how horribly they tortured and killed him. How they laughed after cutting of his arms.
Inhaling sharply, I sprang back as Goosebumps appeared all over my skin. Even I am not that cruel when I kill someone. If it shook me, I couldn't even begin to understand what mom was feeling. I couldn't even tell at this point if what mom was seeing was an illusion or what had really happened to her brother. However, I couldn't let mom watch it any further.
"What? What happened?" dad demanded, worry evident from his voice and his gaze.
I shook my head without looking him in the eye.
'Illusion?' Quinn asked me through the link and I replied with a yes, which made him growl lowly.
I knew who created this illusion but I really didn't have time to waste thinking how to torture him. At the moment, mom was my priority.
Gritting my teeth, I looked at mom's blue green eyes and slowly, I took her vision from her.
She gasped in shock and then, she screamed... she screamed agonizingly and I clenched my fists when I heard that.
"What happened? What are you doing to me? Papa... Where is papa? They are hurting him. Somebody please stop them" mom cried and I gulped audibly.
Dad wrapped his arms around her and Quinn held her delicate arms, while she twisted violently, trying to break free from us and rescue her brother, who was long dead. This was very low of Konrad. He targeted my mother and I am going to make him wish he hadn't.
Gritting my teeth, I focused on my mom and changed her emotions and made her calm. Eventually, she stopped twisting and lay still in dad's arms. By giving mom back her vision, I successfully managed to redintegrate her.
Her eyes flew open all of a sudden, startling us.
"Q?" mom said in surprise and then her eyes widened. "Konrad.Konrad! He was here. In the woods! He was waiting for me" she said breathlessly. "I was about to call you but... I couldn't! He was too strong" she added the last part shakily and I growled aggressively.
Nerve of that piece of shit!
"Did he touch you?" my dad demanded with a feral snarl.
"He held my neck and pushed meâ" mom stopped talking the moment she heard three murderous growls. She looked at us and then gulped. "I didn't feel any pain. It happened so quickly..." she trailed off in a low voice. "I am feeling better now" she said and I nodded.
Her eyes then flickered to the pack wolves standing protectively near the door. "Did I do something bad?" mom asked.
"No. You didn't do anything. We just found you unconscious in the woods and brought you back home" dad supplied quickly and no one contradicted him.
Its obvious mom doesn't remember the illusion which Konrad had showed her and I was glad for it because it would only cause her grief.
__
"How do we kill him?" Dad growled in frustration, once we were in his office. Mom was taking rest in her room, while Quinn and I were with dad. "How do we kill someone who wasn't born?"
"There is a way. There must be something that can weaken him. We just have to find it out" Quinn said thoughtfully.
"How?" dad inquired and he shrugged.
"Only time will tell" was Quinn's reply.
"Or someone who is ahead of time" I murmured and both looked at me.
"Vincent?"
"Soothsayer?"
Quinn and dad said at the same time and I nodded.
Personal differences aside, I knew Vincent and I were in the same team. He likes Darya, but he is never going to tell that to her and I wouldn't either. However, I also knew that Vincent wasn't in love with Darya. If he had been, then I would have killed him. He likes Darya because she is bold and unique.
Almost the same reason why I am in love with her! Other than that, there's also the fact that she has come out strong even when she had gone through worse situations. After going through all that experiences in her teenage years, one can either be scarred for life or one can pretend to be happy and that everything is fine. However, Darya isn't like that. She doesn't pretend. She believes that everything is fine. Neither does she constantly wail over what had gone wrong, nor had she forgotten it. She had just accepted whatever life had thrown at her and had learned to adjust to it.
I personally believe that when one learns to adjust, they can survive anything, anywhere. Which is why not only do I love Darya, I also respect her.
It might be also the reason why I tolerate her irritating habits like throwing clothes anywhere in the room, making annoying comments when I am watching the stock market news, walking all over the house in her muddy boots... I could go on and on. But then, I have learned to adjust and accept those traits of her too.
Just thinking about her made me the ache in the lower part of my body hurt.
"Q" my dad snapped, bringing me out of my thoughts and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "Do you have any plan?" he queried and I shook my head.
I did have one but I needed it to be a little more polished before I put it into action.
"Really?" Quinn asked surprised.
'Shut up' I told him through the link and did just that.
"Well, we need to think of something. The monster has already started creating havoc" dad began and then threw an envelope on the table.
Frowning, I picked it up and inhaled sharply when I saw photos of dead bodies. There were almost thirty of them and I dropped the photos on the table and growled loudly. Watching those wolves pained my wolf in some unexplainable way.
"This many in two weeks" dad pointed out as I held the edge of the table.
"There's two of him now" Quinn murmured glancing at the photos.
"But what if he wants to make more?" dad shot out of blue and both Quinn and I stared at him. "I had a talk with Duncan and Cortez in the meeting" dad stated and I swear my eyes almost popped out.
"You had a talk with Duncan?" Quinn repeated, equally surprised.
"And Cortez" dad said uncomfortably, as color framed his cheekbones. "The Grier twins, Frank Norwood (Sel's dad) and Granel were there too" he added with a shrug.
My eyes flickered to Quinn who was already watching me. One corner of my lips tilted upwards and I lowered my head, while Quinn faked a few coughs to hide his laughter.
I was informed about the meeting but on that particular day, I had a very important business meeting and couldn't attend it. So instead Darya, Nevin and Harvey attended it. However, I had no idea dad had gone to it because no one mentioned it. Not even Darya!
"Okay... so in the meeting they discussed about it?"
"They said that Konrad had some plan of his own. They didn't know what but they were sure he had. They are correct. Why else would Konrad do this?" Dad asked pointing at the photos. "Majority of his latest victims are humans" dad said and I nodded.
Darya had told me that and she was equally surprised to learn about it. He had started killing humans too and it seems like Konrad had now acquired a blood lust. He kills just about anybody.
"I know" I said and winced when I felt a stinging feeling on my arm. While rubbing my arm, I continued, "Seems like his clone is behind the attack on humans."
"But we are not sure right?" Quinn asked and I nodded. No we weren't.
Dad shared some more information and during that conversation my phone rang. It was from Darya.
"Hey" I said answering the call.
"Quillon" Duncan growled from the other side and I furrowed my brows. "He took her" Duncan said and I got up so fast that the chair toppled over. My wolf roared furiously inside me the moment he heard that.
"When?" I demanded with a growl of my own.
"Darya?" dad said paling.
"I don't know. He has my whole family with him" Duncan added through gritted teeth as I rushed towards my car.
"What exactly happened?" Quinn, who sat beside me in the passenger seat inquired.
And while I drove to Emperor, Duncan told us. How Konrad had kidnapped his son and used him as a bait to take the Luna and Darya.
"I don't know where they are. He hasn't hurt them because I didn't feel any pain but I know they are not fine" Duncan added painfully and my wolf bristled inside me.
That hateful fucker! My mate and her family!
I raced through the road like bullet as my wolf bared his fangs. Konrad is going to wish he was never created when I am done with him.
__
Within no time I was in the living room of Duncan's house, where many of his fighters were present. The twins, Granel and the Luna's family were also there with their respective pack's fighter wolves.
Dad had already assured me that he will take care of the pack until I return. I had asked my pack fighters to stay alert because by kidnapping Darya, Luna and her son, Konrad has stated clearly that the war has begun.
Like me, Duncan was totally not in control. His wolf was also on the edge and he was repeatedly twisting his neck to push his wolf back.
"You have no idea where he took them?"
"The CCTV cameras weredestroyed" Waylon, Duncan's Beta replied.
"No clues anything. We just found Darya's phone near her car" Vernon said and gave me her phone. "The last call from Vincent's mother" he said and I frowned.
"Vincent was kidnapped first" Granel said and I shook my head. "His father called me. They thought he had gone to run but when he didn't return until morning, they realized he was kidnapped... from his house."
"Not kidnapped. Hypnotized" I murmured and closed my eyes. "Vincent first because he canâ"
"See the future" Cortez filled in and I nodded.
"What the hell do we do now?" Tyson asked in a whisper.
"We wait" I stated and all of them turned to look at me in disbelief.
"WAIT?" Duncan thundered, displaying his fangs.
"Wait" I said gritting my teeth and glaring at him. "The bastard wants to make a grand appearance and we wait for it" I finished.
Konrad wants to show off and I will let him have his one last show.
I wasn't calm. I was fucking furious to the level of ripping any one's head off, but I also know very well what is going to happen if I lose control.
I looked at everyone in the room and knew they were all either growling or very tensed. Nobody, not even single one was thinking rationally and I knew I couldn't do the same.
I couldn't afford to lose control. I have to be sagacious.
As I sat, I couldn't help but recall something the Goddess once told me...
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SERENE PACK, JULY 1989,
The sun shone brightly in the eastern sky, but was blocked from view by the rocky mountain. In between those rocks, water streamed down in thick white sheets. In the foot of the rocks, where the water plunged charged like foam into the pool, a young man stood naked, like a statue.
Reed thin, the man with dreadlocks was covered by slime and moss. No one seeing him would believe that he was once the Alpha of a werewolf pack.
Stephen stood unflinchingly atop a rock as a poisonous snake coiled around him, like a vine around a pole. The snake twirled some more and then faced him. Staying still, the snake bared it's fangs at once that could have frightened any living soul. However, Stephen didn't feel a thing.
Instead, he stood calmly, completely unaware to the fact that he had a snake coiled around his body. The snake wavedher fork tongue and that too earned no reaction from Stephen.
He was breathing but still he was dead to the world.
Desperate to get a reaction the snake pulled back and then bared her fang, red to bite him.
"No" a sharp feminine voice said and hesitantly, the snake pulled away. Slowly, she crawled down and then slithered towards her mother.
The nature goddess stood still and watched Stephen as the snake coiled around her ankle.
Stephen was good but she wanted him to be the best and for that, she had to be patient. The last time she had almost drowned him but he had felt nothing and she was hugely impressed by it. To test him some more, she motioned with her fingers a bone chilling gust of wind towards Stephen. The cold air could have frozen anyone and numbed their muscles but Stephen didn't feel a thing.
The Goddess smiled softly when she saw that.
Aware that Stephen can hear her, she began, "Forgive me my child. I do not want to hurt you, but to test your capabilities, I must do this. I have to see how much you can withhold in vicissitude of time. Bad things are going to happen in the near future and I will be unable to stop it from happening. My children are going to suffer" she said and then gently ran her hand on the snake's long, curvy body.
"The evil is going to take advantage of my helplessness and make things worse and that has to be stopped. And you can stop it" she said looking at Stephen. "For that, you have to possess great skills" she added and then lowered her head.
"Many years ago, I had committed a mistake. I thought I was doing the right thing, but we do not realize it is wrong until it's too late" she said and then closed her eyes, which caused dark clouds to appear on the sky. "I separated a child from his mother. I stole a child from his mother and gave him to strangers, who brought him up as their own. I did it for the greater good of all because the child was destined to become a warrior and kill the demons. He did become a warrior, under the guidance of his teachers and killed those demons. But his mother, the warrior Goddess, she couldn't forgive me for taking her infant son from her. She cursed me that I would lose all my children. When I begged her forgiveness, she mitigated the curse and said that I will be given one and only one chance to save them" the Goddess said, her voice sounding relieved.
"I went to seek advice from the Goddess of wisdom and she told me that I must give birth to a daughter, who will be mated only to a mortal. The reason was that because everyone depends on nature. Mortal, immortal... nature is their life and they will always protect the nature. The coming together of two powerful beings of universe can kill the son of evil. The evil would plan something dangerous in the future. He would create something that would kill all mortals, seek surrender from the immortals and destroy everything, bringing hell on earth. It would be enveloped by darkness where no living can survive. The Goddess of wisdom had warned me and I knew I have to be prepared for it; which is why I asked this sacrifice from you. You are the most respected mortal and one who can fight for all of them. You will protect my children, while my daughter will protect the nature" the Goddess stated and the statement was followed by a roar of thunder, the lightning of which cracked to a nearest tree, burning it.
"After you are reborn, there will be times when you will stand out from others and seem peculiar. You can be free of sins and emotions. They can never consume you. You are also free to make your own decisions and make them wisely. There will be times when you might start doubting yourself and question who you really are! Remember then my child, your promise and what you chose to be. Remember that you are an APEX PREDATOR!" the Goddess declared and another boisterous roar of thunder showed nature's acceptance to it.
"When my other children get lost, lead them to the correct path. When my other children lose hope, be their hope. Be a savior. Be a shield"
__
PRESENT TIME, EMPEROR PACK...
Waking up with a start, I looked at my surroundings, only to find several pairs of curious eyes affixed on me.
"What happened?" Cortez, who was sitting beside me, raised an eyebrow. I shook my head as a reply and pressed the heel of my palm on my forehead.
What woke me up was a terrible pain in my head. It was Darya's pain I was feeling and to be aware and helpless to do anything when the bastard was hurting her was terrible.
"I cannot wait any longer" Duncan growled and my wolf completely agreed with him. He was hurting her and I could feel dull aches all over my body. "I cannot sit here and do nothing when my whole family is in danger" he said through gritted teeth.
I was holding an edge of the table but because of the continuing gruesome pain, I broke a chunk of the wooden table. However no one noticed it because I made no noise.
Stay calm. Stay calm... I soothed myself and struggled to push my wolf to the corner of my mind. I cannot let Duncan and others find out what is bothering me.
"You are right. We cannot just sit here waiting for a message" Tyson agreed with a growl of his own. "Did anyone find anything?"
"Nothing" Granel replied.
"Where the fuck has he taken them?" Duncan bellowed slamming his hands on the wooden table.
And then it suddenly flashed to me as to where Konrad might have taken Darya and the others. I wanted to tell them but I didn't because things would get nasty if they are involved.
Konrad could go to any extent to stop me and that would mean hurting these five Alphas' who mean so much to Darya.
Standing up, I clenched my fists. "I will go to my pack and inform you if I find anything" I said seriously and then gestured for Quinn to come with me.
"Alright" Granel said and nodding once, I turned to leave.
The search could go on and on, but Konrad wouldn't show himself until he decides to do so.
__
We were driving in a long road, when I suddenly stopped the car.
"What happened? Why did you stop?" Quinn asked me.
"I am going to Elegance" I told him and he furrowed his brows, before understanding dawned on him. "You mean... that's where?"
"Yes. I am going there. I want you to return to Serene" I said.
"Are you out of your mind? I am coming with you!" Quinn said outraged and I growled at him.
"No you are not. You are going back to Serene and going to protect the pack and our parents" I told him and paling, Quinn just stared at me. "Konrad might attack the pack too. He has attacked mom and I don't trust him not to do this. So please Quinn... just go to pack."
"But Duncan and others, they can help you"
"No. They actually cannot. Konrad will be expecting all of us to come together and he will be surprised to see only me. If they get involved, things will turn from bad to worse" I said and Quinn nodded.
"Go home" I commanded and removing my seat belt, I got out of the car. Quinn followed too. His brown eyes, which were very much like mine, displayed sadness that touched my heart.
My wolf whined softly and before it could hurt me more, I decided to leave to Elegance. However, before I could walk away, Quinn hugged me tightly.
"Destroy him" Quinn hissed through gritted teeth and I nodded, knowing very well who the 'him' was.
As I walked away, Quinn added one last line, "I will obey this order of yours Alpha because it is going to be your last one. The next time you order someone, you are going to be the Apex Predator" he stated fiercely.
A loud growl of acceptance emanated from my chest and nodding, I clenched my fists as my wolf stood tall and proud, ready to face Konrad!
I took two steps first before increasing my speed and racing towards Elegance Pack.
My footsteps echoed in the area as I ran with inhumane speed. I swore at that moment to return home only with Darya.
__
My guess was correct.
He was in Elegance Pack.
But that wasn't the first thing I saw when I reached Elegance. The first thing I saw was the farmhouse covered in flames.
That house where the Alphas' and others would gather together, below one roof like family. That is why Konrad burnt it down. He cannot stand the house and what it symbolizes.
Stopping in my tracks, I watched as the roof of the house collapsed. I could recall at that moment what mom had been seeing earlier... the destruction of Elegance Pack.
One side of the wall fell on the lake near the house in a loud splash and I closed my eyes.
"This is a start" A familiar voice said gleefully and my wolf growled murderously. Opening my eyes, which I was sure was the color of midnight, I looked at Konrad who was standing in front of the house with a smug look on his face.
"Since this is where they killed my family, I thought I would return them the favor" Konrad smirked harshly and I glared at him.
His family destroyed a pack! But no, saying that would get you nowhere near this creature.
"Where is she?" I demanded straightaway and he grinned.
"She is alive" he said and my wolf heaved a sigh.
"What about the others?"
"They... I don't really know!" he shrugged and I took a threatening step forward as I bared my fangs. Konrad's grin widened when he saw that.
"So you want to save them now, do you?" he chuckled and I didn't even bother replying him. "Tell me Sanders, how many can you save from me? Ten, twenty?"
"All of them if I have to" I roared.
"And I will kill all of them if I have to" Konrad bellowed louder than me. His mint green eyes darkened as his jaws hardened. It clearly showed that he had every intention of going through what he said.
He wouldn't mind bloodshed and destruction. In fact, he thrives on it! That is what he is... WRATH! Konrad is the one who loves destruction and pain and misery. He will never stop. He will keep destroying everything and when nothing is left, he will go looking somewhere else... ceasing everything from existence.
His hunger for wrath around him will never be satiated. The more he gets, the more he wants. Which is why, Konrad has to be stopped.
And I will stop him, even if it kills me.
"I will destroy nature, the very essence of your life" he said and I compressed my lips. He cannot do that. The monster can survive without nature but he cannot destroy it. He was just gloating and I let him have his say. "I want to watch them suffer, struggle and fail" he sneered and my wolf thrashed about violently inside me.
I scoffed and Konrad bared his fangs.
"You cannot do anything, other than talk" I taunted and instead of getting angry, Konrad just smirked at me.
"You think I can do nothing?" he demanded cocking an eyebrow.
"Nothing I cannot reverse" I added with a grin and Konrad's body shook violently after hearing that. Guess, it was too close to truth.
His jaw tightened and he looking away, he chuckled. "That's why I want to destroy your nature" he growled and my eyes flickered to his stone hard form.
"She made the playing field uneven" he began and I knew he was referring to the Goddess. "The curse on her for stealing an infant was losing her children and after it mitigated, she was given one chance of saving them. That's the reason Darya exists between us. But you..." Konrad sneered looking at me in distaste. "Why do you exist? Who needs you?" he continued coldly and I clenched my fists.
"When I went looking for answers, I found out why you are her mate" he chuckled and immediately, I understood something. Darya and me, we are like yin and yang. Different but dependent! Konrad found that out.
"And when we come together, you feel physical pain, don't you?" I recalled what Cable had said that day, minutes before his death.
Cable hadn't been lying that day.
Konrad is also a part of this nature but he is a destructive one which is better suppressed. But few people had brought it out and created him.
"It is going to stop soon. You are you because of Darya and when she isn't with you... you are nothing" he spat and I bared my fangs at him.
"You cannot take her away from me" I swore fiercely and Konrad showed all his pearly whites.
"I already have" he grinned and my eyes widened. "I already have taken her and she is mine now."
My wolf saw red at that moment and I was about to jump at him but I was unexpectedly pushed back by so much force that I fell at least twenty feet away from Konrad.
My back had hit a thick trunk of a tree and it scraped my shirt and skin. I winced when my head touched the ground but gritting my teeth, I stood up in rage to glare at that creature.
"I didn't do it" he said shrugging and then grinned, "She did it" he said looking at someone with the corner of his eyes.
I followed his gaze and unfroze from that all consuming rage when I saw who was standing behind him.
Covered in flames, with eyes that were the color of blood and hair bright orange like an early morning sun, she displayed her fangs and growled murderously at me.
My own mate!
Her claws were out and she looked so savage that it could have made any men drop on their knees and plead for mercy.
"Darya" I called out her name in a shaken whisper.
But another aggressive growl was the only reaction I got.
"Sorry about that" Konrad said and I stared at him in disbelief, which just made him smirk. "My body guard is a little over-protective of me" he gloated rolling his eyes and my wolf stepped back in shock.
He had hypnotized her!
Why? She wouldn't have let him do that... she just wouldn't. She is too strong than that.
'Her family' my wolf reminded and the color drained from my face. Gulping, I grasped what Konrad must have done to her to get her under his control.
There is no way my girl would have willingly surrendered to him, unless he had coerced her and tricked her into doing so.
"You bastard" I hissed and Darya snarled at me. I stared at her in disbelief and Konrad chuckled when he saw that.
"You are one hell of a tough nut to crack Sanders. You didn't crack even when your mate burnt half of your pack" he repeated what he had said a few days earlier. "I for one am really glad you didn't crack" he said placing a hand on his chest. "Your silence gave me my strongest weapon" he smiled and then extended his hands towards my mate, "Death" he completed looking at Darya and I growled savagely.
My mate is his weapon?
My wolf couldn't bear it either and he fought with me ruthlessly to make an appearance and kill this bastard.
"Now, don't get angry with me. I had already warned you about this" He said coldly, "Unlike your nature, I only play fair. I like to warn all my enemies about me, but if they never listen, then it is unlikely to be my fault."
"Play fair? You?" I spat. "You used Darya's affection for her family against her."
"She shouldn't have felt so affectionate then" he stated flatly and I glared at him in disgust. "It's her fault... loving them" he chuckled and by not understanding that particular emotion, Konrad exactly showed me how unfeeling he really was. The only emotion running through him was wrath and it was severe to the point of obsession.
"But she doesn't love them anymore. She would kill them for me" he said humorously. "Wouldn't you, Darya?" he questioned looking at her through his shoulders.
"Yes master" she said in a cold, unflinching way and I paled when I heard that.
I recalled at that moment what he had said the other day. About how my silence had given birth to something that he always wanted. My silence gave birth to the other, the cold cruel and vengeful side of Darya. The side that represents the destructive force of nature, which takes lots of innocent lives when it makes an appearance!
Konrad had certainly not been gloating when he said he would destroy nature. He alone cannot but with Darya's help, he could do anything he wanted with the nature. Now that Darya was imprisoned and unable to help, I had to come with something that would be unforeseen by the others.
Lowering my head, I closed my eyes in shame and gulped.
This is my punishment for my silence the other night. This is my punishment for not defending Darya in front of the whole pack. This is my punishment for not standing up for Darya, who was on the right side. This is my punishment for not stopping Darya that night. This is my punishment for not admitting who I really am. This is my punishment for taking a wrong decision.
And because of my wrong decision, Darya was forced to give into her anger. I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most. I didn't stand by her side and neither did I defend myself. I let her endure it all alone and when hurt; she gave into the volatile side of her that harbored on destruction. It was like I myself handed her to Konrad.
My eyes were almost cloudy when I looked up but I snatched in a slow, deep breath and expecting the worst, looked at Konrad.
"What do you want?" I asked straightaway getting to business for I had wasted enough time chit-chatting.
"What I want?" Konrad laughed. "I thought it was pretty obvious... death" Konrad finished grinding his teeth together and my claws crescents on my palm as I tried to refrain myself and bash him to his death.
"Mine" I said and Konrad nodded with a satisfactory grin.
"I have prepared the pyre for you" he said motioning towards the burning house and I didn't bother looking at it. "All you have to do is jump."
"Sacrifice myself" I stated and Konrad nodded again. I laughed out loud and that seemed to take him by surprise because his jaws hardened as he scowled at me. "That's a good one" I said grinning and Konrad's eyes darkened.
My growl was vicious and this time when Darya growled, I growled at her. Konrad raised a hand to stop her from attacking me.
"You think I will come here and sacrifice my life just because you have my mate under your spell?" I demanded cocking an eyebrow and Konrad gritted his teeth.
"Not just under my spell, under my thumb" he added and my wolf snarled inside me.
"You might have pressurized Darya into surrendering to you, but you will never get that sacrifice from me" I pronounced fiercely.
"I thought you would do something like that" Konradsighed shaking his head and I tensed. "Nothing straight and simple gets to you, you like it twisted" Konradmurmured and I stared at him impassively. "How about I express to you in detail what will happen if you don't give me what I want" Konrad began enthusiastically and it was a struggle to remain stoic when my wolf was fighting so hard inside me to take over and tear this monster into pieces.
The fact that I actually couldn't afford to do that kept me grounded. Who knows what might happen? Hundreds more might come if I do that!
"You give me that sacrifice and I will not have your mate kill her family" he stated flatly and I raised an uninterested brow. The situation wasn't funny in the least bit because this fucking lunatic could actually go through that threat of his if I didn't play neat and nice.
"Or kill herself" he completed with a wide grin and my skin turned pallor after I heard that. Konrad laughed merrily when he got the expected reaction.
Konrad didn't really need her and I knew that. What he needed her for was to defeat me.
"Cold, unflinching you might be but not when it comes to her, is it?" he mocked as my wolf paced inside me in frustration, not knowing what to do to stop this creature.
I needed Darya to be with me to do that.
I cannot do this alone.
Neither could she kill him all alone. Konrad knew that and that is why he separated her from me and then hypnotized her.
"Nature couldn't make you completely detached, could she?" Konrad asked chuckling as I pursed my lips and looked at Darya, who even though was looking in my direction, wasn't really looking at me. She was trapped in another world. In Konrad's dark world!
"No. If she had done that then you might have let all her other children die" Konrad finished and I looked away, without replying him. Nature Goddess didn't make me unemotional because I was meant to fall in love with Darya and also care for the well being of my family , my pack and my kind. "Such a selfish woman and you still worship her?" Konrad goaded and my wolf stood tall and bristled at that out of the blue crack.
To provoke me some more, Konrad turned and walked towards Darya, who was standing right behind him, covered in flames. Fangs and claws bared out, she looked so savage and totally unlike my mate. Her blood red eyes were lost and they were staring sightlessly.
But she wasn't blind. She was seeing what Konrad was showing her. He was deliberately showing me as the enemy to her.
"Now that I know how much she means to youâ" Konrad began tucking a strand of Darya's golden blonde hair behind her ears.
They were just twenty feet away from me and I could attack any moment but I didn't because he was too close to Darya. Too close to hurt her, physically. One wrong move from me and he could easily wrung her neck. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Darya because it would kill me.
"âI think it would be fun to make you watch her killing others or even better killing herself."
"And what makes you think I will let her do that?" I demanded grinding my even teeth against each other.
However Konrad continued as though I had never interrupted him, "I might make her slit her own wrists" he said and my wolf bared his fangs as I growled murderously. "I might make her pull her own intestines out" Konrad chuckled as I stared at him, horrified.
"Would you do that Darya?" Konrad asked lowering his head, to lean closer to her ears. "Would you kill yourself for me?" Konrad asked resting his chin on her shoulders and looking at me with an amused expression.
"Get your hands off her" I said in an animalistic tone the moment I saw Konrad pulling Darya closer so that her back was pressed against his front.
Watching him with her was too painful and my body shook violently. No matter how much I tried to stay calm, I couldn't because my wolf wasn't letting me do it. I wasn't close enough to Darya to even bring her out of the trance.
"Yes master" Darya replied without any hesitation and my skin turned cold after hearing that.
Konrad stood straight and placing a hand under Darya's chin, he turned her face so that she could look at him.
"What else would you do for me Darya?" he questioned smiling at her while running his thumb on her lower lip. Watching him make that affectionate gesture, which was only my right, made me want to kill him, slowly and brutally. I want his cries to echo through the universe.
"Anything you want me to master" Darya replied in a monotone voice and I refrained myself from screaming in pain because it was physically hurting me. Her calling him master was also too painful to hear.
My wolf was trembling and howling repeatedly in pain. I tried to convince him and push him back but he was unresponsive to all my attempts.
The sharp, piercing pain I felt on my heart wasn't helping either. Instead it exacerbated an already worse situation.
Konrad looked at me in the eye, smirked cunningly and then looked at Darya.
"Good! Then how about kissing me back?" he demanded with a taunting grin.
With that said,Konrad lowered his head and brought his mouth crashing down on Darya's soft lips.
****
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PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!
I kind of love my baddie Konrad and wanted him to kiss Darya. I mean, he is another male lead of the story. The scene at the end was preplanned and it was done to provoke Q. Darya isn't cheating on Q!
If you hate me for it, I can understand :'( but it is kind of like necessary for what Q is going to do next.
Still I hope you liked the chapter :P I admit the last scene was fucking painful to write.
Yes, I can be cruel sometimes... and @kdshah @CharlesMegan @HotnessNCoolness @Patellabone  ... sorry :D:P I hope I am still your friend :P
PLEASE DO TELL ME WHAT DO YOU WANT Q TO DO IN THE NEXT CHAPTER?
Next update on 27th :)
Until then... take care lovelies :-*