Chapter 51

Hi :D

IT'S 29TH FEB! It comes once in four years and I wanted to make a occasion out of it, which is why I delayed the update... Sorry!

But here you go and enjoy Chapter 51 which is dedicated to @janhavi007 for the beautiful cover above :D

Enjoy

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"Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her."

-Lao Tzu

QUILLON P.O.V

Two fucking seconds.

That's the amount of time it took for me to kick Konrad away from Darya. But those two seconds felt too much!

Looming over him, I repeatedly thrashed his face in anger.

"How dare you touch her?" I snarled as I threw some more punch at the bastard who kis....

She is mine!

My mate!

Blood oozed from his nose as I kept going.

A jolt of electricity ran down my spine and my wolf trembled inside me. I got off him and dropped on the ground beside me with a loud groan. Gritting my teeth, I opened my eyes and looked at Darya, who was coldly staring at me.

Sparks of electricity was still visible from her hands and when she started to take a step towards me, Konrad stopped her.

"Stop" he said and wiped the blood from his face.

He extended his hands and Darya helped him get up. Even that was too fucking painful to see because I was lying, right next to him. Konrad stood up and twisted his neck a few times before turning to look at me.

I was about to get up when he kicked me in the stomach, hard.

"Now" he said and walked away, living me alone with Darya, who nodded and made her way towards me.

The electricity running all over hands were blue and very visible.

"Darya" I said looking at her, hoping she would recognize me. She didn't. She smirked at me and aimed all that current towards me.

It was so painful that I couldn't withhold myself from screaming in pain. My wolf trembled violently and so did I, until he finally collapsed.

"Enough" Konrad commanded and Darya obeyed.

When my wolf fell down, I rolled on to my stomach and lied in the muddy ground, completely drained of energy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't burn to death because of my gifts.

"I don't want him to be murdered beautiful" Konrad was saying to Darya. "I want him to commit suicide" he said and one side of my lips curved upwards.

Like that would happen!

True, I was exhausted but nowhere near failure. I was recuperating so that I can kick this creature to hell.

The current Darya gave me... it could have killed a normal werewolf, but not me. It only managed to exhaust me and that definitely tells something.

At that precise moment, I started healing.

I am not like any other werewolf. I am only one of my kind and one, who never gives up. My spirit is undefeated and that is my greatest power.

My wolf growled in agreement and then I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a small pool of blood on the ground. It was definitely not my blood!

For a second, my eyes widened and I really thought another Konrad would emerge but then I got thinking. My first thought was obviously to wait to see if that is going to happen or not and so, I decided to wait. I clutched a handful of grass, ripped it from the roots and placed it upon the blood.

Then slamming my fist to the ground, I growled loudly earning Konrad and Darya's attention. Konrad stared at me in incredulity and Darya, with a blank expression. She still was not herself and bringing her back to herself is the first fucking thing I am going to do.

I stood up straight and wiped the mud from my cheek, while also smirking at Konrad.

"Darya had practiced it on me before" I said with a shrug and Konrad's nostrils flared. She did that twice to see how much current I can take. Nevertheless it was not this bad because she was scared of hurting me.

However now I know, that it doesn't hurt enough to kill me.

"I think it wasn't enough for you" Konrad mused.

"You really think that Darya torturing me would make me give up my life?" I asked faking disbelief and Konrad's jaw clenched. "No. I endured far worse than the current once and I survived. This in comparison is nothing" I stated shaking my head. "Make a better offer" I goaded.

Darya bared her fangs at me and I chose to ignore her. If I look at her, then my wolf will be unable to concentrate on the enemy.

Konrad turned to his right and then smirked in satisfaction. I followed his gaze and saw them... wolves. Rogues. A passel of them.

"Seriously?" I queried in disbelief.

"A necessary distraction" Konrad replied and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. He was planning something else and I had to be prepared for that too.

The rogues surrounded me and bared their fangs which made my wolf crouch and prepare to attack. I shot them a supercilious look. These fucking wolves were nothing for me. I could tear them apart with my eyes closed!

"Is this the one coming in between your goal?" one of the rogues asked Konrad, who nodded. The wolf, who was bulky and bald, growled aggressively at me. His eyes darkened when he realized I didn't even bat an eyelid at his supposed furious growl.

"Kill him" Konrad told the rouge and my eyes flickered to him. Kill? It confirmed these rogues were indeed a distraction because Konrad wanted me to sacrifice myself not have killed. He knew very well that these rogues do not stand a chance, yet he brought them here by lying to them.

However, I am going to kill these rogues because I do not spare anyone who dares to attack me, with a cruel intention.

"You heard him boys" the same rogues bellowed and soon, the group rushed forward to attack me.

My wolf stepped forward and a growl that closely resembled an energetic roar erupted from me. Shocked, the wolves stepped back with fear evident in their eyes.

However the bulky one, who I guess is also the leader of this little gang, desperately wanted whatever Konrad promised him and hence, he growled back at me, which just made my wolf see red. He commanded them to attack me and the others did as told.

Four came forward first and moving in swift celerity, I tore their limbs apart before they could even realize it. The others gasped loudly and one of the rogues puked all his lunch out when he saw it.

The leader however, seemed unfazed and with his head motioned four more to come.

To send a clear message to the rogues I tore their skin apart and pulled out their organs. I knew I was swifter and powerful for them, because no one was prepared for me.

Growling, I dared the others to come. The leader commanded two more but they shook their head in fear. Baring my fangs, I attacked them.

One by one I killed them. When they ran, I chased them and then slaughtered them. My wolf was seething because these distractions were wasting his time and all he wanted to do was get rid of them.

I didn't count. However, I suppose there were almost sixty of them.

I smashed fifty-nine like the flies they were but the sixtieth one, the leader, I kept him for the last so that he could see what was coming for him.

When the fifty-ninth one fell amongst the heap of bodies, with his guts pulled out, I turned to face the leader and was met with his back.

Kornad rolled his eyes when he saw that.

However, I chased the leader who came to a dead halt when I stood in front of him. He had turned pale and his eyes betrayed his fear. He shook his head and pleaded mercy. I was beyond reasoning and without an ounce of guilt, I decapitated him.

Later, I kicked his body and growled sadistically daring anyone else to come. Some cowards might have run... I wouldn't know.

I stopped growling when I heard clapping sounds. My wolf stepped back but didn't waver from his aggressive stance as I looked at Konrad.

"Marvelous" he said referring to the pile of bodies as my wolf made rumbling noise. "I knew they were nothing for you" Konrad commented and I narrowed my eyes. "You killed them because you didn't care about them. But what about these?" he asked looking at something behind his shoulder.

I didn't see them right away. I just heard them... their growls. Murderous ones. There were not just five but many more of them.

Through the corner of my eyes, I saw them. Digging their paws on the muddy ground, they strode towards me, slowly, guardedly and with a vicious look on their eyes.

Eyes that were as dark as night. Eyes that didn't betray any sort of emotion. Eyes which were cold and unrecognizable. Eyes of the wolves hypnotized by Konrad!

Yet, I couldn't kill them. I couldn't kill any of them because they were family.

My family!

I could easily recognize their scents. Darya's five Alphas' were there, so were the fighters. My friends were also there along with the innocent wolves of other packs.

I couldn't even think about hurting them.

When Konrad had hypnotized my friends, I had pressed a weak nerve in their neck and made them unconscious. However, standing in front of me at the moment was wolves, under the influence of Konrad. If I make a move to stop one, the others would jump on me. I would be forced to fight them and push them aside but I wouldn't be able to stop them. They would keep coming after me until I get tired and accept defeat.

This is what Konrad wants. He wants me to fight my own family. Since he knew I wouldn't kill them, he wanted me to endlessly fight with them and when tired, I should give up and sacrifice my own life.

However, I wouldn't let history repeat itself. Once, I had given up because I was tired but not now. Once I had sacrificed everything but this time... I wouldn't.

My wolf crouched down ready to attack as the wolves approached me closer and closer. I could easily recognize Duncan as the tall and completely black wolf because Darya too had the same shade of fur coat. Actually, I could recognize all of them but what shook me to the core was watching Quinn's grey wolf amongst them.

How did Konrad get him? How did Konrad get them?

Standing frozen, I watched the wolves striding closer. I didn't know what to do. How to stop all of them at once? The number was the problem indeed but more than that was the chances of survival.

Darya cannot help these wolves and if I failed too, then there would be no chance for us.

But the thing that was bugging me more was what Konrad could really do to them. He has them under his control and he can make them turn against each other too. How will I stop that?

I turned my head and through pained eyes looked at the wolves who were all growling venomously and sticking their tongue out. They were waiting for Konrad's command.

"Well done" Konrad muttered and that is the moment I first saw his clone.

His clone was the only person standing in between the wolves. To look, they were the same. However, what was odd was the clone was colder and expressionless, which only meant deadlier just like Konrad. I looked him in the eye and growled murderously to which the creature growled back. My demeanor was totally unfazed by that growl. In fact, my wolf trembled in rage after hearing that pathetic growl.

His clone was a problem indeed but Konrad was a bigger problem.

"This is just a start Sanders" Konrad said and I shot him a death glare. "If you do not give me what I want, then you can happily sit and watch them tear each other apart."

I inhaled sharply after hearing his words.

My guess was right. Konrad wouldn't have them attack me. He would have them attack each other. He wanted an internecine.

"Or even better, Darya killing them" Konrad goaded and then with a nod of his head motioned Darya to come ahead.

She did without any hesitation and with her hands motioned for a gust of wind towards the direction of the wolves. They went flying backwards and fell on the ground with a loud thud. It might have surely broken some of their bones.

My wolf clawed inside me and I clenched my fists and growled at Konrad.

"Stop it" I commanded. It was more to me, than Konrad, because my wolf was making me hard to restrain him.

One corner of Konrad's mouth tugged upwards and my wolf raised his hackles.

"Darya" he called gently and she nodded. Things just got worse.

Flames appeared in Darya's hands just like that and my eyes widened when I saw that.

Enough was enough!

I am not the type to sit silently and watch shit happening around me. I had done it once and regret it to date. I had kept quiet when my dad was insulting my mate and as a punishment, I had to now watch my own mate destroy everything that she was born to protect.

I made a mistake from which I learned a lesson for life.

However, no more! This time, I am going to stop the bad from happening, even if it means standing against my own mate.

"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"

Even now, I could hear the Goddess telling me that. Her other children were lost now. They don't know what is happening to them. They are under the influence of bad and it is my duty to bring them back to what is good.

The Goddess wanted me to be her hope because she had predicted something like this to happen. She had known her children would kill each other and die. She wanted to stop that and I was her only hope in doing that.

I wouldn't disappoint her either. She chose me.

Me.

I am the one who once fought to protect my pack. I am the one who challenged an Alpha. I am the one who despite losing to an Alpha, earned his greatest respect.

I am regarded. I am an altruist. I am a reborn. I am an autodidact. I am a clairvoyant. I am a leader. I am hope. I am an Alpha. But not just an Alpha... I am an Alpha of the Alphas'.

I AM AN APEX PREDATOR.

My wolf just snapped inside me at that moment and growling viciously, I shifted the same moment Darya blindly threw the ball of flames at the nearest wolves.

The flames hit Adline, Cortez's beta. However, I quickly blocked his sense of touch and even though he was covered in flames, he felt no pain. He stood static until one wolf leaped forwards and pushed him to the ground. The wolf hit Adline's body with his paws and then killed the fire.

Quinn.

'Quinn?' I said unsurely, looking at the grey wolf.

'You really didn't think I would have let you go alone, did you?' Quinn questioned looking at me and even though we both were in our wolf form, we looked at each other's eyes in amusement.

'Actually I did' I replied honestly and Quinn rolled his eyes.

'Well, I didn't want to. I wanted everyone to help you and when I went there, I saw what was happening. I hid myself and when the army of hypnotized wolves were leaving, I sneaked in' he mumbled hastily.

"What the hell?" Konrad hissed glaring at Quinn, who stuck his tongue out to taunt Konrad.

I chuckled in my mind when I saw that.

'I wish I could have shown him the finger' Quinn mumbled with a growl.

"Kill him" Konrad roared and soon, other wolves began leaping at my brother.

'Run' I commanded to Quinn but before he could make a move, one wolf jumped at him.

Leaping high in the air, I had that wolf pushed far away from Quinn. They wolf was Vernon. Everyone, every single one Darya ever cared about where hypnotized.

Other wolves made a move to attack as I stood defensively in front of Quinn.

Hearing these wolves growl made me and my wolf fucking furious. However, I had to remind myself that these wolves were under Konrad's control and he was making them do this, just like he was making Darya do pretty bad things.

The wolves strode closer ignoring the warning growl I was giving to them. I knew why they were doing this my wolf didn't and at the moment, he was in control and not me.

Thus the rational part was slightly pushed back and so when I saw the wolves approaching despite the warning growl, I took it as a challenge. I saw it as a sign of disrespect towards me... an Apex Predator.

Standing tall, with powerful legs, I erected my ears and curled my tail. My hackles were raised and bristled because I was at my most dominant mode right now.

'Show them what you are' Quinn whispered from behind me and I did just that.

I looked at the wolves in the eyes and opening my mouth wide, by dropping my jaws, I gave an earth-shattering growl, which was more powerful than the growls of every one of these wolves put together.

The wolves who were approaching to attack me, stopped in their tracks after hearing that growl. At the same time, I made a startling discovery of my own self.

'Mine' my wolf declared loudly and fiercely in my mind.

These wolves were mine. I was their Alpha and they regarded me as one. I am an Apex Predator and these wolves belonged to my pack, not Konrad's!

Taking two steps ahead, I stood stiffly and gazed penetratingly into the eyes of the wolves. Duncan, Cortez, Seline... everyone, I looked them in the eye, desperate to break through the walls and bring them back to being coherent.

The second growl was just as powerful and unable to bear the power in it; the clone covered his ears with his hands and dropped on his knees. Meanwhile, I used my gifts on the wolves and it started to work because I slowly felt the walls of these other wolves crumbling as they trembled after hearing that growl.

They were recognizing me. The Alpha of their Alphas'!

The third growl I gave, it shook the trees in the woods and was followed by a booming crash of thunder and sky-splitting lightning flash. It was homogonous and emphasized the fury roaring inside me like tidal waves.

The walls completely collapsed at that moment and the wolves showed the first sign of sanity by blinking repeatedly. Drawing back their ears and lowering their respective bodies, the wolves pointed their muzzle up and placed down their tails. Whimpering repeatedly, the wolves huddled closer and bowed down to me, the Apex Predator.

Even Quinn had joined the group, because my wolf had asked submission from his wolf too.

'Mine' my wolf thought in satisfaction, feeling smug and superior.

Loud growls were coming from a shaken Konrad but I chose to ignore it. My primary focus was completely bringing these wolves out of their trance. That is why, I began using my gifts and gave them back their ability to sense and feel various things. By hypnotizing these wolves, Konrad had made them hear one and only one thing, his voice and feel what he was feeling, which was hatred. However now, I gave them the freedom of mind which they desperately needed.

'Where am I?'

'What happened?'

'Elegance. We are in Elegance'

'I don't remember shifting'

'What is the fucker doing here?' I could actually hear Cortez's voice in my head.

'Sel... Thank-God you are okay!' Duncan was saying.

'I am fine but Lorcan... He has our baby' she cried helplessly.

I could hear what wolves from different packs were thinking because I was connected to them through the mind link.

'Silence' I thundered to the link and the shock of hearing my voice in their heads silenced them. They were confused, I understand but I really wanted them to keep quiet so that I could calmly deal with the enemy.

Craning my neck, I gave a loud howl and then lowering my head, looked at my pack wolves expectantly.

That was enough encouragement for these wolves, because they howled back. While they howled, I gave a shamed and shaken Konrad, a smug look.

Quickly, I shifted back, uncaring of my current de-clothed state and smirked at Konrad, which made him curl his lips in anger. He took a threatening step in my direction but was held back by... Ekon!

My eyes widened when I saw that. Ekon had joined him again? Despite Darya's warnings, why did he...? Darya will be hurt a lot after finding about this.

Pushing that thought to one corner of my mind, I addressed the shaken cannibal. "Mine" I said gritting my teeth together as Konrad bared his fangs. "These are my pack wolves, whose first and foremost loyalty is to me. Did you really think that by hypnotizing them, you could turn them against me, their Alpha?" I taunted cocking an eyebrow, while also stressing at the last bit. Konrad snapped at me but I clicked my tongue showing him my displeasure at such behavior.

His turn is over. Now, it's my turn to show who him his rightful place.

"One command from me and they can tear you into pieces" I said and the wolves backed me up by growling aggressively at Konrad.

His eyes darkened and he glared at them, before addressing me with a triumphant look. "One command from me and your mate will turn them into ashes."

"Try" I dared and Konrad snarled at me.

Darya hadn't yet come out of her trance because I hadn't asked for her submission yet! I still wasn't her Alpha!

Konrad, her Alpha at the moment, did command her because the very next moment, Darya raised her hand like a robot and aimed it at the wolves.

'Darya'

'Oh God!'

'Stop her'

The wolves were frantically saying through the link and the five Alphas' as usual stepped forward to rescue her. I raised my hands and signaled them to stop.

Only, I will be the one who is going to stop her! I want to see how long it will take for her to recognize me.

When Darya willfully offered her surrender to Konrad, she for sure had some plan. My girl wouldn't really give into this monster's wishes. Whatever she had in mind intended me and only me to help her get out of this spell. Hence, I aspire to live up to her expectations.

I had disappointed her once again, by breaking her trust but never again. She had trusted me once again and this time, I will make her proud.

The flames covering her skin, spread on the ground near her feet and rushed towards me like an express train. Wolves screamed and began running away, but the flames circled them, trapping them in.

"We have to help them get out" Tyson said.

"I will find a way" Granel stated.

Konrad laughed when wolves who tried to jump, failed. Granel tried to jump, but he fell on the fire. As he started screaming in pain, I made him lose his ability of touch. When Granel didn't feel any pain, he quickly got of the fire and killed it down with his bare hands. His skin was burned but it would heal soon.

Shocked at this unexpected change, Granel stared speechless at his skin because he honestly didn't feel the burn.

My eyes flickered to Konrad whose lips curled in anger when he grasped what I had done.

"How many will you help?" he sneered.

"Everyone" I swore and then looked at Darya.

"Kill them" Konrad commanded on purpose and my eyes widened when I saw Darya, covered head to toe in flames. The human form of her was barely visible in the fire that rose higher and higher, almost touching the sky.

"Oh Lord!" someone cried when they saw her.

The wolves were frantic. I could clearly sense their emotions. First, I eased them because Konrad was feeding on their pain and I didn't want them to be nervous. I wanted them to be confident.

Next, I in took a lungful of oxygen and slowly let them out. My wolf growled aggressively in agreement to what I was about to do.

Anything to save my Luna, my Darya! My wolf stated and smirking, I stepped on the fire.

At first, I felt it and my initial instinct was to run as far away as possible from this thing that burns everything and turns it into fine dust.

However, because of my determination and the exceptionally unique and powerful gift, I kept another bare foot on the fire.

Immediately, I blocked the emotion of pain and turned my skin numb and unfeeling. When I did that, everything seemed fine and I couldn't feel neither the fire nor the slight breeze gushing around the area.

When I was sure, my defensive weapon was strong, I strode further into ahead, walking in that fire towards Darya, who wasn't even visible to a naked eye.

Everyone gasped on stared at me with rounded eyes and dumb founded expression. I saw my skin turning dark because of the burn. Nevertheless, there wasn't any actual psychical pain.

Growling viciously, my wolf encouraged me to close the distance between us and did just the same, walking in the fire towards my mate.

At some point, my eyes turned cloudy because of the heat and smoke radiating in the area. It was getting suffocated.

"You do know Sanders, you are giving me the sacrifice you so proudly said you'll never give" Konrad mocked and I didn't bother reply him. I wasn't here to natter with him.

"Darya" I began instead, addressing my mate and when more tears appeared on my eyes, I realized Konrad had asked her to increase the heat. "Please stop this. This isn't you" I requested striding closer.

I didn't know where she was amidst these sky high flames. As I looked around, I saw wolves watching me with troubled eyes. Some were shaken; some were praying, some cheering and others looking at me with big, anxious eyes. Every single one of them was worried because they cared.

They had an emotion in them and I fed on it because it felt like a much needed boost at the current situation.

"Come back to me, Darya" I addressed her, not knowing if she was even hearing me.

When I still couldn't see her, I used my gift to see what is unseen and then, I saw her. How she was standing straight backed and alone, with a detached look. A look that made my wolf whimper in anxiety

"Darya" I called and the flames on her died enough to make her visible. "Dar—" I stopped in my tracks when her lashes rose to reveal blood red eyes. Dropping her mouth, she displayed her razor sharp canines and growling in a sinister way, she rushed ahead to attack me.

She collided against my chest and I fell a few feet away from her because she had used her gift of air on me. Her claws were out as she attacked me once again and scraped the skin on my chest. I didn't feel a thing even though blood oozed out of that terrible gash.

Growling again, she twirled and then kicked me in the face.

"Well done" I heard Konrad saying smugly and my pack wolves growled unanimously in warning.

I fell face first on that fire and gritted my teeth in anger. My wolf, who was still in the dominant mode, couldn't bear this amount of disrespect because snarling in rage, I slammed my palms on the fiery ground and stood up to glare at Darya.

"Are you going to kill her? Your mate?" Konrad asked incredulously.

"Yes" I lied just to shut him up and he did shut up, because he wasn't expecting that answer. To hit back, I further continued, "Darya always believes in saving innocent and today, I am going to save innocents" I swore and returned my attention back to Darya.

When she rushed to attack me, I held her wrist before she could evoke further damage. She gritted her teeth and grunted furiously as she tried to get herself out of my hold. But I sat still and pressed her wrist, further more tightly.

"Darya, Stop" I said, looking at her crimson eyes, which seemed sad and distant. "Darya" her name escaped from my mouth as a growl.

"DARYA" I bellowed the third time and this time, she looked me in the eye. She didn't recognize me but she heard me.

Feeling energized all of a sudden, I inhaled sharply and then focused my attention back on my mate, who was trying to fight me back because she was violently trashing and spreading fire all over me.

The pain was slowly starting to get to me as a first hole hit my defense in the form of exhaustion. I am not a machine after all.

Refusing to let that deter me, I looked at a furiously growling Darya.

"Darya..." I said in a soft voice, hoping she would hear me. I tried. I tried a lot, called her many times but she couldn't. Each passing minute, the pain increased and very soon, I knew I could get burnt.

"Q" Quinn called from somewhere and I looked at him through the corner of my eye. "Her strength at the moment is her inability to feel anything. Turn it into her weakness. Make her feel it" he advised and I paid heed to it.

"She will get hurt" Cortez growled.

"There is no other way to stop her" Seline Rhoades whispered shakily.

Thus, as a last resort, to help Darya, I did the only thing I could. I used my gifts on her, just like she had once asked me to.

Looking at her in the eye, I made her ability of touch vulnerable so that she could sense the burning feeling the flames were causing. And she did because almost immediately, Darya squirmed violently and began screaming. The fire which burned others so far was now burning her skin.

My wolf whined repeatedly and howled in pain, when he heard her screams.

Konrad growled when he saw that.

"Stop that" he told me and even though I badly wanted to stop Darya from feeling this horrible pain, I didn't.

"If she isn't mine, she isn't going to be yours either" I told him and faked a cold, cruel expression for his benefit, to show him I meant what I said, when I actually didn't. I could never even imagine of killing Darya. I think I would just about wish to die before that happens.

"You are bluffing" Konrad chuckled. "You do care about her" he said in an obvious tone.

"Yes, I do. But not enough to put hundreds of lives in danger. The choice between hundred wolves and one Darya, I chose the wolves because my first duty is to protect them" I explained calmly. "You know that I am a tough nut to crack, yet you thought using Darya against me would make me crumble and sacrifice my life?" I sneered and as Konrad rumbled violently, the trees shook feverishly.

"Silly, silly monster" I said shaking my head in pity and Konrad's nostrils flared in fury.

Konrad wanted Darya to make success whatever his plans were and by showing I could be cold enough to kill my own mate, I made him weak. He wasn't expecting that from me. He wanted me to be sappy and plead but there was a reason, Goddess had made me control one's emotions and this was the very reason for that.

I could control my own emotions of love and focus on the much needed one at the moment which was- confident and uncaring. I was confident enough to face Konrad and uncaring enough to also make him believe, I would do anything to save innocents.

Konrad had started thinking that I would kill Darya to save innocents but he was wrong. Darya was an innocent and I will save her too, along with others.

"Let's go. She is useless" Ekon said to Konrad. Ekon's eyes met mine for a brief second before he quickly looked away. In a way, he was still helping us. Nevertheless, I still didn't understand why he went back to Konrad.

Unable to see his greatest weapon being useless, Konrad shot Darya a look of disgust.

Clenching my fists and masking my emotions, I restrained myself from rushing to Darya's help.

Darya wasn't weak. At the moment, she was like that fixed support at the middle of the wooden plank of a see-saw. Whichever side the support goes, that side becomes stronger. Darya was in Konrad's side right until this moment and hence, he was winning. But now, she was back to her rightful place and that was beside me.

"Let's go. There are too many of them and we cannot take them down now. We need to plan something better" Ekon added and I smirked at Konrad. I then looked at Darya, who unable to bear the pain, collapsed on the ground. It was a challenge to smirk at that time.

But it seemed to convince Konrad more of my supposed coldness and fighting free of Ekon's hold, he turned to leave.

I watched him go and waited until he was out of my sight to release the breath I had been holding. He stopped and turned to look at me, with pitch black eyes that contained one and only one thing-

WRATH!

He might be living today, but tomorrow, he is going to bring destruction with him.

For a brief second, his eyes flickered to my right and then it hardened further before he curled his lips in a scorn and left.

I realized that Konrad's eyes had flickered to Quinn. My brother!

Quinn had helped me not once but twice and that earned Konrad's interest. Quinn was an asset and with doubt, Konrad wanted to get rid of him too!

Only after Konrad was out of my sight, I let out that breath and rushed towards Darya. The fire had died down, but her skin had turned charcoal black from the burn.

Holding her in my arms, I sat on the ground and asked her to wake up.

"What do we do?"

"How to help her?" Duncan asked.

"Heal her skin" Quinn told me and I held her hand, close to my chest.

I felt the heat radiating from my heart and spreading all over my body, until it engulfed Darya and me within it. Slowly, our burnt skin began healing and within no time, it was back to its peachy glow.

Huffing, I lowered my head and kissed Darya's forehead.

"Baby... come back to me" I whispered slowly and gave her back her ability to hear my voice too. Konrad had blocked it, but I set it open.

Her brows crinkled at first and then her fingers danced slightly in my hand, before her eyes flew open to reveal crimson color irises. When she glared at me, I thought she was still in the trance, but then Darya coughed and then spat out mud from her mouth.

"Did he make me eat mud?" she asked and I chuckled a little.

My guess was right. She had surrendered but with a plan in her mind.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked at me with a soft smile on her face. "You are back" I said.

"I knew you would bring me back" she said and my wolf howled in pride after hearing her words.

Smiling, I leaned forward and rested my forehead against hers. She was safe, in my arms and I was pleased by it.

Like I had said at the beginning, the day started out to be wonderful and ended the same—

"Darya, do you know where Lorcan is?" the Luna's sobbing voice made me pull away from Darya and look at her. Her face was flushed pink and her eyes were red, because her son was missing... still with Konrad.

"And Vincent? Where is he?" Quinn questioned.

The day might have ended but not the war!

****

Hope you liked it J

So, what do you think of this chapter?

Next update on 4th March. Hope I can make it *fingers crossed*

Love,

Shruthi.

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