Chapter 33

HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY TO EVERY WOMEN OUT THERE :D You are beautiful just the way you are :)

Okay, Chapter 33 below and it is dedicated to @ActLikeAFool :D

****

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”

― Winston S. Churchill

TEMPLAR P.O.V

Randall’s whole posture changed. He became taut, but he quickly schooled back it to an uninterested one.  But that one tiny betrayal of his stance was my hope.

“What do you mean?” he questioned, quite innocently, cocking an eyebrow.

“Wouldn’t you like you to know” I said with a smirk and Randall narrowed his eyes.

United we stand. Divided we fall. Nicely done Randall. Nicely done.

I knew everyone was looking at me and so, I took a step towards Randall. “You are not the only one who heard ‘The Lion and The Cows’ story” I added in a mocking tone and Randall’s eyes darkened. “But just one tiny mistake- you forgot who is the king of this jungle” I murmured smoothly and then turned to face my pack wolves.

“What do you want me to do?” I demanded looking at them.

“There is a traitor amongst us and he has planted bombs around the pack” Ophelia said with a gulp.

“There are children” Mike added and others agreed. “We want our pack safe Templar” Mike was hesitant to get directly to the point and I sighed.

“I say- there is NO bomb in the pack” I announced confidently and everyone shot me a confused look.

“But there is a traitor amongst us” Sveta said holding Luka closer to her chest.

“There is and the person is here, watching her every move” Randall spoke up and I closed my eyes shut, because I didn’t want to watch the fear in my pack’s eyes.

“I am going to say one last time- There is no bomb in our pack” I said through gritted teeth and opened my eyes.

“If you want to believe her,-”

“GAG THIS MUTT” I thundered pointing my finger at Randall and the guards nodded. Two were already holding Randall. Another one guard stepped forward to cover Randall’s mouth, but he snapped right in front of the guards face. Growling in frustration, I took the cloth, punched Randall and when his head flew back, stuffed the cloth inside his mouth.

The guard reacted quickly and tied the cloth from behind.

“Hmm… this is good” I said patting Randall’s cheek. “You look better now” I said and when Randall tried to lunge at me, I punched him in the stomach.

When I faced my pack wolves, I found them watching me with fear, with disapproval. The disapproval look hurt me and my wolf whined. When I saw it, I realized that if I want to become a good leader, I also needed the trust of all wolves. And what better way to start it than from my own pack?

If they trust me now, it would be a confidence boost for me and if they don’t…. I will fail, everywhere.

I could have just said it to them and force them to agree, but that was not the right way. So I went through the other way.

Raising my chin, I addressed the crowd, “I trust you. Each one of you. And I know no one among you is the traitor” I said and they stared at me anxiously. “We have been in this pack for years and we all know each other. We are family. We all love each other. So, do you seriously think, one of our own would betray us?” Something I said was making sense to them because they slowly shook their head.

Behind me, I heard Randall fighting his hold.

“I say there is no traitor. Who is with me?” I demanded looking at the crowd.

Everett stepped forward and entwined his left hand with my right one. I shot him a thankful smile and he just leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

Jan held my free hand and I smiled at her too. I had their support and very soon everyone would support me.

“I am with you” I heard Keith saying and I heaved a sigh. He came forward and held Jan’s hand on the other side. Slowly, everyone from the crowd joined their hands and I swallowed audibly as I watched that. My heart was racing in my chest and I wanted everyone to support me.

I took a deep breath, when the last person too entwined his hand. After that, the crowd raised their joined hands high above their head. Even Harry was one of them and I personally thanked him through the link.

My wolf raised her head proudly when she saw the support and tears of happiness rolled down my cheek. I slowly let go of Everett and Jan’s hand and then moved forward.

“Thank-you” I told them and they all bowed their head in respect. “I will never give you a reason to regret this” I swore in a sincere tone.

Once everyone lowered their hands, I turned my head and shot Randall a smug look, before facing the audience again.

“This man-” I proclaimed pointing at Randall, who growled lowly, “-Was trying to create a rift between us. There is no traitor. No bombs at all. It was all a lie, made up by this rogue to save his life. He wanted us to suspect each other, fight with each other. He wanted to divide us, our family. By showing him our unity today, we all have defeated him.”

Some wolves nodded in understanding and others gasped, while the others growled at him.

“Handle him to us Luna, we will tear him to shreds” Philip imparted furiously.

“Yes, yes” others agreed and I glanced at Randall. He couldn’t hide his fear and my lips curved upwards when I saw that.

“So, Randall- ” I began walking towards him. “-You still think I am weak intellectually?” I asked raising my brows. “My anger is my weakness but when I overcame that weakness, I was able to overcome every other weakness in me too” I added gleefully.

“Handle him to the crowd” Jan said but I shook my head.

“No. This was a game between us and the game is not over yet. He made his move and I dodged his attack. Now, it is my turn” I said through gritted teeth, tugging the cloth from his mouth.

“You still think I am lying?” Randall asked with a smirk.

“I know you are lying. No one in my pack helped you. No one would” I replied confidently.

“Then how do you think I came to know so much?” Randall asked cocking an eyebrow. I smiled and shook my head. This man is indeed the most cunning person in the world.

He would never give up. Like I thought before- he would do anything; say anything, to save his life.

“You had me followed and probably even asked my human friends. I am honestly not interested in discussing it further” I said lifting a shoulder unconcernedly.  “Just remember, nothing you say or do is going to turn my pack against me” I pointed the obvious through gritted teeth.

“In a mind game, which is your greatest strength, I have defeated you. Now, in a one-to-one fight between us, let’s see who is going to win. If you defeat me, here, then I am going to let you go and never come after you. But if I defeat you then… I think you know what I am going to do” I said with a grin. My wolf growled savagely. She was happy because she finally would get a chance to kill this mutt.

“So?” I patiently waited for his answer.

“You want me to fight with my hands cuffed?” Randall questioned and I smirked.

“Unlock it” I commanded to a guard, who quickly completed the task. “No one will stop us” I told to my pack. “I don’t want him to fight more than one person at a time and say it’s cheating” I added and Randall growled.

I was the first one to charge at Randall. I ran towards him and leaped high in the air. While I managed to kick him in the face, he clawed my thighs and both of us fell on the ground in a thud. We managed to stand up quickly too.

Once again I rushed towards him and then catching his neck, I pinned him to the ground so that my claws scraped his neck. To rescue himself, not only did Randall claw my wrist, but also my face. Screaming, I let go of his neck and he used that opportunity to dig his claws on my stomach.

“Templar” I heard people screaming the very same time Rett shifted.

While I was gasping, he pushed his claws deeper and smirked at me.

“No” I breathed out while Rett was about to lunge at Randall. While Randall turned to stare at Rett’s black wolf, I used the claws of my feet and slashed his legs. He winced in pain but didn’t pull out his claws from my stomach.

My wolf was growing restless but I didn’t shift because it would be painful. Instead, I clawed his hand and scratched it repeatedly, peeling off his skin. Randall was forced to let go of my stomach and while he clutched his hand, I held my stomach and breathed repeatedly.

He had managed to dig deep and it hurt a lot. I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from crying in pain. Rett licked the side of my face and I smiled at him. Even though the wound in the stomach was hurting, I stood up. While Randall saw it, he too did, holding his injured hand.

This time while I ran to him, I punched him in the stomach with all my energy and he hit a trunk of a nearby tree.

“Kill him” I could hear my pack wolves shouting and encouraging me.

I walked to him while he was coughing repeatedly. When he saw me, he stood up, stormed my way and before I could attack, he caught me by the waist and just threw me like a doll towards a nearby tree.

I grunted painfully while my head hit a branch of a tree before I finally fell on the ground. Randall was already next to me and clutching my hair, he slammed me face first to the ground. Many from my pack had shifted and were surrounding us. Snarling and snapping their jaws at Randall. My nose started bleeding and I could feel blood trailing on my face. While he was about to repeat it, I quickly clawed his left foot and he jumped back. I used that opportunity to roll over and before he could kick me, I raised my feet and kicked his sensitive part.

As Randall groaned in pain, I flipped and wiped the blood on my upper lip. I stood up and then punched Randall in the face first then turning slammed my elbows on his neck, chest followed by his stomach. While he skid backwards, I leapt high in the air and twirling, kicked him in the face so hard that he fell on the ground, spitting blood during the process.

“Yes” I heard and when I looked I saw Theo shouting with a smile, while also wiping the tears in his eyes. My heart soared with love and then holding Randall by his hair, I forced him to kneel on the ground and slammed my knees on his face twice.

He fell flat on his stomach and stayed like that grunting in pain.

“Get up” I said through gritted teeth. “I am not finished with you” I said standing near his face. “Get up” I shouted kicking his side, while wolves watched him through narrowed eyes.

When there was no response from him, I crouched down next to him to look at his face. The moment, I tried to touch him, he dug his claws on my hand and rolling over, he held my neck and then in a quick moment pinned me to the ground, trapping me. Randall used this moment to his fullest advantage and not just punched me in the face, but once again punctured my stomach with his long nails. It was the same place and it injured because the wounds were not yet healed.

This time I couldn’t stop crying in pain and Randall laughed. His laugh was like an energy booster to my wolf because it made her furious. I buried my own claws on the side of his neck and while he left me to clutch his neck, I rolled over and somehow managed to stand up. But my whole body was in pain and not only was my heart beating rapidly, but my vision was also blurry.

‘Templar, do not stop. Just kill him’ Sveta hissed and there were many voices going on in my mind and suddenly my head felt heavy.

But I was still determined and so was my wolf, so I dropped my hands, straightened my spine and turned to look at Randall. My wolf was already fuming and then I let her take over in such a way that I was the one controlling all my actions. I bared my fangs and growled savagely and his eyes widened when he saw me.

I knew my eyes were the color of blood and since my wolf was at forefront, there was nothing stopping me. I attacked him. Kicked him in the face with everything in me and as he fell on the ground, I caught his right hand and then bending his fingers backwards, I broke all five of them one after the other.

He let out a loud painful cry as I dropped his hand. I stood near his head and placed my one foot on his neck and the other on his left wrist. Since the fingers of his right hand were broken, Randall could no longer fight me.

“Templar…” Randall began watching me with those cat eyes. “White wolf, listen to me…” he grunted painfully. “It was not me. Simon has poisoned my mind. Why would I want to fight you? I have nothing against you” he said with a humorless chuckle and I gnashed my teeth against each other.

Randall would not be faithful to anyone. You can never guess when he would stab you in the back. If he puts his own family at risk, then he cannot be trusted at all.

“Simon wanted to take revenge with you. He wanted to kill you but I told him not to” Randall cried.

“Yes. You did” I said looking at him in disgust. “You asked him not to kill me because you wanted to control the white wolf. So stop talking” I hissed in condemnation. He had a greater agenda in his mind.

“No. No. Stop. I wanted to save you” he said and growling, I pressed his neck, harder. “It was all done by Simon. He controlled me and so did the dark moon Goddess. I am an innocent” he crooned.

While Everett roared near Randall’s face, I threw my head back and laughed grimly.

“Innocent? You are as innocent as a vicious snake” I said shaking my head in disapproval. “Even your shadow cannot be trusted.”

“No. Please forgive me. I promise to-”

“You want forgiveness for your sins?” I snapped cutting him off. I saw red the moment he said forgiveness, because I could never ever forgive him.

“Yes” Randall said unaware of the anger radiating from my body.

“Hold him” I told the guards but Rett and Keith who were still in their wolf form stepped forward.

Rett clamped Randall’s left hand between his jaws and Keith his right hand. Together, they started dragging him while also following me.

I came to a stop near the temple and as Randall saw it, he lost every scrap of color in his face.

“No. You cannot take me there” he said. “No. You cannot do this to me you bitch. You… aaah” he cried out as Rett bit his hand.

“You wanted forgiveness so go ask for it from my goddess” I said through gritted teeth and Rett and Keith took him to the temple. Once he crossed the threshold of the temple door, Randall’s body started burning because of the shock spreading all over his body.

He was a staunch devotee of the dark moon goddess and entering our temple was forbidden to him.

“Templar, don’t do this” Ophelia said from beside me while I watched Randall trembling in ache on the temple floor. “It’s a place of worship for us. You cannot kill someone there. No matter how bad they are” she reminded and I gulped.

She was right. I knew that too.

“Bring him out” I commanded and two guards went to bring Randall out, but the moment they reached the door, they were pushed back by some unseen force and they fell back and landed near my feet. As I looked up in astonishment, the temple door closed shut on its own accord.

I gasped and so did others, while they watched it.

“What happened?” I asked a guard while helping him stand up.

“We were pushed out” he replied staring at the door in apprehension.

“The Goddess” I whispered and looked at the door. I could hear the cries of Randall. Actually, we all could hear the painful cries of him and we all knew the goddess herself, was punishing this sinner.

Randall’s cries were so loud that birds sitting and chirping on the trees flew away. All of us were silent and just listening to his shouts of pain and mercy.

A few minutes later, the cries ceased and then the door flew open.

Nervously, I glanced at the temple floor and in the white pristine marble floor of the temple, Randall’s ashes were scattered.

I closed my eyes and let out a breath as I watched it.

“The Goddess punished him. Maybe that’s how she wanted it to happen” Ophelia said and I nodded without looking at her.

No one can stop destiny, that’s what the Goddess always say. Today, Randall’s destiny came to an end in the Goddess’s lap. I consider it good and I consider Randall privileged to die like that even though he was a terrible person.

Well, I will say Randall’s soul should find peace only because I don’t want him coming back to haunt me.

“Hail to the Goddess” an elderly man shouted and everyone repeated after him.

“Aaaa…” I cried in pain the moment Sveta pressed an antiseptic on the wound in my stomach.

“Stop squirming” Sveta scolded.

“Be gentle” I begged. She was being gentle but still it was hurting.

“Is it hurting badly?” Jan asked the same question for the umpteenth time.

“Of course it is hurting her” Rett, who was holding my hands, snapped at her.

“You just shut up. I was talking to my best-friend” she snapped back.

“Guys please” Sveta said while she was dressing up my wound. The pain had subsided now but if someone hit me in that specific area, I knew it would be back again.

“Just don’t shift until tomorrow alright?” Sveta said and I nodded. It was typical of Randall, hurting the same place again and again, when he knew it hurts me there.

“He is dead” Rett said as if he knew what I was thinking. I smiled at him and rested my head against his chest.

“The goddess killed him” Jan chirped. “I honestly thought after you severely trashed him, you would give him to crowd. I so badly wanted to rip him, but Goddess stole that chance from me” Jan pouted.

“I was planning to… but then when he asked for forgiveness, I got really angry” I said through gritted teeth.

“I really did not want you to forgive him. I was hoping he wouldn’t poison your mind too” Sveta said.

“I know, he was so cunning” Jan said with a frown. “He really scared us all and would have made us fight against each other. He was so convincing” she added grimly. “I really thought there was a traitor amongst us and poor Harry” she finished and I stiffened when I heard Harry’s name.

“Sveta, when you go to the house, can you call Harry and ask him to come here?” I told her.

“Sure” she replied with a smile.

“Thank-you” I said.

“I really feel bad for suspecting him” Jan said guiltily.

“We will apologize to him when he is here” I told her.

“You did not suspect him” Rett pointed.

“But I did not stop you when you asked for him to be caught” I said sadly.

“It was a good thing you realized he was playing with our mind” Jan stated. “Or else I don’t know what else would have happened today.”

“It’s all fine now” I said gently.

“Ya, Randall is dead. Nekrós” Jan added and I narrowed my eyes at the use of the Greek word. “Oh! I have been reading a Greek book” she said dismissively when she saw my face.

“You called me Luna” Harry said standing near the main door of my house, with a frightened look in his face. He was staring at the floor and I felt really bad for him. He had no one in the pack and I will never ever make him feel like that again.

“You can come in Harry, no need to stand there waiting for my permission” I said with a chuckle and hesitantly, he entered and stood near the couch.

“Harry, I… I am really sorry” I told him and he looked up. “About what happened today…”

“We all are sorry for that” Everett said. “I should not have suspected you.”

“We all should not have suspected you” Jan said quietly.

“No… it’s alright. I know what Alisha had done once and it’s natural you guys would…” Harry trailed off.

“You are really not to be blamed for anything Alisha did. I trust you Harry and I really do not want you to feel you have no one in this pack. We are your family” I told him.

Harry gulped. “So can you forgive us?” Jan asked softly and Harry nodded. “Thank-you. It will never happen again, I swear” she assured and Harry smiled.

“So, there is only one more left” Jan said once Harry left, and I knew she was referring to our hit-list, where only Simon Ryker was left.

“He is old and we can easily kill him” Rett said and I sighed.

Honestly, I didn’t really know what to do with Simon. He was taking his revenge because I killed his son. I could understand revenge and so I could understand why he did what he did. But that does not mean I am okay with it.

“So, any replies?” I asked changing the topic.

“I have not yet checked” Jan said sheepishly.

“It’s alright. Check that later. Right now, I want lunch” I said looking at Rett, who smirked and pulled out his phone to order one.

****

Yay! So those who guessed Randall was playing, you guys were all right :D Congratulations :D

I hope you liked this chapter. Next update will be on 18th. Long gap, I know, but I already said I have to complete my assignment before the end of this month. So please bear with me :)

Also, don’t forget to vote, comment and follow.

Thanks :)