Forty-Three

Vali

Before I’d even left the great hall, my wolf overtook my body. We followed her nose, the stink of Traian and his fear, through the castle and to the battlefield under a nearly full moon. Traian would be easy enough to find, especially when my wolf loved the chase.

There was no hesitation to run through the bloodied field that surrounded Bran Castle, the forest floor soaked in vampire and wolf blood. We would mourn our losses later; after we’d won and my people were safe.

I don’t know where exactly Traian was running to, and I don’t think he did either. His best protectors were the ones he had abandoned back in the great hall, maybe he was hoping to run into someone out here. Or maybe it was the demons that were swarming the battlefield now that he had been waiting on, had been searching for. They wouldn’t be enough.

They wouldn’t win him this war, this battle, and they definitely wouldn’t protect him from me.

He was my main focus. The only thing that mattered. Once he was gone, then I could focus on the demons, on the rest of the vampires who were still trying to fight us even though they were dropping like flies. They had become too comfortable, had become too slack with their training, that the only way they could win was against terrified people during the Hunts, when everything was skewed in their favour. Now? Now with an even playing field? It was obvious that they weren’t as superior as they thought they were.

And neither was he.

“Do you really think you can win this?” Traian asked, surrounded by twenty or so demons. Well, I guess that made sense. If he had noticed how soft his people had become, then running to get demons for protection was the safest option.

I don’t think I can win this… I trailed off, forcing myself into his head and the head of every demon that protected him. I know I can. I added as I used Mircea’s power to crush each of the demon’s skulls at the same time. I think the problem is that you still think you can win, and we both know that’s a prime example of blind hope.

In a pisspoor attempt at intimidating me, he called on his flame and I let him hold it for a second as I padded towards him, my head lowered and my ears pointed at him. He had my full attention, if only he realised how dangerous it was to have such a thing from a supersized apex predator.

I tilted my head to the side, once again using Mircea’s power to choke out the flames.

Did you really think that would work? I asked, observing as he took a step backwards. Me? I kept stalking towards him, a hunter locked on their terrified prey.

“You shouldn’t be able to use that power in wolf form…” he trailed off, and I huffed out a deep sigh.

Do you know how all of this is supposed to work, do you? Pray tell why I shouldn’t be able to use my power while in wolf form. I angled my body to herd him away from the rest of the battle. We were separated from it right now, and that was how I wanted it. It’s still me in this body, Traian, it’s not like I’m a different person. I explained, ears pricked towards him.

“Lilith, she…” Oh good, so Lilith wasn’t even that loyal to him either.

She set you up for failure if that’s what you planned for, to have me shifted so you could burn me to ash. Yeah, it doesn’t work like that. It was almost funny to watch as his world crumbled around him, as he realised the people he thought he could trust weren’t trustworthy. As he realised how much he had simply fucked up every decision he’d made until now. You know the sad part about this?

“Don’t patronise me-”

I might have let you live, albeit in a cell for the rest of your days, if you just hadn’t burned Mircea. If you hadn’t of tortured him, abused him, unleashed your rage on him. What you did to my people? I could have accepted the fact that it was something to do with your archaic body and ways, but what you did to him? No. You don’t get to live another day when you have taken everything from him. I said, and his eyes widened. I saw the burns when he and I locked in the Bond, Traian. Did you really think I would let it slide?

“You don’t know-”

I don’t care what your argument is going to be. There is no reason for it, you piss weak excuse of fucking king. That was all he needed to hear to jump towards me, to rush at me just like he did at the Summit.

And I simply jumped and landed with my paws on his chest, like at the Summit. The only thing different about the situations was the fact my jaw was wrapped around his throat before I tore at his flesh, his trachea between my teeth as I pulled away from him.

And then it was over.

I spat out his throat as he smiled at me, as the light left his eyes even though he still seemed smug. Still seemed triumphant. Why would he…

I stumbled a step away from him as my vision hazed, and without thinking my body changed back to human. His heartbeat stopped as I tried to figure out what the fuck was going on.

My mouth… my mouth was burning.

And my head was so light I…

I fell to the ground, on all fours as I stared at Traian’s body. Had he poisoned himself before I killed him? Had he known exactly what I’d planned to do?

Shit…

I struggled to keep my eyes open as I heard my name tearing from someone’s throat. They were too far away for me to know who it was, although I had a feeling…

I fell onto my side, as the world spun in front of my eyes, and all I could do was shut them to try and block out the swirling vision.

And then I felt as the earth shook beneath me, accompanied by a guttural scream from the other side of the battle.

“Mircea…” I whispered, it was all the response I was capable of before I fell unconscious.

Before I lost my grip on the world.