58 – MANNING UPSTEPHANI leapt up in the air and spun around and landed heavily with my right foot, Claude rolled out of the way to avoid the hit and my heel made a spot in the thick ground.I rolled towards him, my hands balling into fists and I threw two quick punches, Claude wove this side and then the other as both punches missed him narrowly.Tired of striking and not being able to land a hit, I decided to change tactics. Being close enough, without warning, I leapt forward, driving my shoulder into his waist and catching him unawares.Claude was sent flying backwards and he landed heavily on his back. I did a front tumble and grabbed him by the neck before he could get back to his feet and then I raised my left hand up in the air, threatening to land a very powerful blow.Claude flashed his teeth in frustration and then raised both of his hands in surrender.I let go of his neck and he fell back down to the ground. I stood up and then bent down and lent him a hand.Claude took
59 – I GIVE YOU MY FLOWERSREBEKKADamon kissed me!What was I thinking? Why did I allow him to do that and get away with it?I was with Lord Stephan now, right?What was the whole point of going to Damon’s cabin all those nights ago? I was going to tell him that we could not continue what we had been doing because I was with Lord Stephan now.That night went very wrong and since then I had felt a knot in my stomach because of it. Damon had effectively ignored me since then, that was until yesterday when he showed up at the clinic out of the blue.It was also fortuitous that he came when Dr Purcell and Miss Kaitlin were not in, did he know?I shook my head as I lay in bed, I could not sleep, I kept rolling around and cuddling my pillow.Damon kissed me!What did that mean? What did he mean? Was that a ‘I have forgiven you’ type of kiss or… what exactly did it mean?“From now on, you are mine.”His words echoed in my head.I remembered the first time that we met at that cliff face.
60 – THE FUCKING PLANDAMONTo tell Lady Cecile or not to tell Lady Cecile, that was the question that I was turning around in my head.Soon Stephan would be stepping out of the pack again and going to Dragon’s Deep to look for a survivor. Was this information vital enough for me to endure serious pain cutting into my flesh to inform my new allies?I could not decide, I was still playing with the idea in my head as I sat in my small cubicle in the Elite Guard garrison.Stephan sure was getting bolder by the day. Gone were the days when all he ever did was hunt and party around the pack, now he was actually spearheading troops and making an impression on the members of the war council.Sure he was the heir to alpha Michael and naturally, everyone expected him to become the alpha when alpha Michael left to sleep in Lunar’s bosom but, I didn’t expect him to start getting all alpha-like and becoming capable so quickly.I sneered, he was starting to become a serious rival. If he succeeded
61 – TRYST IN THE STEAMREBEKKAThe steam was filling up the room from the hot water that was rushing down on my hair, I was so lost in the feel of the jet of water as it hit my skin and soaked into it.I closed my eyes and ran my hands through my hair as the wet hair stuck to my neck and the top of my back, I ran my hands over my face as I raised my face up so that the jet could hit me full on.The feel of the hot water trickling down my spine and across my breasts all the way down to my legs was absolutely refreshing.I didn’t get hot water like this back at the clinic, on the best day, the best I could hope for was lukewarm, this, this right here was exactly what I needed.I saw a bath too in the bathroom, maybe when I was done enjoying the shower, I would let myself soak for a couple of minutes before I got out.That would be the highlight of this treat. Who knew the next time I would get to enjoy all these? I needed to make the most of it now when I had the chance.I was so engro
62 – ENTER THE DRAGONSTEPHANThe five of us arrived at the outskirts of Dragon’s foot and a low ‘wow’ escaped my lips.The maps and the description from Claude that he said he heard from his father did not do this place justice at all.There was a narrow canyon leading down into the mouth of it but from where we were standing, what looked like the talons of a giant dragon spread out in front of us.“Dragon’s Foot,” Flint said, his eyes wide open as he looked at the colorful spread of vegetation and rocky outgrowth.“There has to be at least a hundred caves buried down in all that mess,” Hayes said.“Hundred? More like thousands, how the hell are we going to find one wolf in all that?” Louis asked.Hayes and Louis were the two news guys who replaced Danny and Trent who died during our last mission.I looked at both of them, “Take the flank,” I opened my rucksack and took out a copy of the map of Dragon’s foot and handed it to them.“See that spot?” I pointed at a section that was X’ed
63 – SURVIVOR’S GUILTSTEPHANThe three warlocks came right at Claude and me. They were quick on their feet and as they approached, they withdrew their silver weapons.Two were making use of curved sickles and one was wielding an axe.I winced in pain as blood leaked out from both of my ears. Also, there was a dull ringing in my head as my vision blurred.I looked at Claude, he was in a worse state than I was. What the hell was this witch and what was that devilish scream?I had encountered one just like her back when we raided their hideout. This one's scream seemed to be more potent and the worst part about it was that it had no effect on the warlocks or the witches that were with her.Why?Was it because they were all standing behind her when she yelled? As I was trying to figure out why they were immune, the first warlock closed in on Claude.Claude had not yet fully recovered yet, I gritted my teeth and got to my feet and leaped in the air.The warlocks stopped mid stride to turn
64 – START OF A PLOTDAMONI stepped into Chief Tyrell’s office with a frown on my face.What did this annoying old man want from me this time around?“Damon, have a seat,” he said when he looked up and saw me.I sneered, sat down and crossed my legs and then leaned back in the chair, my eyes never left him, “Let me guess, you are worried the heir might get lost and you want me to go and shepherd him like I did last time.”Chief Tyrell’s brows furrowed, “After the crap that you pulled last time and let two wolves die on your watch, you really think I would put you in charge of something that sensitive again?”I sniggered, “Those deaths are not on me, as far as I am concerned, I…”“Fulfilled the mission objective,” Chief Tyrell completed my statement.“Exactly,” I said with a smug look on my face.“You sound like a broken record, Damon. No, that is not why I have summoned you today.”I relaxed and waited for him to speak but he just kept staring at me. The old man was really going to m
65 – CHANGESREBEKKAIt just kept playing in my head in some form of eternal loop. Why could I not stop thinking about it? Was it because it was just that good or was it because I enjoyed it way too much?From the moment he dropped his underpants and let his manhood hang out in front of me, I felt a twisting feeling in my gut. My heart beat multiplied a hundred fold and I could literally feel the pulsing of my veins.I knew I should have said no to him. I should have ran out of the bathroom the moment he came in but my legs betrayed me, my body betrayed me.I remembered what it was like holding his cock and feeling it pulse in my hand. It was like it was alive— a sentient being with needs and desires just like me.I felt goosebumps travel round my body as I remembered his finger slipping into me. His thumb rubbing the precipice of my womanhood, his palms caressing my wet skin and finding my breasts.Him squeezing them, suckling on them like they were the source of life itself. Oh the
95 – STEPPING IN FILTHDAMON POV“Where the hell do you think you are going?”I walked briskly after her and grabbed her arm and turned her around roughly.“Do you think you can just walk out on me?” My eyes were wide and darting around searching her face.Where was Rebekka getting this false confidence from? Did she think her life was just something that she could just throw away like that?Under my watch? That was not going to happen.“Let go of me, Damon.”Sneering, I let my fingers curl around her arm and held her more firmly, “You are not leaving here until I have talked some sense into that thick skull of yours.”“I don’t have time for this, people are dying, Damon.”“Let them die, the fuck do I care?”Rebekka gasped in shock as she looked at me in disbelief.“Yes, does that surprise you? Huh?”She looked up at me with hurt eyes, “How can you be this callous? Can’t you see how much suffering is going on around you?”“So far as it is not you, I could not give a shit!” I yelled at
94 – CLASH OF CONVICTIONDAMON POVAs I walked down the back entrance of the clinic, I felt a knot in my stomach. I didn’t like the feeling. I knew that I should have come back earlier, as soon as that pretentious dick, Vane, stopped me from using the Elite Guards, I should have rushed back here.The truth was that I was scared of what I would find, a Rebekka in a coma with red sores running down her spine.A part of me didn’t want to see that, to admit that I had failed her, that I had failed in general. Coming this morning was just routine I told myself.With how fast her own case was progressing, there was no way that she would still be alive now. She surely was dead. It was better I met her corpse than to meet her suffering and feeling helpless in her presence.I smirked as I walked into the clinic, the smell of disinfectants was so thick in the air that I could not distinguish her scent from anything else.Finding her in this mess would be a pain, “Hey…” I grabbed a hold of a wi
93 – A DEADLY CHOICEREBEKKA POVI was still caught up in the heat of the moment, I still could not believe that what I had done had worked.It was not until Luna’s Gwen’s voice had replayed in my head like ten times that the implication of what she was asking for dawned on me.Mass Produce it?The excitement vanished from my eyes and I blinked as reality hit me hard. I looked at Luna Gwen, she was not facing me again, she was smiling with Dr Purcell as they celebrated the medical breakthrough.When Luna Gwen finally turned to look at me, I had to force a smile.“Whatever you need Rebekka, just let me know.”I nodded sheepishly with my hands in my lap.As soon as Luna Gwen walked away, I ran straight to Kami’s brother. I had to see and feel for myself that the vaccine had worked.He was blinking and looking around in confusion, “Are you okay?” I asked him?“Kami,” he muttered and then his face contorted as he fought back the tears that were building up.I could not control my own emot
92 – GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWSREBEKKA POVWhat if, just what if my blood could be used as some sort of vaccine for the plague?That was the only common denominator between Lord Stephan recovering from a fatal WolfsBane poisoning and me surviving a plague that no one else seemed to have a cure for.I was dead certain that it would work but also scared, what if it didn’t? I would just be wasting precious time and sharing unnecessary hope.No, I would not tell it to anyone, I would keep it to myself and I would put it to the test and do it quickly. The sooner I ruled it out, the better.“Rebekka?”I spun around to see Miss Caitin staring at me with surprise.She was looking at the hospital gown I was putting on, “Are you sick?”“No,” I almost yelled. “Just ran out of fresh clothes.”She sneered, “Get dressed into something proper, there are more people that need those gowns… and what are you doing just standing there? The left wing is not going to take care of itself.”“Of course, right away,
91 – AN OLIVE BRANCHDAMON POVVane!I didn’t have time for that bastard yet, what the hell was he doing telling men that I ordered to get ready, to stand down?I frowned and my eyes narrowed, I still did not turn or acknowledge his presence, “Are you deaf and dumb? Grab your lances and spears and follow me!” I yelled again.The men stiffened and looked at each other in confusion.“Yes sir!” they echoed.“I said, Stand down Damon!” Vane’s voice was much louder than mine and even more forceful.I sneered and turned to look at him, “What is it that we have here? The chief of the Elite Guards? No, the right hand to the alpha? No… that’s right, you are nobody to give me commands!” I yelled back.“You are all dismissed!” Vane yelled at the guards present.They shuddered and began to shuffle away.“If any of you take another step, I will have his head!” I commanded without even looking at them.Everyone came to a halt and stood very still.My eyes were on Vane and they were not happy eyes.
90 – A CRAZY IDEAREBEKKA POVConstriction, that was what it felt like, it was as if something was pressing my throat on both ends and stopping me from breathing.Even the oxygen mask that I was given did not seem to totally alleviate the problem.My eyes kept darting back and forth in my socket as I was looking at the white coats taking care of me and the other patients.They did not seem to know what they were doing, they just hung an IV bag overhead and put the drip in my arm – the same drip that they had been administering to all the sick patients and not one had gotten better.I lay there on my bed, panicking, unable to talk or gather the strength to move. I doubted if Dr Purcell knew what happened to me, he must have been so busy dealing with cases that I doubted if he even knew that I went out with Damon or that I was now infected with the plague.This could not be the end of me, I refused to believe it. I had promised Kami’s brother that I would save him – I could not die wit
89 – BLOCKADEDAMON POV“What the hell is that?” Rebekka gasped in shock.I squinted as I stared at the massive coiled beast that was just under the surface of the water. It must have been about fifty feet long, I could not really tell seeing as it coiled into itself.The scales were reddish and black all mingled together, large like a bronze shield and by the looks of it, just as hard.“What do we do?” I could hear the panic in her voice and I wished she was not so agitated, but at the same time, I did not blame her.So this was the cause of the outbreak that had been decimating the pack? A part of me was relieved that it was not the black stone dagger but damn it… that would have been far easier to destroy than this massive creature.I looked at Rebekka, “We retreat,” I said in a low voice that could barely be heard above the rushing water.“Retreat?” she yelled back.I winked at her to try and signal her to stop shouting but she was not getting my point.“We cannot retreat Damon,
88: SERPENT OF SCALESREBEKKA POVMy jaw dropped when I heard that and it felt like someone smashed into my chest with a hammer.I staggered back and looked at him, my eyes were mingled with the hurt that was burning in my heart.Damon sneered, “Oh don’t give me that, you didn’t seem to care about him when you were pleading for me in my bathroom.”I gasped.A wave of guilt washed through me and I didn’t want to be there right then. What made me think that seeing Damon was going to be a good idea?“Exactly,” he chipped in when he saw that I was silent. “Hey, look at the bright side, if he never comes back, you never have to deal with the guilt of whether to tell him or not about our little… adventure.”He grinned at me, his blue eyes staring at me with an intensity that made me uncomfortable.I sniffled and looked down to the floor, looked like everywhere I went, it was bad news, “I am glad you are alive,” I said in a downcast tone and turned back to head into the clinic.Damon sighed,
87: THE CONTAGION REBEKKA POVI blinked twice to make sure that what I was seeing was correct. Scales?Reddish black for that matter, a color combination I had never seen before.A mixture of excitement and panic shot through me as my eyes stayed glued to the microscope as I peered into it.I could not believe it, I was operating under a weak premise that the disease might somehow be water borne and now that premise was paying off.I could not wait to let the Luna know.I jumped down the stool and sprinted out of the lab, back to the lobby.The chaos momentarily threw me off again, so many new faces and sick people were littered all over, coughs and cries were coming from all over the place.Without even knowing it, my eyes went in search of the little boy from earlier. I had promised him that his sister would be alright but she died, right before our eyes.I could not find him in all that chaos and I started to panic a bit. It took a bit of time for me to calm myself down, he still