Chapter Four: River Blood

“Zeke?” Julia called for him.

Zeke cursed under his breath and glared at the man in front of him.

“You, stall for some time,” he demanded and ran towards the hut. The man in the forest called after him in utter shock and didn’t know what to do.

They heard a howling sound that came from a distance and the ground vibrated under their feet. Many are coming after him. His eyes reverted back to their original color and he left no signs of being a canine before he faced her.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” he cussed repeatedly and went inside the hut. Julia was already at the doorstep looking for him when he gently pushed her back inside.

“Zeke? Where did you go? I heard you talking to someone,” she asked her and took a peek but Zeke covered her vision with his body.

“I was just talking to myself,” he said, breathless. He could already hear pouncing in their direction. It will definitely be a bad idea if Julia gets caught up with all of this. He needs to leave them and redirect them somewhere.

“Aren’t you sleepy?” he asked her with urgency in his voice.

Julia furrowed her brows and noticed how restless Zeke is. She feels like something is wrong and he just won’t tell her.

“Are you alright?” she asked him, “what’s happening out there?”

Zeke didn’t have time to tell her and he doesn’t want to. He was hesitant but he pulled Julia into his chest and hurriedly hit her neck until she lost consciousness. Her body dropped but he was there to immediately catch her and gently laid her down. He made sure that she was tucked warmly before going outside.

The cloaked man was standing outside their hut with a confused expression. From the looks of it, this man is just a pup and not older than the age of eighteen. Zeke clapped his collar and pulled him towards the entrance of the doorway.

“You. Stay here. Make sure no one comes here,” he firmly told the boy.

“But—” he was cut off by Zeke’s snarl.

“Stay here and guard her.” He gave the boy one final look before running away.

He ran into the forest further away from Julia. The clouds disappeared and the moon shined bright once again. Zeke pounced, his body shifting from a human into a large wolf that pounced through the trees.

Its fur was as black as midnight and his eyes were bloodshot red and ready to kill. His claws were sharp enough to cut down a tree and his size was two to three times bigger than the average wolf. The ground shook where he stepped on and even the trees shied away when he passed as if they were scared of getting in his way.

Zeke was not someone to mess with. But when someone does, he’s always out and ready to play.

He landed in an open area, far away from Julia. He looked around and listened closely to his surroundings and he knew that they were there, circling around him and waiting for the perfect time to attack.

“Ezekiel,” one of the wolves spoke to him using their mind links. Zeke immediately turned in the other direction. A wolf whose only slightly smaller than him with gray-colored fur stepped out. His other eye was closed due to a scar and his mouth was coming up to a snarl.

“There is no use in fighting. You should just surrender.”

“Why should I when I can kill all of you here in an instant?” he snickered.

“Even if you kill us, the boss will not stop until he has you under control. He will only send wolves to come after you.”

“Then I will just kill them too.”

“You don’t understand,” the wolf said, “you are a danger to our kind.”

“But you deemed me useful during the war. And once I won the battle for you, you decided to betray me and lock me up in that cave.” Zeke felt his blood boil. He wants revenge. He wants to kill everyone who betrayed him after everything he did for them.

“It was for your sake and for the sake of others. You are dangerous, Ezekiel. You are too drowned by your lust to kill.”

“And I wonder, who made me that way,” Zeke growled.

The other wolves came out and circled around him. They bared their fangs at him. Some snarled some growled and some even snapped at him. They were ready to jump on him all at once.

“It’s too late, Ezekiel,” the wolf told him and titled his head sideways, “get him.”

Everyone pounced at him all at once and the night was filled with howls and cries. Blood splattered on flowers and trees. Each took a turn for an attack just to be thrown off to a nearby trunk and break down.

The river was covered in red blood and the moon witnessed it all. The horror, the deaths, and the champion’s sweet smile of victory.

Zeke came back before the sun completely rose. His whole body was covered in blood and most of it was not his own. He made sure to wash in a flowing river before going back to the hut. He had minor cuts and bruises from the bites but it wasn’t serious enough to injure him.

By the time he came back, the boy was still guarding the front door of the hut and Julia looked like she was still asleep.

He immediately went inside the hut to check on her but she was still snoring softly and was wrapped up in the hide.

“You-you killed them all?” the boy asked, his voice wavering in fear. “All by yourself?”

“What else should I have done?” Zeke asked and faced him, “I eliminate everyone who comes after me.”

“But the boss will still—”

“You think I don’t know?” Zeke stretched his arms and bent his body like he was warming up. He also had a satisfied look on his face. “It’s been years since I fought. I needed that.”

The boy hung his head low, looking lost. Everyone was eliminated. What they said back at the pack was true. The man in front of him was truly a monster that took pleasure in taking other people’s lives.

He was the one that everyone was banned from mentioning. The Alpha’s illegitimate son. The only wolf that had red eyes and jet black fur. The seat was supposed to be his after the war but he was betrayed by his brother who is now the present Alpha.

Zeke noticed that the boy was staring at him. He turned his body to face him and grinned, exposing his fangs.

“Tell the wolves I’m home,” he said, “tell them to prepare because I will be coming for their heads.”

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END