Chapter 19: Guardian

ALEXANDER’S POV

  My werewolf form enlarged gradually, to the point where Salvatore had to tilt his head back just to meet my gaze. I towered slightly above the trees, looking down at him like he was an insect.

“FOR THE LAST TIME SALVATORE, MOVE!” My voice rang with authority. The transformation had deepened my voice as well, making it sound more commanding.

“I’m sorry prince but that won’t be happening, you might have to kill me first.” He responded.

“Then so be it.” I replied in finality. I made a large slash at him, he tried his best to evade the strike, but it was no use, the attack was to big for him to dodge, and it ended up getting him in the arm. Salvatore hawled in pain, while limping to the side.

“You would have to do more than that.” He replied, as the injury healed up quickly. 

The hound form carried a single flaw, it lacked the normal speed my werewolf body possessed, which made me slower in my attacks but it had ten times the strength. Each attack I delivered sent ripples below. Salvatore had escaped all my attempted attacks, but the impact waves on the ground was inevitable and he couldn’t escape the grunt of it. The earth shook as my feet landed severally on it, in an attempt to crush Salvatore. The shockwave flung him back again each time.

The last strike from my tail flung him back to the nearby trees, breaking them on impact. The shards of rubble and splintered branches pierced him in several places, and he looked to be in critical condition, but his body seemed to still regenerate, although not as quick as before.

“If you get up again, I might be forced to kill you.” I said, my voice tinged with a bit of unwillingness.

“Hahaha, it’s good to know how much you’ve improved, you even managed to unlock your ability.” He said, turning back to his human form.

“Don’t patronize me Salvatore.”

“On the contrary.” He replied. 

He shot to his feet, like a bolt of lightning, climbing all the way to my back.

“Listen boy, I still have way more experience in this than you do.” He said, lifting his storage ring and releasing a staff, which was colored in black and white, it rippled with energy, tipped with double edged knives on both ends. He stabbed me in the back without warning, sliding down while a fierce gash opened across my skin.

“Grrr…oww.” I whimpered in pain, the injury was quite severe and the attack was unexpected. Salvatore was a more seasoned fighter than I thought, he even had in his possession one of the rarest weapons on the planet, a lycan weapon. There were only ten of these legendary weapons on earth scattered throughout the planet.

These weapons have existed throughout time immemorial and always chose their wielder. Only a handful of alphas in the past have had them, but to see Salvatore in possession of one was incredible. This very weapon could enhance the user's strength, speed, and all other physical capabilities beyond their human limit.

“What's wrong Prince? Couldn’t give an old man a run for his money?”

“There you go again, I was just starting to acknowledge you as a worthy opponent, but you’ve ruined the moment.” I said, rushing forward. 

It had been seven hours into the night but the fight didn't seem like it was ending anytime soon. I had already received a lot of cuts on my body from Salvatore, the lycan weapon made him harder to get, he kept evading my strikes but the shockwaves always got him. My hound form was weakening, and soon it would return to its regular size. I could sense it, it was only a matter of time.

He darted forward again after another of my attacks, swiftly slipping beneath me and slicing through my under belly, but that was his mistake, I had already made a calculated move and grabbed him from the other side. I was in a lot of pain, my regeneration was hardly working now, and I had lost a large amount of blood.

Gripping him with my paws I pulled him closer. He made so much effort to let loose, but my strength was too overpowering for him.

He then looked at me, smiled weakly and said, “With fighting like this you’ll do better than most alumni of Sheffield.” Before coughing up blood.

“I wish my dad thought the same, he always expects more…”

“What? Are you crazy? Of course he would expect much more, you’re his son, the prince of Andovia.” Salvatore replied laughing.

“Why keep her confined there?” I said, changing the topic.

“Me? Keep her in there? Hahaha that's impossible?” He replied, laughing harder this time.

I tightened my hold around him, causing him to groan in pain.

“Look son, you don’t want to get involved in this trust me, just head back inside.” He replied.

“I don’t think Alpha Damion will like what happened here with his son, the board might even get involved… Do you understand what I’m saying?” I asked. He looked so unfazed by my threat, as he stared somewhere else.

“I do, I was preparing something.”

“What?”

“That.” He said, pointing to my back.

I realized his lycan weapon wasn’t with him, turning back, I caught sight of the staff coming straight at me, propelled with full force. The weapon pierced directly, through my shoulder, causing me to release my grip on Salvatore. I crashed to the trees like a collapsing building, my werewolf form canceling at once.

I looked up and saw Salvatore limping towards me with a broken right leg and arm, he looked as disheveled as I was.

“Prince of Andovia, the level seven prodigy, you’re a fighter.” He said, with an honest smile on his face.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Do I have to?”

“No, you just have to let me in.”

“Hey lad, what's really your problem? How did you even know her?” He stared at me in confusion.

“I need… to warn her… I have to protect her, let me through!” I yelled, jumping in the air with the last energy in me, I landed a solid punch on Salvatore’s face, he hit the ground bouncing hard. It seemed like he had passed out, so I walked past him sighting Elsa through the entrance.

“You’ve had to suffer a lot Elsa.” I said getting closer.

I felt a sudden pull on my leg. It was Salvatore, he yanked me hard and slammed me to the floor, causing a reverberating sound. At that point my sight became blurry, but I could still make out Salvatore’s shape as his sharp blade hovered over my neck.

“What do you think you’re doing killing your alpha’s son!” I said, realizing what he wanted to do. I was taking hard breaths now while the blade got closer.

“There is only one true alpha.” He replied, then brought the blade down with brutal force.