The sun was falling to the west, signaling the debut of her mission. She wiped the sweat glittering on her forehead with the back of her hand. It was a hot evening in August. And so, she started lollygagging.
A few poorly maintained cars were parked to her right, under the flickering light of the street lamp, some broken and others out of use. From the corner of her eyes, she could see, hovering from his height some fiend racketeering a young wisp of a boy. On the other side, she saw a high man selling a little bag full of white powder. She saw the girl handing him a bundle of cash.
The parking lines were beginning to erase themselves causing the cars to be arranged in a sickening way.
But what caught the most attention was the convenience store. It was at the end of the parking lot. The wall wasn't full of gang graffiti, nor was it falling apart. In this shitty neighborhood, it was the only standing building in good shape, which was unnatural.
She took the red envelop she was holding and read the message in it again.
« 81 blocks, dismantle the weapon traffic, and bring back the stolen papers »
She sighed at the minimum information the sheet of paper gave before folding it and dumping it inside a trash can. Changing her trajectory, she was now headed for the store. Soon enough, for sure, she felt stares. Lurking behind the shadows were pairs of eyes watching and analyzing her every movement. A shimmer left her.
Arriving in front of the shop, she pushed the glass door and heard the acute voice of the bell, fixed on top of it. She began wandering around the stacked shelf. They were filled to the brim with household goodies and groceries such as junk food. She went to the candy section and picked a few different items, not really caring about the brand.
She walked to the cash counter and let the candies fall on the counter before smiling at the cashier. She began scanning each packet while Raïna let her eyes roam. On her right wrist, she saw a gold watch. Her fingers were decorated with rings, each mounted by a gem. Things you couldn't buy with the salary of a cashier.
"I like your jewelry " Raïna blurted out. The blond girl shutter a bit before scanning the last packet of candy. She forced a smile and answer a simple thank you before tapping random buttons and announcing :
"The total is 18.99$. How are gonna pa- " She was stopped in the middle by Raïna yanking her close and whispering in her ear.
" How did you make so much money? "
"I-I don't know what you are talking about... " she quivered. Raïna's smile slowly faded which caused the girl to start trembling.
The blond swallowed hard before pointing to the back store, her finger shaking. Raïna looked in the direction and let go of the girl before heading towards it.
Inside the darkroom, only the screen of an old computer gave a slightly wavering source of light. Dozens of piles were scattered on the marvel ground flour, each of them stacked with documents of every genre. But neither of that interested Raïna, She headed straight for the dark safe on the other side of the room, all the way behind. She took care not to touch anything before arriving in front of the strongbox.
Of course, there was a lock and she didn't have any clue what the code was. She had a simpler way to open it. She took a deep breath and engulfed as much air as possible before releasing everything in a grunt. She let the stingy sensation of her canines coming out envelop her. Spreading her natural nails were claws growing at an alarming speed before they reached the desired length. Her brown eyes had turned a dark shade of blue, shining like a clear sky full of stars.
The familiar feeling of power surging in every cell of her body flowed right in. In a matter of seconds, she had landed a swift blow to the safe with her sharp claws and had burst it open. She retracted them before taking the golden file in her hand to keep them intact. She threw her head back and close her eyes. Just after, she was back to looking like a normal human being.
This time, walking back, she pushed down every pile of papers and closed the door behind her. She had now a satisfactory smirk curving the sides of her lips. The blond was still behind the counter, too scared to dare move.
"Thanks for your help, really appreciated it. " Before heading out she came to the counter and took a packet of candy. " For the road. "
As she opened the door, she again heard the bell clanging. She only had put one foot outside when she heard steps coming toward her. She opened the candy bag and started eating, waiting for what was to come.
5 minutes after, she had twenty men in front of her. One stepped in front of the group and started speaking to her :
"Wanna do this the hard way or the easy way ? " he said while the others growled behind trying to intimidate her. "Come on, you don't want to die like this, do you?"
Raïna burst out laughing until it hurt. " Bring it on. " She responded, taking an offensive stance.
His smile dropped and his eyes turned a yellowish-brown before he shot himself forward with his claws heading for Raïna's neck. She dodged and used that fraction of a second to transform herself completely into a werewolf. Unlike her half transformation earlier, this time she went for the animalistic one.
The sensation of her bone-breaking, her muscles burning, and her skin itching flowed right back. Her ability to stand up straight on two feet slowly dissipated and she ended up on all four. Her eyes turned that beautiful blue and her nose became a muzzle, causing her smell to become more accurate. Grey fur came growing out everywhere on her body and she lets slip a dark, gravelly growl that cut through the night.
The men all changed, becoming a wolf pack. From yellow to brown, they all had the regular-colored eyes of a general wolf and were normal. Facing Raïna's wolf they seemed like little cubs against the majesty of her mythic wolf.
The two parties collided. A mixture of blood, of pain and sweat, hysteria and cries, dolor and frustration unraveled in front of the homeless, begging for money across the street. People in their fancy cars would be shocked at the brutal assault of wolves battling for their lives. Using their canines and claws, their weight and growls to survive.
Corpses were multiplying, until only a blue eye and a brown eye wolf were standing. The little wolf was panting and struggling to catch his breath as it was evading each of the attacks of the bigger wolf. Covered in scratches, bruises, and blood from his fellow, his movements were becoming slower until he fell in a loud noise, tripping on the corpse of his fellow.
The grey monster walked solemnly to him and stood on his two feet. A heartbeat later, a naked woman was hovering over the now wasted man. She had brown eyes, black hair with a grey lock of hair, and clear olive skin. In her mouth was a gold document and in her hands was a candy wrap.
Guys ogled her body before it disappeared on the horizon.
She tossed and turned and moved and stilled until her sheets were off and her mind was creeping with activity. When sleep overflew her, an hour after she laid on an uncomfortable, rock-hard bed, it wasn't deep. It was hollowed, like in a haze. She never dreamed, all she ever saw was a pitch-black hole. It kept growing and growing. Meanwhile, her body would convulse and spasms would shake her to the core. It would start with her head curving left and right and continue with her hands twisting into painful positions. It would reach her feet which would throb harder and faster in a sickening fashion until she fell on the bed. The shock would wake her up, and today was no different. For a minute, she wouldn't be able to apply strength to her muscles. Slowly, her sensations would come back and when she could finally rise, it was the end of the nightmare. She checked the clock, with its taller needle pointing at the 4. Sighing in the air, she gave up on sleep and went to her kitchen. Ru
The two persons in front of her received their marks and when it came to her turn, the scent filled her nose. She felt shivers run down her spine. She moved to stand in front of Master. Leader of the Conquerors, Master was an enigma. His name was hidden and he didn't often make an act of presence. Except for today. When he looked down at her, he saw brown pupils staring back at him. They were shining in the dim light of the podium, glowing in the dark. He drove in them, searching for darkness. That's when he saw red and blood. Trauma. She, on the other hand, scanned him. First, his dark unruly hair, then his pitch-black eyes, and his brown glass skin. He had the feel of a wise man with a hint of danger. His body shouted to stay away, but it was also magnetic, pulling her in. Immaculate. It was like a starring contest, neither moving. Until she parted her mouth, wanting to say something. That's when he blinked and grabbed her by the waist. The next word that would leave her mouth,
Raïna walked away, blabbering about how happy she was to have been promoted before she let the silence fill in. She was staring at the red envelope in her hands with a gentle smile as she swung it left and right. It had his sent on it. " Girls? " She suddenly interpellated them. They both turned their heads around and waited. " What do you think it feels like to see your mate for the first time? " "Seriously, we were just off the topic and you brought it back. " Amy sneered, rolling her eyes. Leneay's eyes sparkled at the question. "It must be the most beautiful thing in history. It's meeting your one and only, your forever. It must be magical, like in a fairy tale. Your eyes caught him, your body feeling the desire, ooooh no, I know the best moment, It'd be when you understand it's him. Just imagine the relief of not having to search anymore. I'm sure it's how mentioned in the books, the best moment of your life. " Raïna cringed at how lovey-dovey it all seemed, but she understood
His legs were beginning to hurt from standing up for so long, waiting for the childish man to return. He could only wonder what was happening downstairs to those poor enslaved people, and other unlucky others he forgot the identities of. Grazing his foot on the floor repeatedly to put his stress somewhere, he turned his head toward the large, bloody red clock stuck on the wall higher than it should. Almost three hours since Akyl had gone out. "10 more minutes." He stared at the arrows with a pounding heart and when the little one reached the 9, he was out. "What's the fuss about? " Raïna asked hurriedly with dark circles under her eyes and a cup of black coffee in her left hand walking hesitantly into the room. She got a friendly smile from Leneay who began worrying about her health meanwhile Amy walked away. "Nobody knows, not even me, which is surprising. Even Edward couldn't tell us, but I think it got something to do with the Master's presence here and for the sake of Jesus, let
He was staring at a blank spot in his office. Maybe he was watching a story unfold on this blank spot, that's how captivated he was. Stephen often wondered why this particular spot and wanted to ask. He had once. And it ended up a bloody mess. So he won't. Akyl's eyes flickered to Stephen. " What's the planning for today? " Stephen raised his glasses and opened the white iPad. "Ah! An auction is planned at 9 in the afternoon and yes, you have to make an act of presence. " He said, cutting his hopes. " You don't have anything else planned for the day, weirdly enough. " Akyl slammed his hands on the table and stretched his neck. " I want to meet with Alpha Mezdoxa of Blue Night's pack and his beta." He stopped on his track. " Ask if their Luna can be there too. The sooner the better. " Stephen marked it down and went to call the pack while mumbling. " Dump people." Akyl didn't follow through with the conversation Stephen had on the phone even if his acute hearing caught glimpses of
She was dressed in an elegant bow of brinish shade, transparent of sorts enabling others to see her undercover. Her cleavage was teased in the V-neck while her blond meche fell in the meantime as the tears of happiness flowed on her rosy cheek. A ray of sunshine made her skin glow. "Welcome back, Minerva. " A warm smile spread her lips as she got further down on her knees, bowing as low as she could. "Pleased to be of service. " Stephen was flabergasted. Her steps were feather-like, silent as the night sky. The door was still locked and the window hadn't been opened—a genius between geniuses. There was a dangerous aroma in the air of hurt and pain. Stephen trailed the scent to encounter blood. It was sprinkled in discontinued stains on her hands and on the floor. Stephen favored sweet-scented blood, girls. "Do you need me to free you, master, since an incompetent fellow couldn't protect you? " She asks, shouting daggers at
She stared astonished as Messe was twirling on the platform. Kyle was in a defensive position, arms in front to protect his head, and was taking slow, cautious steps away from her. Messe's style of fighting surely had to do with her unknown background. She was very volatile and seemed to be dancing instead of fighting, as gracious as a ballerina, giving off the pretense of being weak and naive. Kyal wasn’t fooled. He knew that the control she had came from excessive training and that there was strength concealed behind. Raïna watched the match unfold as Messe voraciously attacked and Kyal barely blocked her consecutive punches and kicks coming from various directions. Soon, Kyal was on the floor and Messe was helping him stand up. They both came to her and slightly bent down, acknowledging her position. She waved them out to the next training ground which had been made into another examination place. She had been assigned to te
She slowed down when she oversaw the glade in view in less than a few kilometers. Her air caught in her lungs rushed down rapidly and she eventually felt soreness in her limbs for having run at such a fast pace during prolongated laps of time. She walked lazily until the shuddering cry of Madoxe replayed in her ears and she compelled her legs to walk faster. She had been so focused on advancing that she only noticed the flames when she stood in front of the glade, which wasn't the nature park with hundreds of different flowers and bright colors it used to be. It seemed like a village. No, she instantly corrected herself after viewing the taller house standing in front of the smaller ones, it's a pack. Or she thought, considering that the fire was engulfing every habitation and proliferating with no blue-eyed or green-eyed wolf to stop it. Instead, she eyesight the red-eyed wolf who undoubtedly started this horrible carnage.Walking down the sole street-like