The Glade part 2

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 way, she noticed the desperation of mothers holding their children in their arms, waiting for their husbands to come to find them, or shouting for their mates, tears threatening to fall every time nobody responded. Their clothes were burned at some part, proof most of them were caught up in the fire in their houses. Yet, nobody tried to stop the flames from destroying their homes or even dared to attempt to save others who were still in the habitations. 

Her skin shuddered at the overpressing heat, which also bothered her sensitive nose. She looked around for Madoxe, but only them coming to realize the stupidity of her actions; she had never met him, nor did she know his face. She decided to search for Milene and roamed around the carbonized houses and the still-burning houses, taking a glimpse inside some of them but never seeing the distinctive hair of the maid. In last desperation, and feeling anxiety kick in caused by the depressive scenery and comprehension she may not save anybody, she run to the tall house, which was crumbling and falling into ruin. She hadn't yet examined it. 

She expected the bodies of burned werewolves that were laying around, and was prepared to see Milene in between these bodies. She even hoped to see her there, so she could get out of this damned glade. But when she saw the Conqueror in a grey suit eyeing Milene who was shackled to a dying man with wide shoulders, she faltered. She felt the mating bond so abruptly it hurt. And fear slowly crept into her, when he turned around to look at her. Incomprehension was displayed in his facial trait. 

"Why are you here? " he asked, his voice laced with venom, warning her to choose her words with prudence. But she felt as though she wouldn't be able to say anything. 

He was the cause of this genocide, without a doubt. He certainly wasn't there to save them and the fear and terror clouding Milene's vision reassured her beliefs. She suddenly understood that Madoxe was the mand chained up to Milene, who surely came before her. She understood why the villager didn't stop the fire, they couldn't. She suddenly understood the pull she had to come here, to witness this atrocity. This was her mate, this was what he did. This misery came from his command, he dictated all of it. She hated that it didn't terrify her that much.

"Master, I'm here for her." She responded. The Conqueror stared at Raïna for a few seconds, before shaking his head in disapproval. "I'm afraid you will go back empty-handed. She is mine. " 

The possessiveness he displayed for Milene shocked her and in a recluse part of her mind, she knew she hated it." She is my prisoner. " He added sometime after. 

" I've been asked to save her," she says, trying to explain her position on the matter. 

"By who? " he inquired, sounding quite displeased. Raïna looked over to the man beside Milene and wondered if the voice she heard matched the face of the man. From the cries heard before, she was certain that he had been beaten up by the Master or one of his underlings. It didn't bother her, what arose her interest was the revenge he had asked her to do.

"I cannot tell you, I am not sure myself. Someone in this pack reached out to me and pleaded so I saved Milene. " She answered honestly. She waited, not sure of what to expect when she heard the click of high heel and turned just in time to see the dagger and dodged it a second too late, leaving a scratch on her cheek. It landed near Stephan who sighed in defeat.

"Come forward. " she ushered to the shadow behind the mountain of corpses. A woman of stunning beauty came out and advanced slowly, bypassed Raïna, and stood before Master. She went down on one knee and crossed her hand on her cleavage while bowing her head. An undying respect from an underling to her master, Raïna thought. Laced with something deeper too, it seems.

"Rise, Minerva. "

She did and immediately took a stance facing Raïna. Raïna find it hard to breathe as she noticed Stephan behind his master and the dozen of werewolves who were glaring at her. No wonder, she hadn't payed respect. But it was too late to do it. It just hadn't occurred to her that she had to do it, since she was his mate. She forgot nobody knew.

"State your name, and rank and accept my challenge. " Minerva prompted. "I shall make you pay for the lack of respect shown to the Master. " 

The Conqueror turned his attention to Milene who had blood gushing out of her mouth trying to talk. 

"Raïna, Captain. I accept the challenge whatever it may be if you free Milene and hand her over to me. " She declared, feeling her knees turn to jelly and her heart pounding. But she didn't let it show. 

Miranda turned to ask permission from her Master who to Raïna's surprise agreed. He was looking at the Captain with suspiciousness and that only angered her. Master didn't look at people, he didn't observe. 

" It will not be a duel, but a contest of claw play. The first to draw blood wins. Should I win, I may do as I please with you. " 

"Fine by me," Raïna answered, washing away the stain on her cheek. She closed her eyes and remember the moon which her wolf originated from. She let her animal instincts take control and felt her claws extend. She opened her eyes to see her opponent ready. She readied herself and let her mind focus on the exposed cleavage, figuring out where she was going to hit. 

She called forward her inner wolf, whom she didn't know the name of, and asked her for guidance. She shut her eyes harder. It would all be over soon. 

She heard steps, only two, and deducted the way her opponent was coming and blocked both her claws, having sensed their position through the movement of the particules in the air. Using the acute hearing and sense of space of her wolf, she escaped attacks, counterattacked, and came close to victory many times. Yet, no matter how much she enhanced her speed she couldn't catch her. 

"Enough." The Master's command was enough to stop Minerva from moving and bring Raïna back to her human senses, making her open her eyes. 

"This game is dragging on. You can take this pathetic replica of a Luna away. " 

"Master-" Minerva began with a soft tone. 

"She accepted the challenge and you didn't win. By the terms agreed upon before, since you haven't won, she is not yours to play with and since she agreed to the challenge, she takes the woman with her." Intervened Stephan. He looked rather pissed.

"You fooled me." She shouted in Raïna's direction. Raïna smiled and walked toward Milene.

"I did. " She wanted to add how the Master had seen it from the beginning but didn't say anything or how everyone noticed and didn't say anything. She had fooled Minerva, but they had agreed to her taking Milene a long time ago. They surely had gotten what they wanted out of her, whatever it may have been. 

Walking past Master, she sensed the apprehension laced with excitement in her belly. She grazed his arm by inadvertence and felt the bond expanding. She barely heard the explosion and wasn't sensing the heat of the flames. Amidst the background sound, she distinctively heard the voice of Master.

" May you be chastised by fate, Mate. "