The Girl in the Ashes

Lightning's POV

"The lycanthropes are taking over!” A paranoid werewolf screamed before a gunshot split through his skull. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

My pack warriors surged forward like into the territory, tearing into everything that dared move. Screams filled the night, mixed with the thunder of gunfire, steel clashing, and the wet rip of flesh. The chaos was a symphony, and I reveled in it. The wailing, the begging, the desperate cries for mercy—they were my orchestra, and I their conductor.

This was why I was dubbed ‘Chaos’.

I swept through the raging battlefield like a tsunami, bodies scattering wherever I struck. I, for a fact did not need a sword. My hands were weapons carved by nature and sharpened by blood. The perks of being a tribrid had never failed me. Each strike was precise, each kill a masterpiece of carnage.

I felt alive in this mayhem. I conquered packs for fun, for the thrill of it. There was an indescribable joy I derived from watching life drain out of my adversary—or prey.

To me, it was art. Every scream was a brushstroke, every corpse a signature.

Adrenaline and bloodlust shot through my veins. I tore through warriors, ripping out hearts with bare hands, their eyes still wide in horror as life drained away. A sardonic smile spread across my face.

“He’s not a wolf! He’s Chaos itself!” One of the Trinity warriors screamed before I tore his throat open. The word rang through the battlefield, carried by their fear. Chaos. They shouted it again and again, naming the storm that devoured them whole.

And I welcomed it. Because that was exactly what I was. Chaos.

Did I mention I love the smell of blood and death? It was thick and intoxicating, mixing with the smoke of burning houses and the stench of gunpowder. It was the scent of victory.

The Trinity Pack fell quickly, their resistance laughable under my might and my warriors’ ferocity. No one could escape my wrath. My warriors chased  with delighted snarls, the thrill of the hunt burning bright in their eyes.

“Cowards,” Blaze, my wolf growled with disgust. “Tear out their spines. Drag their women by the hair. Make them wish they were never born.” He was ferocious.

We conquered them. My warriors dragged the survivors into the open. The women mostly, screaming, crying, scrambling to clutch their torn dresses or bare skin. The battlefield stilled except for their whimpers and the crackling of fire devouring the remnants of their homes.

After each war comes the exciting part. The thrill of fucking every whore amidst corpses and the smell of blood hanging in the air.

“Alpha, what should we do with the rest of the women?” Zane, my beta, asked.

“You know what to do.”

The words were law. The women’s prowess would be tested. Anyone who could not satisfy me or any of my men would immediately be executed. The rest who performed well would be taken back to the pack as slaves.

Zane nodded and walked away.

The thrill began. The women ran, my warriors in hot pursuit, eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. The rush of chasing prey was more fulfilling than the capture.

Ronan, my delta, dragged a woman before me and shoved her to the ground. “She’s the alpha’s sister,” he said with a smirk.

She was naked, trembling, her skin streaked with dirt and bruises. I could smell Ronan on her already.

“How well did she perform?” I asked.

He grinned wide. “She’s a slut. She’ll please you, Alpha.”

I grabbed her hair and forced her to look at me. Her eyes were wide, brimming with terror.

“Please, don’t kill me. I’ll do anything you want,” she begged.

My eyes went cold. “Can you shoot yourself in the head for me?”

She gasped, horror etched across her face.

“Answer, or Ronan does it.”

At once, Ronan pressed a gun to the back of her head. She shook violently.

“N-no, I—I can’t, but—”

I struck her across the face. She crashed to the ground, whimpering.

“But what?”

“I—I can fuck you well,” she stammered, breathless.

“Then let’s test it.” I unbuckled my belt. “On your knees.”

Ronan hauled her up. She dropped down again, trembling, and tried to touch me.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” Ronan warned.

He was right. I despised being touched. One wrong move and I would have killed her. I unzipped my trousers and my cock sprang out. Ronan held her hands behind her back and she sucked me off.

“Not bad,” Blaze chuckled darkly .

“She’ll do for tonight?” I asked.

“We’ll see.”

Then she gagged, choking. Disgust flared. I shoved her head back, pulled away, and zipped my trousers.

“Choking on my cock means you can’t handle it,” I sneered, my fangs lengthening as my vampire side surfaced.

She froze, crying harder now, as if she knew what was coming.

“Please,” she whimpered.

“End her,” Blaze urged. “Don’t waste another breath on her pitiful begging.”

I smirked. “Take Ronan’s gun and shoot yourself in the head.” I compelled her.

She obeyed without hesitation, lifted the gun, and pulled the trigger. Her body hit the ground with a dull thud, blood pooling beneath her.

“Do you smell that?” Blaze’s voice was thick with excitement.

“I do,” I murmured, savoring it. My wolf and I—always united in our hunger.

Ronan stared at her corpse, something flickering in his eyes. Perhaps he had liked her.

“You’ll find another slut,” I said flatly.

He shrugged. “She was a crazy bitch anyway.”

I turned away and raised my voice so all could hear. “Search the pack one more time. Not a single man should be left breathing, not a single woman left untaken.”

The warriors obeyed, combing through the ruins. They returned empty-handed.

“Let the warriors start leaving with the spoils,” I ordered.

Ronan relayed my command, and the pack began to move out.

I was about to ask where Zane was when a voice cut through the night.

“Let go of me, you barbarians!”

I turned sharply. Zane and two others, Theo and Nate, dragged a girl toward me. She fought like fire, ginger curls wild, teeth bared. She sank them into Theo’s arm, and he hissed, smacking her across the face.

A growl tore from my throat, my fists clenching. 

Blaze howled inside me. “Yes! Kill him for daring to touch her without permission!”

They forced her to her knees before me.

“Alpha, we found this bitch…” Theo began, but his words died as I grabbed him and hurled him into the ruins.

The warriors froze, shock rippling through them. What the fuck was that? Why had I acted on impulse?

“We may be cruel, but we do not hit women,” I snapped.

Normally I didn’t care. Normally I would’ve just barked a warning. But now? Now I had struck my own warrior for laying a hand on her. Why?

“Speak, Zane,” I commanded, forcing myself back into control.

“We found her hiding in a drainage,” he replied.

“Anyone else?”

“Just her.”

“Look at me,” I ordered.

Slowly, she raised her head. Whatever courage she had moments ago dissolved the instant our eyes locked. Fear carved itself across her features. I smelled her blood from her split lip. She quickly looked down. I perceived she must have heard of me.

“What do you think of her?” I asked Blaze.

Silence was all I got. Which was unusual. My wolf always had something to say, especially about prey.

“Who is she?”

“An Omega,” Zane answered.

Disgust burned through me. Omegas were weak. Worthless.

“Should we test her prowess?” Zane asked carefully.

I studied her—the firecracker still on her knees, trembling but unbroken. Something about her unsettled me.

“Round her up with the rest of the slaves,” I said finally. “Her fate will be decided at the pack house.”

And without another glance, I turned and walked away.