Lycan's Fiery Mate

|| Chapter 3 ||

The familiar burn is still lingering on my skin, even though I do not halt for a moment to catch my breath after flying for hours.

The dark cloud beneath my feathers tells me I should stop somewhere--- else my clothes in the duffle will be soaked in the pouring rain, which I have to avoid no matter how much I wish to fly in the storm and let the wind lift me even higher.

Just when I decide to land somewhere safe, I can't help but quickly hide behind the cloud seeing the war going on on the land between two species. And it leaves me speechless when I move down and take a closer look at who they are, and instantly my eyes widen to find arrows and guns in one party's hands, and now sure they have to be the one I offended once for a reason.

The Dark Hunters---the second most deadly species I dread after the Starcrest Hollows', the last Lycan, and the wizards/witches there who everyone in my coven calls the sociopaths. I know I shouldn't have provoked them or flown on their territory, but I have my reasons. Kikira and Sidwaz will be pissed if they hear the stunt I pulled, and then again, I am sure they will understand my side.

Luciana was a very shallow woman. I don't remember if she ever cared about the future of youth in her coven but being the ambitious and strategic woman she is, she makes sure to do everything that brings her credit and secures her position as the only priestess in the Lunar Coven. With a powerful backup like monarch Quentin on her side, she went to lengths to kill the competition of dark arts and magic, which enraged the rulers of the Starcrest Hollows for trying to set them up so strategically that they couldn't prove their innocence of not being responsible for the death of the youth of the other coven in their dark art academy.

I don't know what happened next as I was already gone, taking advantage of the situation with Luciana outside attending trials.

There were good chances for them to ruin the reputation of the Hollows and bring them down by pulling their history of aggressiveness and vicious nature that the Lycan king allows being the sociopath he is. Even I remember a few members of our coven protested to Luciana and told her that there would be consequences which, of course, she didn't listen then.

A few months ago, I heard from one of my coven members that Luciana had managed to convince the council to close that academy, which again reopened five years or six ago, but stopped allowing candidates whose parents have a direct or indirect connection with the Starcrest Kingdom and the Lunar Coven, that leaves only the Basville Kingdom, the Empire of the Dark Hunters, and many other covens and packs which have nothing to do with the Starcrest and Lunar_court. I need to change this; determined will be the right word, and Nathaniel also wants the same---won't mind pairing with me but know better I do things my way.

Knowing better than poking my nose into people's business, I fly away and wait for the night to pass, so I can find land and rest for a while. Besides, I left for my venture in the North. There is no way I will waste my time in the North-West, the territory I don't wish to own, to expand the property of my coven, which I have yet to get from the monarch, Quentin, as the papers are still with him.

I don't know what about me makes Kikira pissed so much that the lady had to bring up my s*x life before Sidwaz when we were never the ones who talked about the kind of thing like other girls do and chatted as though they were discussing the weather telecast or the current market economy in their country. Could it be that she is on her period today? Lord, I don't even know her date, but she does know how many men I have fooled around and left before they could have the chance to lock their lips on mine.

One of the reasons I am hell-bent on avoiding the commander of the Dark Hunters---is the arrogant brute I tamed fell hard for me.

The hell would I want a man in my life whose clan shows affection with fists and cruel words!

I would marry the sociopath Lycan King if I ever had to, never a man like Commander Reynard, who was a version of Blake. . .the sole reason to break Reynard is to make him realize that he can't always have what he wants, and I f****d him up.

Hours later, the moment the sky gets clear and the ray of light glimmers as it goes down to touch the earth, cutting the cloud like a rope, I let my wings push my weight down and breathe in relief, not catching sight of anyone around the beautiful valley below me.

After miles of venturing into the sky and then circling in one spot all night long, not having that much energy left in me, I can't help but drool at the sight of the clean water flowing in the lake beside the valley.

So, without wasting a second, I dive into the lake in my bird form after throwing my duffel on the ground.

Quickly, I take a shower before moving to the shore, naked. Then I grab a towel out of my duffle and wear my clothes with my eyes taking the entire place cautiously, even though I know there isn't anyone here to see me or even dare to come and attack me, as I, myself, a trap that no one wants to step on even in their imagination, still to be sure, I check the place and pick some fruits with a few leaves of a specific tree I can't remember the name of that Kikira once showed me in her books, calling it a rare one, has the unique power of curing wounds faster and even good if one swallows one leaves with water without chewing, helps in blood circulation; can also be called a painkiller that I desperately need right now as my arms, legs, and head are hurting like hell.

And this reminds me to send her a text to stop her from sending Raven and that I can't fly back home right now as I am feeling tired as hell right now. I can't help but call myself lucky to find my cell still has a dot left before it goes completely. . .dead.

Soon as I turn to leave to look for a place to stay for a night, the dark clouds again start to gather in the sky.

The air around me suddenly turns gloomy, and then it starts raining heavily with thunder that shakes the ground under me literally, making me shift again and fly with my duffel on my toes---towards the building in my sight at a fair distance from the valley.

And the moment I reach the building, I check it twice to make sure there isn't anyone inside and fly over the tower over the building to cast a spell to hide it from everyone's eyesight, as I have no intention of entertaining anyone in putting my life at risk.

The building looks rusty and very abandoned from the outside. With the broken windows and doors, one might choose to find shelter in the village nearby rather than risk their life by staying inside this building, fearing it may collapse on them.

It will be wrong to call it a factory as it looks more like a warehouse. The condition inside doesn't look bad to me when I step in. Even the smell around me says it isn't long before a group chooses this place to stay for a few days, and I hope they are humans, not supernatural species. Before settling in a clean room near the main door, I quickly check the building with my sword in my hand, and then I go downstairs to pick up Kikira's call that effortlessly breaks the silence of this warehouse. And then the screen goes black and turns off before I get a chance to pick it up. Oh, great! Now she will be hell pissed. . .will not leave me for sure.

The evening passes by just like that, with me resting on my mattress, sipping the herbal water with a few leaves of that tree, warm water, and a small amount of wine in my flux. It is refreshing, and the bit of salt I mix on it makes it one exquisite juice.

The pouring rain outside turns worse as time passes at a snail's pace, and my boredom starts to kill me by having nothing to do but sleep, eat, drink, check the windows, and nothing else. Upon deciding to take my stroll, I take a candle in one hand and a burning sword in another before returning to my room to make my dinner with the loofah, some snacks, and fruits in my bag.

Suddenly, the window flies open, and I quickly get there to close the shutters tight, but the scene outside turns my blood cold.

The vampires are moving closer. I am surprised to see them fighting against the dark hunters instead of scurrying away through the heavy rain and lightning outside. They are at a fair distance, though, still not enough to put my mind at ease. The building could be one of their base camps. Who knows? I take a closer look to check the barrier fast before casting yet another strong protection spell this time, and I see a hunched figure desperately trying to step in, but the transparent fence throws that man away, not letting him in.

He looks at his worse, but I do not find pity for him in me or even have the urge to run outside to save him. God knows what shapeshifter he is, so I only watch him and do nothing. Closing the window over my shoulder, I look at the room with the door locked and three candles in the corners before turning my attention back to the view outside, peering through the cut of the window.

My breath gets stuck in my chest when my gaze falls on him.

I don't know what it is, but I feel like his eyes are always on my face, watching me, which no one can do; at least not an outsider, unless he has some extraordinary ability, and for that, he needs to have years of experience, and he doesn't look that rich enough to make it possible which even the mage sisters in Peru can't do. The protection spell looks good to me, so naturally, it picks my curiosity, and I became even more eager to see what he does next with the vampires moving closer to him from behind.

Turning around, I leave the room and go outside with my sword and knife in my hands, burning fiercely red.

It isn't the anticipation that brings me outside the building to see how that man saves his life from the vampires, but my decision to cast a new protection spell over the old one. I watch as he fights, slashing the face and neck with his knife with his good hand as the other looks wounded. And that can't kill the vampires but is enough to scare them for a moment before they march on him again.

My legs move on their own, and I begin chanting some spells to break a part of the barrier.

If I let him in, he can kill me to live. He can be an assassin, too, but I can't let him die when he is injured yet struggling to survive instead of giving up his life. Maybe he has someone waiting at home. He could be the father of someone of the old me who only had her father as her guardian, whom she is still desperately looking for. . .who know? I didn't spare Merci for many reasons, but tonight, not a single cause can stop me from saving this stranger from the vampires for the sake of his children. . .or little siblings.

Before the vampires get a hold of him, I quickly hold that hunch by his cloak with his back facing me, drag him, and throw him behind. I hear a loud thud behind me, but I do not mind him hissing in pain loudly. I start closing the barrier, the main issue.

To prevent the vampires from coming inside. The beads of sweat begin to form on my forehead, and under the pouring rain, I watch in horror that it is no longer the five the hunch was fighting against but fifty to seventy more who are running in my way to come inside. And I don't let that happen. . .not when it's only me here with the hunch guy barely watching me waving my hands with my glowing sword and emerald knife muttering incoherent words, doing something crazy like closing the imaginary door, which may not be making any sense to him if he is one surviving human in this land who doesn't know anything about supernaturals.

"D- - -do it." His voice weavers and he is coughing hard. "W-watch above, l-lady. One is sliding down o-over. . ."

I can not hear him clearly but focus more on closing the hole one can smoothly enter, and just when I think I can get away with it, my heart jumps in my throat soon as a vampire sticks his head inside and attempts to come in. Trying harder, I try to push it out without stopping muttering the spell because if I stop, the barrier may start to crack, and the hunch and I will die here pitifully.

Then something unexpected happens.

The blade that hunch used now flies past me over my shoulder and is stuck into the vampire's eyes. I should be hooting all over now and gushing over the man for using his head, but I can't give him that praise. It makes me cringe, yet I waste no time pushing it away before closing the old barrier and then the new one, stumbling back only to fall on the mud and logged water on the lawn.

"Oh, f**k!" I curse loudly, looking at the sticky muddied moss in my hand and clothes. "I don't even have an extra pair with me!"

I tense up at the thought of another bath in the cold, forgetting the hunch beside me, who suddenly growls at me, "To hell with you, lady!"

My gaze snaps at him, and I choke in my saliva soon as my eyes see that familiar golden glow like. . .him.