Loving and Loathing Thy Mate

Chapter 4 Penny's POV

The day of the fight ...

Brendan was gone, his wolf was faster, he was faster. Always had been. I pushed my wolf to speed up. We had shifted, our clothes had shredded as soon as we had taken off running. Before Brandan had disappeared, he had mind linked me and told me to head home to my mum, he had told me to go protect her. But I had known what he was actually meaning. He wanted me to get away from the fight. I had growled back at him, and he hadn't said anything else. He knew better. I wouldn't have run from the fight. It wasn't in my nature.

By the time I had run into where the fight was taking place, it was already a bloodbath. My pack members were laid scattered , in pieces of gauged and covered in blood on the ground. I looked to the side of me and I saw a face of something that didn't belong here. Laid on the floor was a man , dead. His eyes were still open, and were red, and his mouth open where fangs were long and prominent mixed in with his other teeth. A huge gaping bite was taken from the thing's side and bite marks were on its neck.

Vampires. What were vampires doing here ?

Looking around, I saw Brendan fighting one of them, his wolf, span around snapping at the thing as it kept moving rapidly around him. I huffed, Brendan had been taught better. With their speed, they aim to send you dizzy and disorientate you by moving you round in circles. It was one of their tactics.

I heard a growl, a loud one and one I knew. I moved my head and saw my father rush into the fray. At the side of him was my brother's wolf. Where was Mum ? I thought to myself. But I didn't have much more time to think, because of those things came running at me.

I braced my legs and stood my ground. The vampires were strong and aimed for the ribs. They'd crush you without even flinching. This guy already looked like someone had gotten a bite or two out of him though. He lunged at me, and I easily side stepped him and clamped my teeth into his arm. I didn't hold back, I bit down until I heard the bone crunch and ragged my head back and forth until I heard flesh ripping. He let out a piercing scream as I whipped my wolf's head rapidly to one side and disconnected the arm from its body. Throwing it to the side like the worthless piece of meat it was.

The vampire went to its knees, screeching in pain. So I lunged at its back, flattening it to the floor with my paws. It thrashed around wildly, but I had it pinned. I didn't hesitate to finish it off, my teeth pierced its neck and snapped shut, I heard it gurgling and spluttering. This one was done. Pulling back, I looked around. More of ours littered the floor than theirs. I had another one on me though, so I couldn't dwell, I had to fight and kill and help my pack. I had taken another two out and one had managed to get hold of one of my legs and had twisted it an awful way. It killed now, it felt wrong when I put my weight down on it. But I couldn't stop.I couldn't let it defeat me. I was still needed.

A howl of despair pulled me from my thoughts. I looked to see what it was and my mum's wolf was hovering over my brother's naked body. I felt my heart stutter and thud with pain as I didn't see him moving. When had mum gotten here ?

Sprinting over momentarily, my leg forgotten, I got to mum's side as she shifted back to her human form. She crumpled at my brother's side. I felt that pain too. I wanted to crumple. I loved my brother dearly. But now wasn't the time to let yourself be vulnerable. I tried to link her, tried to tell her to shift back. But she wasn't listening. I looked at his lifeless face, his body covered in blood. And felt anger boil up. I turned my back to my mum and brother and went on guard, ready to protect them both. I knew I wasn't really protecting him, I knew deep down he was gone. But I needed to protect my mum while she had her last moments with her son.

I heard her wailing cries, and my heart broke. I felt my emotions bubbling up, but I couldn't let them. I had to squash them down. I spotted the alpha, he was in a fight with a man that was nothing more than a blur as he moved around the alpha. I watched for a second and caught a glimpse of the thing as it lunged on the alpha's back and my heart thudded differently at the sight of the big man as it wrapped his arms around the alpha's neck. Its muscles bulged and flexed as it squeezed the alpha wolf's big neck. And for a moment I was hypnotized by watching him. That was until my dad's wolf launched at the things back, ripping him off of the alpha.

But the thing was quick, and I watched in horror and I moved quickly, landing in a crouched position. It aimed for my dad when it leaped in the air, and then slammed its fist down on my dad's wolves head. It turned away from my father, then seeing he was dazzled, my dad's wolf could hardly stand. It wobbled on its legs like it was drunk. He set eyes again on the alpha. And I howled in warning when another one of those things came up behind dad's Wolf. I forgot what I had been doing and bolted forward. I needed to help dad.

But my body got pushed, and I flew through the air on my way. I skidded a few feet away and looked at the vampire that had done it. A female , her teeth bared as she hissed at me. I heard loud cracking of bones and a howl of pain. My eyes flicked and dad's lifeless wolf's body dropped on the floor. I whimpered, my wolf felt the loss.

Mum's scream of pain got my attention, and she laid on the floor gripping her chest. The mate bond snapping, I thought with anguish. I went to run to her , but the female vampire stood in my way. " Ah ah ah mutt , I will kill her after I have killed you " it taunted. I shifted , anger laced my veins and I wanted to take this b*tch into my human form. So she could see who killed her. So I could speak back.

She watched in amused fascination as I shifted back. And when I stood on my two legs again, she raised an eyebrow. " You won't touch her " I growled and she laughed. " If you haven't noticed, mutt, your pack is all but done. If I don't get to her, my coven will. Let me guess that is the mummy. That was brother and the wolf you were just trying to save. Was that daddy ? " She laughed.

I narrowed my eyes at her and snarled. " Shut the f*ck up bloodsucker and fight me already " I told her and she shrugged.

She came at me, eyes flashing red. I was a good fighter. I was more confident fighting as a human than I was my wolf in all honesty. But she was fast, faster than anyone I have ever fought. All around me there were howls of pain and I felt each member of the pack dieting through our links. But I was trying my best to concentrate on the fight, I got a few good hits in. But she was besting me and I knew it. I even think she was toying with me some of the time. But I had determination and I wasn't giving up.

I managed to get hold of her around the neck. I gripped her tightly, so I threw my fist at her face three times and grinned when I saw blood on her lips. I threw her to the floor and was about to throw myself on top of her and pin her while I beat her to a pulp. But she moved fast, and before I knew it she kicked me in the back, sending me flying to the floor. I was panting, exhausted, broken and hurt. My body was singing with pain from multiple areas. I tried to push my body up, to get up. But my arms failed. I moved my head and looked to the side and saw my mum was lying lifeless at the side of my brother now. They were all dead, my family was dead. I feel the determination has started to drain from my body. Until I heard Brendan call my name.

I turned my head the other way, and he was kneeling at the feet of one of them, along with the alpha and a few others. He looked on horrified . " Get up "he mouthed. I looked around, and the fight was pretty much done, they had them all at their mercy. Who was left anyway. The alpha watched on too. He looked like he was about to lose his fight with life though. He was slumped, and his body looked a mess. And all those things had stopped to watch me and this female fight. I felt my hair being gripped, and she dragged me up on to my knees. " I bet you'll taste good, you smell sweet " she whispered, and I felt her breath on my neck. This was it.

" Jania, not that one " a voice snapped, and that voice made something spark in me. I looked up and saw the man I had been watching walking towards me. The moment my eyes connected with his I gasped, my heart thudded hard, and I felt distraught as realization set in. No, no, I chanted in my head. But as soon as I caught his scent, I couldn't deny it. He glared down at me with disgust, stepping forward, he sniffed at me, then looked back directly at Brendan. When he looked at me again, I saw an emotion that disgusted me on his face, jealousy. " Take this one back to the cells. The rest that are still alive you know what to do with them" he snapped, and walked off.

Kill them he means kill them, I looked at Brendan with despair. He was struggling against the vampire that had hold of him. Tears stained down his cheeks as he fought to get to me. " You must have impressed him enough. He wishes to break you himself, unlucky " the fame sneered and pulled me to my feet. I was glad when she marched me away before they started killing the rest. I don't think I could have watched Brendan be killed as well.