The forbidden mate bond

2 - The Convoy

The first rule ingrained in me as the Alpha's hire was to demonstrate unwavering commitment on the battlefield, no matter the challenges we faced. Likewise, the core principle of being a wolf was to never leave a fellow pack member behind, especially when they find themselves in the clutches of these nefarious creatures of shadow. And in the pact of friendship, the first rule was to stand shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight side by side, regardless of the outcome.

As I surveyed the scene, my eyes landed upon Octavia and Rowen, now vulnerable in their human forms, sprawled unconscious on the ground, at the feet of one of the bloodsuckers. The surge of my wolf's instincts took control, propelling me into action. Without hesitation, I leaped into the air, swiftly descending upon the unsuspecting figure—a mature bald man, his presence an intriguing combination of strength and vulnerability.

If words were at my disposal at that moment, I would have cheekily recommended him to Sara's wig shop on fifteenth street. But there was no time for banter. In a blur of motion, we wrestled fiercely, his resistance futile against the primal force of my wolf. My wolf's fangs and claws tore through his flesh and sinew, rending his arms asunder before flinging them aside, casting them like discarded playthings.

A brief pause ensued, allowing me to reflect. You see, my wolf possessed great strength, but she was not a remorseless killer. The only instances where we had taken a life were to awaken and unleash her full potential following the evening of my first transformation. Even then, the victims were condemned by the court, their fate sealed. However, in this instance, these bloodsuckers had forced our hands.

At first, the others watched with an unsettling amusement, but as the realization of their comrade's defeat set in, they readied themselves to advance upon me. Another figure stepped forward, an older man whose age hinted at the possibility of having a daughter my own age. But mercy was not in his repertoire. With a gruesome display, my wolf plunged her fangs deep into his torso, extracting his bloody lungs and leaving him gasping for air. A pitiful sight next to the first victim who still clung to life—a sight that elicited an involuntary shudder.

I found myself encircled by the bloodsuckers, their predatory instincts triggered by my audacious defiance. Yet, I refused to feel trapped. My wolf and I stood poised and prepared to confront them all. My sole objective was to shield Octavia and Rowen from the horrors these monsters could inflict upon them. The tales I had once been intimidated by now paled in comparison to the reality before me—mere skins I could tear and meat that I do not feast on.

A third adversary emerged, a woman, and was swiftly followed by another. My wolf growled, her ferocious warning reverberating through the air as the terrified two-legged creatures closed in around us. The blood of the victims I had dispatched stained my wolf's snarling muzzle, a grim testament to the price we were willing to pay. I issued a challenge to the encroaching adversaries, my fierce gaze daring them to come forth for the next confrontation. However, before I could act, a searing pain erupted in my back—a piercing sensation that I couldn't reach or quell in my wolf form.

I didn't have to guess; I knew with a sinking certainty that it was silver, the bane of our existence, embedded within me.

Oops, that's unfortunate.

As my wolf's form collapsed, I felt the jarring impact as my body hit the ground. Gradually, I shifted back to my human form, huddled in a naked heap, my senses still reeling from the pain coursing through my veins, the transformation leaving me vulnerable under the ethereal glow of the moon.

Before me, an alabaster-skinned young man with eyes of deep crimson crouched down, his fingers plunging into the soil as he regarded me with intense curiosity. It was as if he saw me as a rare artifact freshly shoveled from a hidden cave. Despite the agony surging within me, I mustered a cheeky smirk. Surrender was not a concept I entertained. I was the daughter of the strongest Luna and the high-ranked Alpha—I had been taught never to yield, especially within the confines of my territory.

"Well, you're not too shabby for ancient history. I'll give you credit for the spike, though. You thought smart, trying to contain what I can do. But trust me, I could have wiped you all out," I taunted, my voice laced with a mixture of defiance and amusement.

He maintained his composed expression, his fingers gliding through my healthy, flowing locks, his lips curling into a knowing smile. His actions betrayed a sense of fascination rather than aggression.

"Do you steal knowledge from humans when you extinguish their lives and feed on their blood?" I pondered silently, the memory of what they had done to my biological father lingering in the depths of my thoughts. But I kept those words unspoken.

As my gaze briefly flickered towards my motionless friends, I noticed someone approaching, offering a silver object to the young bloodsucker. They retreated, leaving the man squatting in front of me to hold up the silver, perhaps attempting to intimidate me. Yet, at that moment, I was beyond concerned about such threats. He could weaken me, torment me, and even end my life, but he would never elicit a satisfying reaction from me.

He seemed disinterested in interrogation, implying that he didn't require any information from me. Instead, his sole focus was inflicting pain upon others. With precision, he punctured just above my chest, and a searing agony consumed me, tears streaming down my face as I fought to suppress my cries.

His piercing gaze scrutinized me thoroughly as I gritted my teeth, determined not to show weakness. "Another," he calmly requested, his voice taking on a falsely gentle tone that echoed in my ears. Holding out his hand, he never wavered in his prying gaze.

Without mercy, he struck a third silver object onto the other side of my chest. The excruciating pain coursed through me, causing my body to convulse and roll over, disregarding any concern for my nudity. I refused to succumb to tears.

"Are you trying to be Morbius? Or perhaps Klaus Mikaelson?" I managed to muster a mocking laughter, though it was tinged with strain. It seemed as though he was playing a character from a television series, convinced he could eradicate the entire werewolf breed.

A tight-lipped smile formed on his face, his composure unyielding. "Again," he demanded, and the approaching black boots instilled a slight sense of trepidation within me. But I would not let them perceive my fear.

"Yes, they made a movie about you guys. I told you, you're like an ancient tale, akin to dinosaurs. No one believes you actually existed, so they turn you into fictional stories," I retorted, blowing him an air kiss, only to feel the piercing agony of the silver embedded in my gut.

Uh oh.

My vision started to fade.

~

I squinted my eyes as I gradually regained consciousness. It was still dark, so I assumed it might still be Saturday unless I had been unconscious for an extended period. I attempted to move my hand, but it failed, replaced instead by a sharp surge of pain coursing through my flesh.

Of course, they had me in cuffs.

I sensed the motion of a truck beneath me. My vision remained blurry, but I made out the forest road passing by as I was being transported. I counted four bloodsuckers inside the vehicle, two in the middle row and two in the front—one driving while the others reveled in a sadistic song blaring from the radio.

"Lizzy?" a voice called out beside me.

I knew that voice. My eyes desperately searched for its source.

Rowen.

"You're alive," I gasped with relief, my voice strained.

I glanced to my right, hoping to find Octavia there, since Rowen was on my left. But it was just the two of us in the back. Octavia was nowhere to be found, and Rowen, his eyes partially open, bore the marks of silver. He was drained.

"I told you not to stop," he gritted his teeth.

Oops.

"They were going to kill you. You should at least be grateful, and then we can figure out a way to escape," I fired back in a hushed tone.

"Well, thank you so much. Now we're abducted, and no one knows. We might as well be dead too," he spat, his gaze averted.

"You're mad at me for coming back for my friends?" I couldn't help but exhale a laugh. The absurdity of his accusation struck me. Now he was blaming my wolf for trying to save his ass?

He turned over and leaned closer, his tone serious and filled with anger. "It's not funny. Do you think this is some kind of game to prove yourself? You had one job, and now we're left helpless. Octavia isn't here. Only the moon goddess knows what they did to her. And they're going to get away with it because of you. Your dad would be disappointed," he drilled into my head, sowing relentless remorse, before turning back and staring out of the window, leaving me with the weight of guilt he had placed upon me.

Well, that was fierce.

There was no more fight left in me. I could only wonder why Octavia wasn't there. I pushed back the waves of regret for involving her in this dangerous situation, because if I allowed myself to dwell on it, it would mean something terrible had happened to her. And that was something I couldn't bear to live with.

My gaze was cast toward the windshield, but I was sightlessly watching the truck ahead of us when suddenly it lost control, swerving on the road like a loose tire. Our driver, visibly disturbed, slowed down and cautiously followed behind the attacked vehicle, while the screams of its occupants filled the air and blood splattered over the rear window.

Eventually, the car veered off the road and plunged into the forest, and our driver received an order through the radio to speed up. It must have come from the truck tailing us, which had caught up and communicated some kind of code, likely understood only by the vampires. The man in the truck hadn't even had a chance to wind up the window before his body was forcefully thrown out of the car, hurtling over ours and disappearing into the empty foggy road.

The screeching of wheels against asphalt echoed as the other vehicle abruptly came to a stop. There was a commotion.

Now, I am genuinely concerned.

Something was happening, and it didn't bode well. For a moment, I tried to convince myself that it was our rescue, but deep down, I knew my dad would never authorize such brutality. He would prefer to encircle the area and force them to surrender.

Our car accelerated, and I found myself hyperventilating at that moment.

"We need to get out of these," I hurriedly exclaimed to Rowen, attempting to free my cuffed hands by wriggling them behind me. He looked equally terrified, given our lack of defense and the lingering effects of the silver in our systems.

"What the f**k?" someone exclaimed from the front.

With our mouths hanging open, Rowen and I paused and looked ahead through the windshield. There, in the midst of the foggy forest road, stood a figure, seemingly furious, with the most striking golden eyes shining in the darkness.

No, that was definitely not my father.