Chapter 107
Chapter 107
**Reuben**
“You obtained Louis’s royal powers?” Dark’s expression was clearly one of outrage, seeingas twins typically possessed opposing royal abilities. Alden had bargained his powers for the use of evil, resulting in Dark inheriting them. However, Alpha Louis had never utilized his royal powers; over the years the dormant powers had accrued and grown to such an extent that he could pass them on to someone in his bloodline–namely, me. “How in the world did he bestow his powers to you?!” he demanded.
“Why? Afraid that you can’t overcome powers that are the exact opposite of yours?” I smirked, my nails already stained with his blood. At that point, none of his powers could hurt me like they had at Wade Moon. Dark had to fight with his fist and wolf without using his puny evil powers.
“Me, scared?” He gave a light chuckle. “You don’t know a damn thing about me, boy. But don’t worry, you soon will. What amuses me to no end is whether Louis’s act of bestowing his power on you was his pathetic attempt to assuage his guilt. The guilt of ruining his son’s life by separating him from his soulmate, attempting to harm his grandchildren while they were still in the womb, or rendering his son infertile there are just so many options,” he remarked, the corner of his lips lifting as his injured face began to heal itself.-
My expression darkened when he touched on one of the most sensitive topics of my life. However, I swiftly composed myself before Willow could detect any signs of distress. It was imperative that she remain emotionally unscathed and refrained from shifting into her wolf form to aid me. If Ella’s assumption proved correct, doing so risked losing her.
“I concur, he likely sought to assuage his guilt. Though I still harbor resentment towards him, it pales in comparison to someone that has slayed his own son, wouldn’t you agree?” I smirked,
knowing full well that he would grasp the insinuation.
“My son? Or Alden’s son. Black was merely a pawn!” he laughed before swiftly transforming into his wolf form and launching himself at me. I shifted as well, but before I could defend myself, another of his wolves attacked me from the side, catching me off guard. “I AM DARK! DEVOID OF EMOTION OR RELATIONS! I EXIST ONLY TO DEVOUR AND DECIMATE!!” he snarled ferociously, while relentlessly assaulting my chest.
I
spat blood from the sheer force of his onslaught. Why did this monstrous creature feel as heavy as a mountain crashing down upon me? With great effort, I raised my arm to halt his vicious attack, all the while stealing glances at Willow, who was clearly panicking. She appeared to be contemplating whether or not to intervene. I shook my head at her, signaling for her not to do anything rash, then mustered up all of my strength to kick Dark away, though it proved to be a Herculean task.
Just as he lunged for my throat, I deftly flipped him aside. Seizing the opportunity, he slipped away, but I swiftly kicked him from behind with all my might. He growled in response, but managed to regain his balance and charged at me once more. As he pounced, I unleashed three wolves from the darkness, catching him off guard. It was a mere illusion, and he fell into my trap. Seizing his leg with my teeth, I slammed him to the ground, breaking his leg in two with a sickening snap. He howled in pain, unable to flee, presenting me with the perfect opening. With a primal snarl, I sank my teeth deep into his flesh, poised to tear his wolf head from his body. Before I could execute the fatal blow, he vanished into thin air.
Bloody coward! He still had the audacity to use his powers to vanish and escape. I rose to my feet, glaring into the smoky darkness where I sensed his presence.
“Reuben, you’re bleeding profusely,” Willow rushed to my side, placing a hand over the wound. It was then that I realized the extent of the damage–my wolf’s chest had been nearly torn apart, with blood spattering across the room. When she touched my wolf, Ceri established a connection with Dex to bolster my strength, while Willow desperately attempted to stem the bleeding through our mate bond. “This is all because of me. I should not have let this matter get this far…,” her eyes grew redder with what was clearly pent up anger, my worst fears began to materialize.
“I’ll be fine. Just refrain from shifting and keep control of yourself,” I communicated to her through our mind-link.
“But why? How can I stand by and watch you face him alone, let you hurt like this?” She peered deeply into my wolf’s eyes, before I could respond, Dark’s voice echoed. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“No cheating, Rose,” he spoke seductively as he approached her from behind. Anticipating his move, I decided to take the offensive rather than the defensive, launching myself at him. “With my mark upon your neck, you are forbidden from healing another man. Your only privilege is to witness his demise, as I promised earlier,” he grinned at her, pulling me into the darkness with him.
However, his words and actions triggered Willow so severely that her hand was left empty and trembling as he practically tore us apart.
I seized his hand and thrust it in front of me. Our wolves rolled in each other’s blood as we lunged at each other, teeth bared. I sank my teeth into his ear, poised to rip it from his body, but once again, he vanished into thin air.
“Fuck!” I gritted my teeth, taking furious breaths. “Fight like a man, you bitch!”
“What’s the matter? Already feeling frustrated?” His sneering voice echoed around me, but he remained invisible. “Are you not proud to possess powers that are the opposite of mine?”
“Didn’t Louis warn you that merely acquiring his power is not enough? You must also learn how to wield it, your body must be accustomed to handling such divine abilities. Did you truly believe facing me would be child’s play, boy?” He growled, suddenly materializing in front of me and relentlessly attacking my chest to exacerbate the wound. “You’ve truly disappointed me. Perhaps instead of prying into my identity, you should have focused on learning how to defeat me. That way you could have utilized these powers more effectively,” he taunted, his sharp teeth aimed at my chest for a final, devastating blow. Threatening to create a gaping hole in my chest, that would possibly result in my death any second. Before his teeth could make contact, I lunged forward sinking my own teeth into one of his eyes.
He howled in pain and swiftly retreated, moving at lightning speed. “I never needed to inquire about your identity from anyone, you bastard,” I growled, drawing in a deep breath despite the loss of blood. “The moment Willow mentioned that Black had the same aura as you, I began to suspect the Alpha King’s involvement. A son inherits his father’s aura, after all. Then, it all clicked for me when I recalled seeing Alpha Benjamin with the Alpha King when I was around seven years old, accompanying my father and uncle on a hunting trip in an unfamiliar forest. It became glaringly obvious that the secret friend Alpha Benjamin spoke of was none other than the Alpha King.”
Dark stared at me with one eye oozing blood, a sinister smile curling his lips. “Nice move. You can
play dirty, but how long can you withstand my assault?”
I frowned as Dex suddenly vanished from my thoughts. I was forcibly thrust back into my human form, against my will. “What the heck,” I murmured, feeling a hollow emptiness in my mind, as if my wolf had perished. “DEX! DEX!” I roared through our mental link, but received no response. “What have you done, you son of a bitch!” I glared at Dark.
Dark grinned, his tone filled with malice. “Just killed him,” he said, tilting his head to observe Willow, who stood stunned by the revelation. She had sensed Dex’s absence immediately, her complexion drained of color as if she had seen a ghost, her other half had been torn away from her.
“How is this possible?” I murmured, staring down at my hands.
Dark smiled wickedly. “On one side royal divine power bestows blessings, but on the other side it curses when used against a blood relative. It causes your wolf to instantly vanish as well as poses a risk of killing your wolf, just as it did to you when you attacked me. That’s why I paid no mind to those useless royal divine powers that were binding my hands. Of course, you fell for it and lost your wolf,” he grinned maliciously at Willow, though his words were directed at me, his focus solely on her.
I vomited blood once again, my body failing to heal without Dex.
“Wi… Willow…” I gasped, attempting to reassure her with a glance that everything was alright, but she didn’t seem convinced by my falsehood.
Dark approached Willow, whispering in her ear, “His wolf is dead. He’s lost the royal divine power. He’s utterly useless now. What will you offer me to spare his life, Rose? He can’t even stand with that hole I carved into his chest,” he caressed her cheek, his gaze fixed on her lifeless expression as she continued to stare at me. With a triumphant glance between her and I, he continued, “So, how about taking my hard cock in your ass right in front of your mate?” He nipped at her earlobe and squeezed her buttocks, keeping an eye on my reaction from the corner of his eye.
Willow remained motionless, her eyes devoid of life as they briefly met mine before shifting to Dark. “Go fuck yourself,” she spat, a strange yet unfamiliar smile quirking the corners of her lips, stunning not only Dark but me as well.
What had I just witnessed? That didn’t seem like
my
Willow.