Chapter 26
Mark
"No luck with the grimoire?" My voice comes out harsher than I intended.
Balthazar sighs and crosses his arms over his chest.
I bite the inside of my cheek. I don't like the direction this conversation is going.
"So the only explanation..." My voice comes out a little lower, as if saying it out loud makes it all the more real.
Balthazar nods, his eyes fixed on me.
"Either this person came from far away, outside the contacts that my coven and others in the area have, or the grimoire you saw in that house comes from a recent pact. A book forged through demonic influence."
The roar comes out before I can hold it back, and my fist hits the wooden table hard enough to make it creak. Ted crosses his arms and gives me a worried look before speaking:
"He or she won't be able to hide for long, Beast. We're all looking for them. Not only our team, but other wizards also want to see that son of a bitch pay for what he has done to our city."
My gaze turns to Balthazar.
"Has it been confirmed? Is it the same person?"
He nods, his expression sombre.
"I compared the sample I collected from the Wendigo with the traces of energy I found in the house that exploded. It's the same magical signature. Same magical DNA."
I growl, feeling my canines push through my gums.
"All that's left is to find this bastard. I've studied every damn recording in the city, every street with visibility to that house. It's been a week and whoever it is, they haven't been back there. They're hiding well."
Ted clears his throat.
"The house was really abandoned, boss. The rightful owner inherited the place, but has been living in another country for years. We have no leads. The sentries haven't reported anything suspicious since then either.
My claws threaten to emerge. I feel my beast stirring beneath my skin.
"Everything seems quiet now, no appearances, but my instinct tells me it's the kind of calm that precedes a storm. It's not over yet."
Balthazar mutters something and moves his fingers in the air, an unconscious gesture of someone who deals with magic.
"It's definitely not over. I read your cards today, and it wasn't good. There will be some kind of disorder or battle. It's open to interpretation, but given everything that's happened, I imagine it's connected to the monsters.
My gaze turns to Ted for a moment. My jaw locks, I press my lips together, and I know he notices.
"What are you hiding, Mark?" His voice is direct, incisive.
I exhale through my nose, yielding to the truth.
"Maybe I know what the cards said..." I murmur, feeling my fangs lengthen. "Liam challenged me to a duel. I accepted. It's going to be tonight. Full moon."
Ted lets out a low curse.
"Damn it, Mark! I knew you were acting strange these days. Hiding something. Why did you accept this shit? It's only going to bring you headaches with those wolves."
Balthazar moves discreetly backwards, raising his hands as if he already wants to withdraw from the conversation.
"I have another commitment, so..." He points to the door.
I give a brief nod, dismissing him. As soon as he leaves, I turn my attention back to Ted.
"It'll be quick. I can't back out. We made a blood promise under the moon. We both have to keep it, even if we don't want to."
Ted exhales, frustrated.
"And are you sure it's going to be a duel? Not an ambush?"
I nod.
"The code of the wolf duel is taken seriously. Hand to hand. One on one. The strongest wins. And I'm the strongest, Ted. No question about it."
He snorts, but doesn't argue.
“I know. Just... get it over with, once and for all.”
I smile wryly, without humour.
"I'll be quick."
Ted lets out a sound of satisfaction before changing the subject.
"Viklaus has regained full consciousness. What shall we do with him? He's still unstable, doesn't want to leave confinement."
I rub my face, feeling the weight of the day that has barely begun.
Am I a terrible person for hoping that Kitten's collar will call me to her again just so I can meet Sandra? Will she show up for me today? Will she...
"I think he needs the human blood treatment." Ted's voice pulls me back to reality. "I'm trying to encourage him to accept it. One drop a day until he regains his strength. So he doesn't lose control completely if he needs to feed on humans in an emergency like last time."
I try to focus on work.
But those green eyes still haunt my thoughts...
It was in the cards. Written in the stars long before I understood. Balthazar predicted that our paths would cross, and at the time, I doubted it. But then I saw her in that tavern...
And everything changed.
It was a primal call, a certainty that was engraved in every fibre of my being. Sandra is mine. My fated mate.
I just didn't expect her to accept me. I spent too much time convincing myself that I would have to watch her from afar, content myself with occasional glimpses, satisfy my hunger with just the sight of her.
But now... now fate has given me a chance.
And I don't intend to waste it.
***
I'm about to leave work and return to the cabin when I realise that the leash didn't call me that afternoon.
Kitten was safe and sound the night before, curled up waiting for me.
If she explored the streets today, she found no danger.
That should reassure me, but my mind insists on wandering to Sandra.
She said she had something to tell me...
What could it be? And more importantly, when will she appear to me again?
I descend the company stairs, the day officially over, when a buzz cuts through the silence. The urgent sound of an alert echoes through the loudspeakers. I feel my stomach tighten even before I hear the details.
I turn on my heel and run back to my floor. Ted's operations room is in a frenzy — lights flash on the panel, commands are exchanged over the headset as he coordinates the sentries with military efficiency.
"What happened?" I ask, leaning over the screens.
The city map glows in three distinct spots, marked by the alert signal.
"Apparitions," Ted replies through clenched teeth, his eyes fixed on the panel as he continues to fire off orders.
"All the newbies are ready for combat," I warn. "Divide them up. Two groups of three and one group with the two strongest. They need to support the experienced sentinels. I..."
Suddenly, I feel a tug.
Not physical. Not exactly. But it's as if something invisible envelops me and pulls me forward, a command engraved in my own flesh. My blood responding to the promise I made.
Shit.
The magic demands that I fulfil my vow. I grit my teeth and look out the window. The full moon rises in the sky like an omen. The sun has already set on the horizon.
Ted stares at me, frowning when he notices my rigid posture.
"You have to go to that bloody duel, don't you?"
I swallow hard. A stumble backwards confirms what I already know — the magic pulls me, demanding that I go.
"Yes," I murmur, trying to contain my frustration.
"Then go on and get it over with," he grumbles, turning his attention back to the panel. "The sentries will take care of the rest."
I nod, taking one last look at the screens before turning away.
"I won't be long.
As soon as I'm done, I'll go after the apparitions. But for now, there's a promise of blood to keep.
My body is already moving.
I ignore the car. I don't need it.
My feet race across the asphalt, crossing the garage to the street.
My blood pulses with raw, primitive energy.
Then I give in to the transformation. I dash through the streets like a wolf-dog, towards the edge of the forest. I leap over the barrier effortlessly, the impact of the landing reverberating through my body as the second change takes place.
The transition to my hybrid form is quick and fluid. My muscles expand, my claws emerge, my skin covers with fur as I continue to run.
I don't need to think.
The promise guides me. Instinct pushes me.
The smell hits me first.
Wolves.
Many of them.
I growl softly, baring my teeth. Of course we would have an audience. The pack needs to watch, needs to know who will be the winner, who will take the lead in the end.
Not that I want that.
My eyes may carry the gold of an Alpha, but I am not a pure wolf. And I am definitely not one of them. I never will be.
They abandoned me when I was a baby.
They killed my mother.
They tried to kill me.
But now they're here, waiting to see which of us will win.
And I intend to give them a show.
The clearing appears ahead, a circle of shadows and moonlight filtered through the ancient trees. The air carries the scent of wet earth, tension and fury.
Liam is already waiting for me.
His hybrid form is slightly smaller than mine, his black coat absorbing the moonlight, his pointed ears twitching alertly at my arrival. His muzzle is longer, his golden eyes shining with pure aggression. His fangs are exposed, saliva dripping as he spots me.
He lets out a howl.
The pack responds. The sound reverberates through the woods, a wild symphony of anticipation. They emerge from the shadows of the trees and approach, forming a semicircle around Liam, the only opening a silent invitation for me to join him and begin the duel.
When I stop in front of him, a few steps away, the circle of wolves closes around us, forming a savage barrier, our makeshift arena of earth and grass.
Liam stretches, puffing out his chest menacingly, trying to match our height, his muscles rigid and ready for confrontation. His voice sounds guttural and distorted by his beastly form.
"I've always dreamed of defeating you with my own claws."
I tilt my head, my own voice sounding wild:
"And you'll keep dreaming."
He growls, baring his teeth.
I stand tall, my chest puffed out, my muscles tense as steel. In front of me, Liam flashes a beastly smile, laden with something psychotic, while his eyes shine with an almost insane excitement.
"I'm not going to go easy on you just because we share blood," he says, flexing his claws.