Fangs vs Claws

by Rua Hasan

  It had been a while since I actually felt like I had a real friend. Most people these days were all two-faced and backstabbers. In my whole life, I’ve only had a couple of people who stood by my side through the thickest and thinnest, and one of those people was Alice.

  Once I was downstairs, I was met with Aiden and Nate in their sports clothes, which looked sexy as hell on them. I averted my eyes before they could notice I was checking them out. Aiden would probably tease me about his sexy looks or would growl at me for looking at anybody but him. I felt my stomach grumble and knew that I couldn’t train without my breakfast because I needed the energy to fight.

  An apple will do.

  “Guys, I’ll be right back,” I said before running into the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks when I saw what was waiting for me there. I immediately wanted to run back to and forget about my breakfast. I scrunched my nose and cleared my throat so that both my parents would know about my presence and stop eating each other’s faces. Witnessing my parents makeout in the kitchen was not a sight I’d want to see before I ate my breakfast.

  “Break it up, you two,” I said.

  “Go get a room.”

  My parents pulled apart and seemed unaffected by my presence. My mom smiled at me while my dad seemed annoyed because I interrupted their little makeout session. My mom stepped forward and gave me a bone-crushing hug while my dad just kissed my forehead.

  I know that they’re concerned about me and my safety. They might not have been bringing up the subject of the rogue attacks or the accident with Sarah, but I know it’s because they don’t want me to be paranoid. They just want to see me happy. I can see the concern in their eyes; it’s obvious.

  “Just showing a little love and affection, kiddo,” my dad said, and I smiled.

  It’s good to know that my parents are happy even though their past wasn’t too bright. When they’re there for each other, the dark disappears. It’s sometimes strange calling them my parents when they look just about my age, and it still freaks me out to this day, but that is normal for us vampires.

  I snapped out of my thoughts when my stomach growled again, reminding me why I was there in the first place. I grabbed an apple, washed it, and ate it in a record of sixty seconds. I threw the apple right away when Aiden walked into the kitchen.

  “Oh, take your time, love. We got all day.” Aiden’s voice was mixed with sarcasm.

  I rolled my eyes then drank a glass of water.

  “Where do you think my energy comes from? Thin air?” I asked sarcastically, but he didn’t answer, only grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the kitchen in a hurry.

  Nate, Aiden, and I walked down the road and toward the big gym where everyone trained. After a couple minutes of relaxing silence, we were in the gym. The place reeked of sweat as everyone was either exercising or fighting one another.

  We walked into a room where it wasn’t too crowded and had mattresses scattered on the floor. We spent the first couple minutes stretching and learning a couple of exercises that might be useful. Then finally Aiden stepped forward and straightened his back, clearly showing that he was ready to attack. I was going to try to fight Aiden first, then Nate. Then after that, they both were going to go against me.

  Not fair, I know right. It was almost impossible to beat an Alpha, but two? Well, it’s going to be challenging but not impossible. I’m Stella after all.

  Mostly everyone in the room snapped their heads toward us, giving us their complete attention. They must have been curious on to who would win: their Alpha or their Luna? Well, there was only one way to find out.

  I saw from the corner of my eye Aiden running toward me, but I dodged him and threw a kick to his side, which seemed to have no effect on him. Before I could make a move, Aiden pounced on me, bringing me to the ground, and brought his mouth to my ear.

  “You’re going to have to try much harder, love,” he whispered.

  I felt shivers run down my spine but ignored it. I used all my force to push him off me so that I was on top. I grabbed both his hands and was going to put them over his head when he grabbed my wrists and flipped me over his head, landing me on the hard ground.

  We both got up immediately and threw punches at each other. I blocked Aiden’s punch that was directed to my face by swapping it to the side quickly. I saw his eyes soften when I dodged it, probably grateful that I didn’t get hurt. Then I threw a punch to his jaw, which I ended up regretting. His jaw was as hard as steel, and it left my fist throbbing in pain.

  “Jesus Christ! What are you made of? Steel?” I hissed lowly so that nobody could hear me but only Aiden.

  He then grabbed my arm, twisting it behind my back, and brought his mouth to my ear once again.

  “Babe, that’s called muscles,” he pointed out, and I rolled my eyes. As he spoke, he made the mistake of loosening his hold on my arm, and I took this advantage to push him away, hooking my leg with his and jerking it forward, causing him to fall to the ground. I kneeled down so that our eyes were at the same level, then smirked.

  “You’re going to have to try much harder, love,” I mimicked what he said earlier.

  In one swift movement, he was off the ground and right in front of me, towering over me with his tall, intimidating frame. He then picked me up, carrying me on his shoulders as I squealed in surprise, then slammed me to the ground. Once again he hovered over me.

  By now everyone was surrounding us in a circle, watching to see who would make the next move and win. Their eyes followed us as if their life depended on it, not wanting to miss a single thing. I had the urge to beat Aiden. I didn’t want to go down, so I had to make the next move. And I did.

  I hit him where the sun doesn’t shine.

  Unknown

  I watched from the window at a far distance as Stella and her mate tackled each other on the ground, kicking and punching one another until one of them won. They seemed so determined to win and face whatever’s coming.

  Pathetic. Stella will have to do more than that to keep her safe from what’s coming. Oh but she has no idea what she can do, and it’s all Aiden’s fault, which we should thank. Once he dug his canines into her skin, he immediately activated her powers.

  That mark on her neck will lead to good things for us, my original Alpha and me. We have been waiting for this day to come, and when I heard that Aiden has found his mate who is a vampire, I told him immediately and kept my eyes on her just in case if she was the one.

  And with no doubt, she is. It’s just like what the legend says. And soon, we will get what we have been waiting for so many years. But I have to be patient. I cannot strike just yet, or I will mess things up. I have to wait until the time comes, and then I will take actions.

  I smirked to myself at the thought.

  They had no idea I was watching them. They had no idea that soon, very soon, he will strike.

  At first, we used rogues to try to get her after we heard that she was marked. But after countless times of them failing, such useless creatures, he had decided to do it himself. All I have to do is lure her away from her precious mate. Which will be too easy. Why? Because they trust me.

  Fools.

  They should know not to trust anyone, for they don’t know what could be behind that smile. I just wish there was another way. But after so many years of searching, after so many years of misery, you begin to rot, and when you see your chance, you take it. Snatch it as if you needed it to breathe. And that is what I’m doing. I need to accomplish my mission if I ever want to see her again. Because if I don’t, then the Alpha will sure have my head.

  I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Once I took it out, I opened it to see that it was a call from him. I looked around to see if anyone was there, and when the coast was clear, I backed up into the shadows and answered the call, bringing the phone to my ear.

  “Hello,” I said. There was a bit of shuffling in the background until I heard him answer.

  “What is she doing now?” he asked, get
ting straight to the point. His voice was low; you could already hear the evil in it. I turned my eyes to see Stella fighting off her mate and his friend—what was his name? Oh yeah, Nate.

  “She’s training with two Alphas, trying to increase her defense abilities,” I answered. I heard him chuckle from the end of the line.

  “She can try all she wants, but she won’t be able to defeat me,” he said.

  I nodded but then realized that he couldn’t see me, so I spoke.

  “True, true,” I said.

  “When will we strike?” I asked.

  “Be patient. It isn’t the time yet, but it will come soon. Just keep your eyes open and inform me whatever happens,” he said then ended the call.

  I went into my history and deleted the call I had with him then turned my phone off, putting it back into my pocket. I glanced back at the window and saw Aiden and Nate holding Stella as she tried to wiggle from their grip.

  She doesn’t even stand a chance.

  I turned around before anyone could notice my intense stare and made my way out of the gym, smiling fakely to whoever greeted me.

  They will never suspect a thing.

  Chapter 35

  Stella

  I opened my eyes quickly when I heard the sound of water running. I took in my surroundings and realized I was in a dark place. A very dark place. The only source of light was the full moon shining above me.

  I then noticed trees in the distance, shadowing the land with their mysterious looks. I realized that I was on the top of a mountain. I was about to take a step forward when I was held down by something strong. I looked down to see myself tied down to a chair with very strong ropes. I tried to free myself, but it was no use. The harder I tried, the more energy I wasted.

  I got weaker and weaker through every attempt.

  I gasped when I noticed the color red everywhere. My blood was running down the mountain like a flood. And it was a lot. The metallic smell filled the air and was replacing the smell of nature. That’s when I noticed the throbbing pain in my right arm. I looked down to see a huge cut from my shoulder all the way to my wrist. It was gushing out so much blood; I was surprised I was still awake. I looked around panicking.

  Where am I? How on earth did I get here?

  It seems like I have been asking myself these questions constantly nowadays. But it’s not like I could blame myself. My life as a normal vampire has flipped upside down ever since I’ve met Aiden. Half good, which I do have to admit, and half bad.

  I looked back down at my arm, and my confusion just increased by the second when the injury wasn’t healing.

  That just doesn’t make sense, the cut is at least supposed to be closing. But it isn’t. It seems to be getting worse and worse.

  Whispers from a distance caught my attention. I whipped my head up, looking around my surroundings, moving my head to see as much as I can, but I didn’t see anyone. The voices seemed to be lonely and sad. I could hear the pleading in them, but it was only a buzz. They weren’t too clear.

  I could make up a couple things like “please,” “save,” and “help.”

  The temperature seemed to drop in an instant. The wind was moving faster and stronger as clouds took over the sky but didn’t dare come near the full moon. The trees in the distance started to dance with the wind as the leaves said goodbye to one another and flew to wherever the current would take them.

  It was like the light shining from the moon was directed at me, as if I was in the spotlight on stage. I saw something flash in the corner of my eyes, catching my attention once again. But when I turned my head to the side, it was gone.

  Well, that’s strange.

  Suddenly, the smell of my mate’s exotic smell hit me like a brick in the face. It was so near yet so far away. Aiden’s smell was wrapping the air in its strong scent, giving it more meaning.

  But there was something wrong.

  His scent was mixed with something else. A smell I knew too well.

  Blood.

  Now, the reason I was panicking was that I could smell my mate but had no idea where he was and not because of the metallic smell mixed with his scent. Why you might ask? Because I was pretty sure the smell of blood was coming from me. It should be obvious because there was a waterfall of my b—

  I stopped talking to myself when I noticed that my blood that was scattered around me a while ago was gone! The smell wasn’t coming from me; it must be Aiden’s blood!

  Okay, now, I was panicking.

  Unshed tears were forming behind my eyes, causing my vision to blur.

  But no! I mustn’t cry. If Aiden is hurt, then I have to be strong.

  I looked around to see anything, any glimpse of him, any sign that he was here. And that’s when I heard his voice calling out for me.

  “Stella! Help me!” he cried out.

  It sounded so painful. As if he had been trying to get to me since forever. The unshed tears were now running down my cheeks. Aiden was out there somewhere, and I couldn’t reach him. A sob escaped my throat.

  I have never felt this useless in my life.

  “Aiden! Where are you?” I called out. I was now jumping in my seat, trying to get the chair to move, but it was no use. It took a moment for him to answer. He sounded so tired and out of breath. The grunts of pain were making it harder to bear.

  “Stella! I just want to let you know that I lo—” He was cut off by his own scream of agony.

  My wrists were probably bruised because of my reckless attempts to free myself.

  “Aiden!” I cried. I couldn’t stand the sound of his cry. It was so painful to hear. It’s as if my own heart was being stabbed, tearing apart my soul. And with that, my sanity flew away into the night. I could only feel one thing.

  Loneliness.

  The whispers returned, but this time it wasn’t some unknown voice. It sounded like Aiden, but different in a way. It wasn’t the same voice that would tease me and call me love. It wasn’t the serious and possessive Alpha I knew.

  It was dark and full of misery.

  It was the sound of death.

  

  “Stella, wake up!” Aiden’s voice was back. But this time, it was right in my ear. His voice was mixed with concern and panic. I opened my eyes only to be greeted by the light shining into our room as Aiden sat next to me.

  Aiden reached out to wipe something wet off my cheek, and that’s when I realized that I was crying. Aiden lifted me up and sat me on his lap. He rubbed my arm up and down trying to calm me as I hid my face in the crook of his neck.

  I couldn’t stop the tears that were running down my cheek. The dream felt so real, and I didn’t know that I cared about Aiden so much.

  I think I might even love him, but the memories of the dream were distracting me. Could I actually be capable of love?

  The answer was yes! Yes, I do love Aiden. All this time I did; it’s just I was too afraid to admit it.

  Aiden was whispering comforting words into my ear, not questioning what the dream was about.

  “It’s okay, baby. It was only a nightmare,” he reassured me.

  It felt like hours, but actually, in reality, it was only minutes. I continued to sob as I drenched Aiden’s shirt he surprisingly had on. Usually, he would sleep half-naked, showing his gorgeous chest—but that’s not the point.

  I felt myself calm down when he started to run his hand through my hair while leaving kisses on my temple. I released a breath I had no idea I was holding in and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I looked up at Aiden and smiled a small smile when I saw him looking at me in concern.

  “You know you can talk to me, right?” Aiden said.

  I looked up with sleepy eyes because I just woke up and nodded slowly. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his lips.

  “It was just another strange dream,” I said. I didn’t have the courage to tell him why I was crying. It hurt so bad, and now I know what they mean when they say, “You don’t actually appreciate somethi
ng until it’s gone.”

  “Aiden,” I said hesitantly. I knew what I had to say. I had to get everything off my chest and confess.

  What if something happens, and I never get to tell Aiden how much I cared for him? What if I never got to tell him that I was in love with him? He would live the rest of his life thinking that I was rejecting him. One thing is for sure is that I have to tell him.

  “Yes, love?” his voice came out soft, calming my racing nerves. I took a deep breath and gulped down my anxiety, reminding myself what I had to do before I chickened out.

  “There’s something I have to tell you,” I told him.

  He nodded, encouraging me to continue.

  “Aiden, I lo—” Before I could continue my sentence, Liam and Ian, my old bodyguard who I purposely got removed, slammed the door open. You could see the panic written on both of their grim faces.

  Aiden let out a growl.

  “Can’t I have a bit of privacy?” he growled out at both men standing in front of us.

  “There’s no time for privacy,” Liam said firmly.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, looking over Aiden who was blocking me from their view even though I had appropriate clothes on. No matter what the situation was, depend on Aiden’s possessiveness to always be there.

  “Rogues,” Ian said.

  “A lot of them.”

  I gasped as Aiden got off the bed, dragging me with him. He looked furious as he let the Alpha within him come to life. He then pushed me into the closet.

  “Get changed so Ian could take you to the underground dungeons where the elders and children are being kept safe since Nate isn’t here, while Liam and I go deal with this problem,” he told me.

  Nate left yesterday because his pack needed him. There were a couple of rogues hanging near the border, and he wanted to be there with his pack just in case something happened, but he promised to be back soon to check up on us.

  I nodded then took his hand.

  “Be careful,” I said.