Belonging to Darkness

Eleven

Karantoes jolted awake once his senses alerted him of a perimeter breach. He immediately looked to his side to assure himself that Serena didn't slip away from him in the night. She didn't, and he immediately released the breath he did not know he was holding. She was still sleeping soundly beside him under a heap of blankets. 

Careful not to jostle her awake, Karantoes slipped from the bed silently.

He felt the separation immediately. A sharp pain to his gut. He didn't want to leave Serena but he could not ignore his senses either. Someone had entered his home. Karantoes pulled on a pair of pants and left the bedroom. The house was quiet, whoever was here knew what they were doing. Karantoes crept down the hallway to the stairs while scanning each room briefly. Anger began to build, whoever thought they could intrude in his domain were going to be dealt with harshly.

His senses alerted him of movement downstairs as he began to descend down the stairs. Karantoes held back his growl of anger as he entered the kitchen, but no one was there. Only the dark greeted him. His eyes flickered around the room until they landed on an open window by the table. He knew he did not leave it open. Rain had begun to pool inside from the storm that was brewing. As he went over to shut it, a shadow figure caught his eye from the corner of the room and then everything happened so fast. A huge fist came flying at his face. The fist connected with his jaw and pain exploded.

Karantoes growled, then charged at the large male who was dripping wet with rain. His arms locked around his waist as he took him down. His body landed on the concrete floor with a loud thud. Then Karantoes attacked. The intruder struggled to block Karantoes' blows as he punched and slashed at the males face, chest and neck.

"Who are you?" Karantoes growled at the now bloodied man.

The intruder spat blood on his face. "Fuck you."

Karantoes hauled his body up from the floor, and slammed him into the wall hard. The force knocked a few pictures off and sent them flying to the floor.

"Why are you here?" He growled again.

The intruder growled and ducked as another fist came flying at him. Karantoes fist went into the wall and then the man attacked. He kicked with a deadly force and sent Karantoes flying back into the island behind him.

This was not an inexperienced fighter. Karantoes could tell by the way the man did not give up. He launched himself at him and began attacking like his life depended on it. Fists went flying, and blood splatted everywhere.

The male grabbed Karantoes by the throat and cranked him in the face with his large fist. Once, twice, until Karantoes' eyes flashed crimson. Pain exploded in his face. He blindly reached behind him to grab a weapon. Once he felt his hands lock around the handle of a knife he swiftly turned and stabbed the male in the shoulder.

The male howled in pain and held onto his wounded shoulder.

"Leave now." Karantoes warned. "Before more blood spills."

The male backed up several feet before he let loose a loud howl. The sound was deafening. And Karantoes feared Serena would wake up and come down to investigate.

More howls sounded in the distance. Dread consumed Karantoes, that wasn't a cry of pain, it was a cry for assistance. The male looked up at Karantoes and grinned. He took another step back to the window until his body was lit up in the moonlight of the full moon. And then he began to shift. His body contorted and grew until the male was fully transformed into a lycan.

"Give us the female." The lycan demanded in a deep voice.

Serena? They wanted her?

Rage now consumed Karantoes. He used his demon magic to send the lycan flying. His magic propelled his body out through the side of the house. A huge hole now stood where his counter and window used to be. Karantoes growled and stalked towards the hole. More lycans surrounded his house. Dozens were trying to break in.

Seraphina, help Serena. We're under attack!

Karantoes sent out a plea to Seraphina telepathically. The fae always heard his messages, he only hoped she would listen to him this time.

From outside, a smaller lycan spotted the hole and charged at Karantoes. He easily caught him and stabbed him in the stomach with the knife he was carrying. He made sure he stabbed his heart before he threw the lifeless body back outside in the rain.

Serena's scream stopped Karantoes from charging outside to attack more lycans.

Serena!

He immediately changed directions and rushed upstairs to their room. He kicked the door in and snarled at the threat who dared to attack his mate.

Serena was curled up in the corner of the room, wearing one of his over-sized sweatshirts with a lamp in her hand as she aimed it at the lycan who stood before her. Karantoes used his unnatural speed to glide up behind the creature and snap the lycans neck. He then reached around and stabbed him in the chest before tossing his body to the side.

"Serena." Karantoes cried as he gathered his mate in his arms, thankful she wasn't harmed. "We must go."

"Oh god." She sobbed and took the hand Karantoes offered her. "That was a werewolf, wasn't it?"

"Lycan." He corrected.

Another lycan jumped into the broken window of their bedroom. Serena shouted and jumped as the lycans claws nearly missed slashing her leg.

"Hurry." Karantoes pulled Serena out of his room and locked the door tight with his magic. He quickly then pushed her behind his body so that he could protect her better.

He tugged her along the hallway as they tried to escape the house.

"We need to leave. Right now."

Serena followed closely behind Karantoes as he pushed lycans out of the way as he continued moving through his house. Serena screamed as one of the Lycans burst through one of the rooms upstairs and dashed towards her.

In a blink of an eye, Karantoes had her turned around and grabbed the massive lycan by the throat and slashed at him with his claws. Blood now covered his face. He didn't want to imagine how Serena pictured him right now.

"Go downstairs." Karantoes ordered her. "I need you to run if more come in the house."

Serena shook her head."I can't."

"You can" Karantoes turned around, despite what he looked like and cupped her face in his hands . "I'll be right behind you. I need you to do this if I tell you to run."

Her eyes were close to tears, and it tore Karantoes apart. "Don't leave me."

Those words broke his heart.

"Never." He vowed.

More growls rumbled through the house, as they made their way downstairs. Twelve more lycans appeared in the main room. Karantoes shoved Serena to the door as one of the lycans went to ram him.

"Run." Karantoes growled at Serena, as he fought with the new lycan. "Now."

As fast as her legs could travel she pushed open the door and escaped into the night.

Seraphina, help us.

Karantoes sent out another call for help as he turned to face the remaining lycans in his home. The demon inside of him raged to rip all of them apart. He made sure to draw all of the lycans to him before letting the demon inside of him consume him and do just that.