Wolves of Dawn

NINE

The pair stepped into the territory with dread. Within a day, they had reverted from holding hands to being forced back to reality. Asa didn’t like it one bit, but from the moment they got close enough to the pack, they could start smelling all the vampires Michael was warning them of. Among them was Keran’s scent. It was strange being mixed in with all the others as if he had circled the territory just as many times as they had.
Michael met them at the edge, and they marched to the main house as he listed off all the strange things that happened over a couple of days they were gone.
They reached the door, and before they could enter, Keldar stopped them, sniffing the air intently. “He’s here.” They looked at each other, knowing exactly who he was.
Keldar threw the door open and stepped inside with his Alpha persona. Asa peeked from behind him, looking at the man that resembled Aman. It was Keran, but yet he didn’t seem like the usual Keran. Instead, he seemed like a zombie with dark, sunken eyes that were bloodshot and bulging. His cheekbones seemed to have deepened with indents, and his hair was sleek with oil and sweat. He seemed entrapped by his own self. Asa felt guilt-ridden, sad, and terrified at the same time.
“Brother.” Keldar greeted the strange man, who huffed in return, his accusing eyes turning to Asa.
“You dare call me that? I’ve been searching the earth in vain, and you’ve been getting comfy with, what did you call her, oh yeah, the monster.”
“Searching the world? With the help of vampires? You’ve been putting the pack at risk. How dare you come back and make accusations!” Keldar took a step closer.
“I see all her dreams, whether she allows me to or not. I know what has been occupying her mind for quite some time now, brother.” He snarled at his sibling, turning another heated glare toward Asa. “I would have offered another solution; a shaman I had found to break the curse and all ties you have with us, but it seems you don’t want some ties to be broken.”
“So you’ve aligned with our enemies because of jealousy?” Asa stepped up, looking at the brother she once thought a good man.
“I wish you took the time to get to know me like I did with you.” He spoke tauntingly as if chastising her. “Yet, you spent your energy elsewhere.” A blue hue appeared, the color that made her uneasy. Micheal, who was standing quietly by his alpha’s side, took a step forward.
“You need to calm down, Keran. Remember that he is your alpha, and you have a duty to protect this pack as much as anyone.” A sardonic smirk appeared on his face, and he rummaged through his pockets with trembling hands.
“You still think I should be loyal to a brother that betrays me like this?” He shook his head, grabbing at his hair as if wanting to pull out the evil thoughts.
Michael took another step forward, standing before his alpha, the blue hue brightening across his golden skin. “Like you said, she’s a monster. Your brother cares for this pack, and that is the most important thing for him. Nothing else matters. So you can take your beast and leave the pack.”
Although Asa was deeply hurt by Michael’s words, he still couldn’t see her as an ally even after all this time. She stood quietly, but Keldar refused to do the same.
“No. Asa is a part of my pack. Therefore, my protection covers her as well.”
Keran became enraged, his fretting fingers digging into his skin. “No. I know what will happen with her by your side, and I can’t allow that. So it’s best if she comes with me.” He leaped closer and grabbed Asa’s arm, pulling her closer. She punched him as hard as she could manage, but it did nothing to him, his blue hue expanding.
“Let her go,” Keldar shouted, Michael, leaping toward Keran. He jabbed at his jugular, another hit pulsating his arm to force it to loosen. Keran’s grip let go of Asa, and she sprung free, rubbing at her red arm.
Keran’s free hand flashed to Michael’s throat, clutching it tightly. Another hand disappeared into a pocket and revealed a knife. Before Asa or Keldar could stop him, he thrust the blade into Michael. “If it’s not me, it’s no one.”
“Michael!” Keldar’s baritone shouted in remorse.
Keran’s hand rose in his brother’s direction. “I warned you to leave us be.” Keldar fell to his knees, his brother’s powers forcing the alpha into a weakened state.
“Keran, stop!” Asa shouted, stepping forward with her claws ready. Another hand lifted in her direction, and the pain overcame her. She could feel the force of a transformation taking over, leaving a fire burning within her. She fell to the ground, her canines protruding, limbs shifting, and fur sprouting in tufts. She wanted to yell out in pain, but Keran forced her voice down as tears overflowed in agony. She was at the point of transformation with Keldar in the woods, and she felt Keran force her further. She started choking on her blood as the Lycan genes were overtaking her vampire side, poisoning her. Blood dribbled from her mouth, her canines following shortly after. She tried to lift her head, looking at Keran, her long nails digging into the floorboards, ripping off with force.
“Keran!” She heard a shout. Her eyes tried to focus on the voice, but blood starting forming in her sockets. Sweat and blood blurred her vision as the one brother attacked the other, tackling him hard enough to break through a wall and tumble outside. Relief filled her body, and she closed her eyes, darkness taking over.
It felt like hours, but her eyes opened with warm blood still on her face. Asa saw Michael’s body a few feet away, her attention being drawn to a fight outside. She stood up slowly, regaining her strength.
She rushed outside, clutching at her screaming organs. She stopped at sight in front of her, expecting only to see the two brothers fighting. But, instead, she found wolves and vampires alike. Her eyes were on Keldar as he fought off Keran and vampires alike. He was teamed up against but holding on his own.
“Keldar!” She shouted, rushing over to his side. Keran looked up, anger rolling off in blue. She didn’t care about his feelings this time, instead of trying to help Keldar instead.
In the blink of an eye, a barreling spear rushed forward, stopping her in her tracks. She stared, shocked, as Keran fell to his knees, a vampire smirking behind him. Then, the blue disappeared, and Keldar’s shout broke the fight for a moment.
Asa’s voice changed into a shrill panic as she shouted his name in panic, rushing to his slumping body. He was twitching on the ground, blood-forming a puddle around him. Asa yanked the spear out, trying to hold her hand against the wound that refused to heal. Keldar fell next to his brother, holding his head up.
“Why isn’t he healing?” Keldar asked angrily.
“I…” The word came choked out as Keran tried to talk, “I tried to warn…” His voice cracked with the words.
Asa tried to soothe Keran when she was suddenly yanked away from him. A vampire bit into her shoulder and dragged her away. She planted her feet deep into the ground, her bloody hands grabbing at the grass. She swung one hand around and punched the attacker hard enough to let go. Asa jumped up and turned on the vampire, drawing a fist back and bringing it down with all her force. It fell to the ground with a thump, and Asa held it down with her foot, tearing off its limbs.
Intruders invaded the land like bees to honey; everywhere Asa looked, a new vampire showed up, wild and bloodthirsty. She moved from one vampire to another, bashing in skulls and tearing off limbs, but they were never-ending.
She jumped on top of her next victim, tearing off its head. Then, grabbing the closest vampire, she punched into its ribcage, creating a hole with his heart on the other side.
She felt one jumped on her back, and she tumbled forward. She grabbed its neck and threw it forward, bringing her knees down. She punched its face multiple times until there was nothing but dirt under her fists. She dashed to the next vampire, snapping its neck swiftly, and threw the corpse to the closest attacker. She jumped onto another, biting into his neck and tearing out his jugular. She tumbled down with the body and crouch down, staring at the carnage in front of her.
Vampires and wolves were ripping at each other, and in the chaos, she noticed an important detail; they were all day-walkers. They were able to do this because of her.
She shook her head, having a second to look around for Keldar, but he was nowhere in sight. A sense of dejavu overcame her, but she pushed it away. He was solid and vigilant; he was in a much better condition than her at the moment, despite losing his brother and best friend. Moreover, he was tactful and better than his fallen comrades; she was sure there was nothing to worry about.
She fell down face-first into the ground as her foot was dragged by a vampire. She turned to look at the responsible party and kicked had. He let her go immediately hunched down, trying to strangle her. Se kicked more fiercely, trying to gain the upper hand, but this vampire was older than the others and much stronger. His hands enclosed around her throat and squeezed. Except for the pinch on her skin, it had no effect. She clawed at cloth and skin, trying to remove the strict hold. He hissed and threw a punch, her skin splitting with sheer force, and blood dripped from her hair.
She hissed and kicked as hard as she could, but he brought down another blow onto her shoulder, dislocating it. Asa screamed in pain and lifted her hands, jabbing her claws into his rib cage, and pulled it hard. His ribs splintered open, and his insides splattered over her. She threw him to the side, lifting herself with her good arm.
Smoke wafted around her, and the ground was riddled with bodies. The houses of the village were falling in on themselves, and ashes littered the sky. She tried again to find Keldar but realized that she had moved far from where she last saw him. Then, she heard a scream and bolted to its origin. She ran inside a hut to see vampires feasting on women and children. Enraged, she grabbed the closest object and swung it to the vampires. The lamp clunked against one’s head, leaving a fatal impression. The remaining three vampires left their easy prey and stormed at her.
She swung the lamp and hit two, letting them stagger backward. She thrashed the lamp’s point into the underside of the third’s jaw, immediately he fell to the ground. She pulled it from the corpse as the other two jumped back to attack. She struck one and clipped the other’s arm, but still, they advanced. Slamming the lamp into one’s heart, she pushed him to the floor to bleed out. She ran to the last one and kicked his knees, hearing them break, and he buckled to the ground. She took the opportunity, grabbed his hair, and pummeled his head into the floor. Then, stepping on top of him, she pulled at his head until the monster was decapitated.
She broke the closest stool and turned it into a spear. Looking around at the dead, saddened, she could no longer help them and dashed out of the house. She wanted to wait, take out the bodies, and allow them to be buried by their loved ones, but there was no time for remorse. The thundering sound of war cries painted the air thick. She lit the hut on fire and headed back to the chaos.
The destruction the vampires brought was scattered with innocent bodies and burning corpses. It registered with her then; she wasn’t a target in this attack; she wasn’t even in the middle of the chaos! Was their reason to defeat the powerful alpha? Or the entire pack and the threat to their existence?
Asa rounded a hut and stumbled upon a few straggling vampires feasting on the corpses. She took the closest one out first, driving the wood into its abdomen. It fell to the ground, and she jumped onto the next one, ripping it apart and setting it alight. Her makeshift spear was blazing fire, and she pointed it to another, ready to end it when she heard a voice.
“Asa?” Startled, she turned around, trying to keep all the vampires in view. The woman clearly knew Asa, looking at her up and down while licking her bloody fingers. She was covered in blood like the latest fashion, dragging a body in one hand.
Asa squinted her eyes, looking at the pristine features underneath the mud and blood, the recognition on the tip of her tongue.
“Faron?”
She laughed as if the comment was a ludicrous insult from a half-wit.
“Who are you?” Asa asked, confused; this was not Faron, but the eyes and the snarl resembled her all too well.
The other vampires backed down, standing behind the women apprehensively.
“Of course, you won’t remember.” She replied sarcastically and threw her kill to the ground, wiping her hands on her dirtied clothes. “I was here the very first time you changed. I was there when you were born. I was Alpheus’s first creation.” She curtsied as if she was the most important person Asa would ever meet.
“You were a part of his harem?” She asked, knowing the answer. Asa knew all the women from his harem, and she had never seen this one there. “When I was born…” Asa droned on, molding the words in her mind, trying to piece together this familiar stranger’s identity.
“Dea would never allow Alpheus near me; I was his prodigy.” Asa’s clueless thoughts meant nothing to this woman as she continued on her one-track mind. She opened her arms wide and proud.
“Prodigy? I don’t understand…When I was born…” Asa repeated herself, keeping an eye on the strange women and the hovering vampires.
The stranger’s shoulders dropped, and she sighed. “He told me you weren’t the brightest, but you at least had the abilities that he needed.”
Asa took a step back, unwilling to comprehend the information she was spewing. The women continued, taking a threatening step forward. “I was his first turned witch. I told him the prophecy of the great alpha that was to be born. I led him here hundreds of years ago. He was supposed to kill the bloodline before the mongrel could be born. But, of course, the imbecile thought he could manage it; he changed me just before the attack, and I lost my abilities.” She rolled her eyes as if it was as simple as misplacing something. Asa couldn’t take in all the information, trying to process the betrayal of Alpheus. “When he heard your heart stop and start again, he was willing to risk it all for your abilities.” The women spread a handout. It was beautiful in the sun rays, perfect skin that not even the blood or dirt could hide. “I guess we can at least thank you for walking in the sun.”
Asa’s breathing grew shallow as the anger started to build up; all the heartache, pain, and betrayal vanished into fiery anger. “You’re a witch…and a vampire, a hybrid like me.” She gritted through her teeth.
“Oracle, to be precise; My magic allowed me to change and become one of the undead.”
Asa looked at the familiar face again, the face of Faron. “Aldra?” She smiled at her, the puzzle clicking into place.
“Dea didn’t like that Alpheus still wanted me even without my magic; thus, I started his harem. I wouldn’t stand for being among other witches or mistresses.” Aldra formed fists and paced back and forth. Her calm demeanor had vanished; instead, agitation was oozing from her. The other two vampires stepped closer, forcing Asa a step, sensing danger from the unstable creation.
There was a reason why hybrids meant going against nature; they were all abominations. But she was something more entirely; she was Faron’s mother, the wife of a strong alpha, a werewolf. She was also an ascending oracle. She was a vampire. She wasn’t a hybrid; she was the only monster of her kind.
“He was supposed to kill the chief and his wife, and he would have been the strongest of all. But, instead, he had to run into a pathetic thing like you! Half-human, half Lycan, and it all turned into this disaster.” The oracle’s familiar hue emanated from her, but it was different, darker. Like Keran’s hue, there was something dark and sickening about it.
“The chief’s wife? She was your daughter!” Her eyes seemed to speak of threats for the comment. She didn’t care about her own daughter or her family. She sent the vampires to kill Faron. And it was now evident that she was the reason for the attack on the pack.
“That’s the thing with these silly oracles; they always worry about the future and how to balance nature. They created you to ward off the unnatural alpha. Create one abomination to kill another.” She smiled sickeningly.
“You’re the biggest abomination of all! Oracles are supposed to help and protect the pack!” Asa’s fear of this woman trickled away slowly as she saw through the beast. How could one monster be afraid of another?
“That’s all okay; I took care of this oracle. I made sure that he paid for all the sins of the previous oracles.” She raised a hand to Asa; the blood was still fresh as she rubbed it onto her arms like lotion. Anger emerged from Asa, and her breathing grew ragged. Thinking back to the tiny boy with the dangling limbs that Keldar felt so much love for, tears threatened to spring about. “He cried for help as I hung him to the banisters and skinned him alive.”
Asa screamed and shoved the putrid woman away. She snarled, trying to attack the women, but arms enclosed around her, holding her back. Fangs plunged into her skin, and she hissed.
Bringing her head back as far as she could, she hit one’s skull, loosening the grip. Turning fast, she kicked at the other, bring it to the ground. She grabbed its jaw and ripped it off. She plunged a fist back in and grabbed at his innards, pulling until it fell a mess at her feet. She turned to the other vampire and kicked his face until teeth plopped out. The vampire tried to grab at her ankle, but she kicked it away, summoning enough force to deliver a blow that forced it to the ground. She stepped closer and stomped with all her strength, hearing the skull shatter with the impact.
She turned towards the woman and barred her fangs. Asa morphed into the hideous half-beast, the strength of a dozen wolves taking over.
“I can see what Alpheus meant; you are astonishing, but I no longer have a purpose for you.” She swung her hand and a blade hurdled towards Asa, who was barely fast enough to escape the silver tip. Another blade was released immediately after, and more seemed to appear from thin air. The blades were inhumanely fast, faster than even Asa could evade. One nipped at her skin, a burning trail flowing through her body. Distracted, another blade was embedded in her abdomen. Another found its way into her shoulder and another her leg.
Asa took a step back, poison burning through her. Asa reached for the blades and plucked them from her skin, looking at her attacker as she ceased throwing. Asa snarled and hurled the blade to Aldra, but she caught it swiftly, turning, and flung it back.
Asa caught it, throwing it to the ground as two more followed. She sidestepped into Aldra’s trap and felt a blade dig itself into her neck. Another blade plunged into Asa’s chest, and she huffed as the silver scratched her heart. She stumbled and fell to her knees, gasping in pain. Aldra walked closer, her hands in the air as the hue vibrated around her. All the air was sucked out of Asa’s lungs, and she choked on blood that boiled up.
She pushed the blade deeper into Asa until it disappeared. Then, pushing her onto her back, Asa’s hands weakly tried to claw at Alder, but she quickly swatted them away.
“You’re really weak. I don’t see what all the fuss is about, honestly.”
Asa snarled at the woman, refusing to show her weakness any more than she already did. She was in pain, writhing on the ground as poison flowed through her body. She didn’t want to scream or cry or beg for mercy either.
Aldra could torture her as much as she would like; it didn’t matter. Unfortunately, the pain didn’t seem to relieve any time soon, and Asa could feel her body heal around the daggers in her body, slowly banishing the poison in her body. It hurt this much because she was still immortal.
The thought gave her newfound strength, and she connected to a part of her that she had always been scared of. Scraping all her strength, she grabbed onto Aldra’s arm, slamming with her opposite hand and effectively breaking it. She cried out and stepped back. Relying on her Lycan genes to overtake, Asa morphed, gathering strength from her equal, her link with Keldar producing enough for her to become her greatest beast. The daggers popped out of her skin, falling like flowers at her feet.
Her jaw reformed; the elongated canines were longer than Aldra’s hands. Pouncing forward, Asa clawed at the woman, nipping at her face and breaking the skin. She backed away and held her deformed face.
She stared at Asa, a tinge of fear behind her exterior finally appearing. Asa walked closer on her deformed limbs menacingly, pushing all the pain away with the strength of Keldar. Her body was healing as well as Asa’s, aggravating both parties with their domineering traits.
I Asa snatched her head and pulled her down to the ground, punching into her rib cage. Aldra blew a breath strong enough to push Asa off her, lifting a leg and kicking into her large jaw.
She sprinted forward, bashing her head into Asa’s. She stumbled back, and Aldra took the time to pull her arm back and dropping her flat on the ground. She pushed Asa to the ground, pulling on her arm until it dislodged from the socket. This time Asa did scream but pushed through the pain.
She pressed her body into the ground and lifted half slightly, forcing Aldra to toppled to the side. With a swift weight change, Asa threw her large, animal-like leg over Aldra’s neck and squeezed as hard as she could manage. Aldra was left gauging deep indents into the suffocating leg, forcing Asa to let out more yelps. She tried to ignore the numbing pain, grabbing an arm and latching her jaw onto it. She bit hard onto the limb until it tore from Aldra’s body. She screeched and pushed forward, letting the both of them pummel and let go.
Asa stared as she clutched at her shoulder with the missing arm. She stumbled forward, as weakened as Asa but ready for another round.
Asa wasn’t sure she had the same strength as her; she was stronger than any vampire ever dealt with, she was more intelligent and more agile. Her strength was beyond any creatures; it even outmatched Keldar’s. A frightening fact that kept Asa rooted for a moment.
Aldra took another step forward, reeling to one side. Asa morphed back unwillingly, the pain unbearable as the healing slowed down to an almost humanly pace, worsening by the second.
All the power had suddenly vanished from her at once. The abominable creature in front of her sneered, and Asa tumbled back, falling onto the ground and sat, waiting for the final blow; she closed her eyes.
Asa inhaled deeply, wishing she could have enjoyed the air more - not this smoke that fumed with burnt flesh. She tried to remember that moment, the cool ground beneath her fingertips. The sound of raging fires in the distance overpowered the dying screams. The warmth of the sun on her skin with the war seems to have dissipated. She wanted to remember this moment, even if it was her last perilous second.
A growl thundered in the air, and her eyes snapped open in time to see a wolf pouncing onto the woman. It tore into her flesh, and the grisly scream escaped as she was mauled by the giant beast.
Asa tried to stand up to help Keldar, but she couldn’t gather enough strength.
The pair were ripping each other at the seams as the vampire whipped out a dagger, plunging it deep into the wolf, his canines refusing to let loose.
He held onto her and shook her with all his might, yelping with every stab wound that made him weaker.
The woman was ferociously torn apart as he threw her like a rag doll, her stabbing ceased, and he threw her to the ground. Ensuring her end with a clean decapitation.
He sat down for a second, his head bent and whining.
“Keldar,” Asa whispered towards him, sitting up. He looked her way and limped forward, trailing blood in multitude. Transforming back to human, he fell into her lap, offering a significant weight.
He pushed his head deeper into her, broken sounds of crying started. “Shhh...” She tried to soothe him, lifting a hand and softly stroke over bloodied wounds.
“They’re dead. They’re all dead.” He wailed. Asa understood then why he was willing to rest; there was no one left to save. She dragged him up to see his face. His cries turned soft and painful, her own tears adding to the broken sounds.
“I know, I know.” She whispered towards him, without mentioning anything else; what the vampire had said, why they had come to kill them all…why she had been created.
“The entire pack is dead!” He screamed into her side in agony, her heartbreaking for him. She had heard the howls and screams; she had seen the bodies littered all over, but she had hoped there was a possibility for them to survive.
He grunted in pain, and she looked down at his wounds. His body was nothing but a mangled mess, barely keeping it all together.
He sighed and slumped, all of Asa’s energy-returning; he had used her strength as she had used his. “Oh, Keldar.” She choked out, hugging him to her body. “Please… don’t die.” She choked out, holding him tighter as he grew weaker. He squeezed her powerlessly, his sobs had stopped, and his face was calm.
“Asa…” He spoke quietly. She hummed and looked at his beautiful face. Eyes closed, he seemed very peaceful. She caressed his cheek, begging for him to miraculously heal. “I love you.” Her breath was stopped with the whispers that reached her ears. She bent down and cried into his chest.
“No, please stay. We can fix you up.” She felt a hand on her cheek and looked at his face. He squinted, a soft smile on his lips.
“I don’t want to die without knowing that you love me back.” Refusing, she shook her head.
“I don’t want to lose you.” She shut her tearful eyes. The painful pounding of her heart took place over any other pain as it lumped in her throat.
Her wild hair fell against him, and with feeble fingers, he held onto the locks.
“You’ll die.” She choked through sobs.
“We’re already dying.” His voice struggled to release the words, and she could see the pain in his eyes. Staring at his face, she aimed to remember every line and crease on his face. His hand was rough and prominent as she held onto it. Although his body was heavily weighing on top of her, it was a feeling she didn’t mind at all.
She understood the want to hear those words; he was ready to accept death, and fate could grant him a way out. Bending down slowly, she touched her lips to his, feeling his wavering movement as he tried to kiss her back. Finally, she pulled away, a sincere smile hidden behind a waterfall of tears.
“I love you.”
“I know.” He whispered back, his smile growing slightly before it disappeared. His head lolled into her as his body relaxed. Asa let out a sinful cry and clutched him tightly. Taking his limp hand, she pressed it against her cheek, sobbing in despair. “I love you! I love you!” Her body shook back and forth as she confessed her feelings.
“I’m so, so, sorry.” She whispered as the pain started to subside, she could feel herself heal, but in a way, she never did before.
Asa bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead before moving her body out from under his. Her hands came into view as she inspected the perfect skin - not a scratch in sight.
Suddenly hot underneath the sun, she bent down, and with all her might, she lifted him onto her shoulders. The emotional intensity made her feel weak as she staggered back, her strength not where it once was.
Taking her time, she stumbled back to the packhouse, her skin on fire as she carried a mountain on her shoulders. A chief’s burial - that was the only thing she could think of. Keldar deserved so much more, but she didn’t know if she could do it.
Her legs became weary and filled with lead as she walked past faces she recognized, tears burning down her skin.
Asa looked down at the stinging sensation, her skin seeming to peel under the red, hot sun. She choked on sobs as she walked lonesome through a graveyard, awaiting.
She reached the house and stared at the few steps that led inside, apprehension forming.
With a huff that cried for help, she took a step forward, her leg stomping onto the wood like an attacker. Slowly, and with much strength, she took step by step, almost reaching the top, when she fumbled. Her foot caught, and she could feel Keldar slip down. In haste to reach him, she tripped and fell down the stairs.
A crack filled the air as wood splintered into her side, and she let out a bludgeoning scream. Holding onto the steak, she pulled it out, looking at the tender spot that wasn’t healing. She threw it to one side and reached out to Keldar’s body.
“Asa.” Her head turned fast, granting whiplash at the soft sound. She scrambled up, looking at the familiar face. His body was burnt severely, and the vampire poison had eaten at his flesh where it wasn’t touched with fire. She stared into the familiar green eyes, wishing she could see a different pair.
“Keran…?” She asked, confused, looking at his body that was past the point of saving.
His eyes drooped as he choked, gasping for air. He turned his head, looking at her with a blue hue in his eyes; the resembling green eyes had disappeared.
“I’m sorry…” He spoke again, “They wouldn’t have…’ He coughed, and blood dribbled from his mouth.
“Keldar’s dead.” She whispered at the man she once trusted, looking as tears poured from his eyes.
“I’m sorry…” the words tumbled out again, “I knew…I should’ve stayed…away…” Betrayal washed over her, looking down on him as he struggled to breathe. He started coughing, choking as blood boiled over. Asa crawled back, too scared and unwilling to help.
He knew?
He knew.
He knew…
She turned her head to look at Keldar, his body slumped across the stairs where she had left him. An aching pain filled her heart as she thought about the man that was so willing to give up his own happiness for his brother’s, but his brother so easily betrayed him.
She stood on her aching legs, wobbling over to Keldar, as she listened - contently - as his brother died.
He knew.
Everything? The deaths of the pack? The death of his brother? Did he know the vampires would come?
She stumbled forward, marching to her goal, clutching her throat that burned agonizingly. It felt as if something was clawing at her insides, and she stopped, folding in half. Then she felt it, the immense heat, a burning sensation that overcame her entire body. The smell came after, the burning whiff of burnt flesh.
Like an average vampire, her skin started to burn up, ashing as it drifted into the wind. Her eyes turned to where Keldar was, the dead wolf that was linked with hers - now gone, she was nothing but a pure-blooded vampire. She welcomes the slow death with open arms as it drowned out the emotional burden of losing what she loved.
Stepping forward, each step heavier than the last, she trudged closer to Keldar. The sun grew hotter like a fire trailing gasoline down her spine, and she put a hand up to the bright, blue sky. Little pieces flaking off and disappearing into the air.
Mere feet away, her body gave in, and she slumped down, ash puffing up as she became less. Asa sat back slowly, Keldar disappearing from her view until all she could see was leaves blowing from the trees. She turned her head until she had a view of the porch again and smiled.
Slowly she disappeared into the air and the earth.




The End