Lord Talon raises his hand in the air and lowers me to the ground. As he takes my dagger from my hands, I try to grip it tighter, but his telekinesis stops me. I look at him, surprised, as he takes my dagger and cuts the rope from my wrists. I give him a confused look. The wind picks up and blows his long dark wavy hair across his face.
‘Whether your wrists are bound or unbound. Either way, it will not stop you from trying to kill me or running away, but your wound, Lylah,’ he says and softly caresses his fingers beside it. His eyes suddenly turn black from blood lust, and his breathing intensifies, but he quickly regains control, stopping himself from tasting my blood again. I want to slap his fingers away, but I can’t. Instead, the warm feeling from his touch makes my eyes close. ‘You need your wolf to heal it, so Soren and Nadia stop blood lusting for you. They are blood flames and should only be craving each other’s blood for feeds. They shouldn’t be blood lusting after you like this, and if they are, then so will other vampires. I need you to know you aren’t a prisoner, Lylah, but you have to stay by my side at all times if you want to live.’
I’m suddenly released from his power and now able to move. He turns his back to me as if protecting me and uses his power to hold Soren and Nadia away from me. They hiss like feral animals.
How am I supposed to heal when I don’t have a wolf? Should I just run and escape while I can? But what if Lord Talon is telling the truth that vampires will hunt me for my blood? Why would I have to stay by his side in order to live? Is it to protect me from his kind, or is there something else I’m unaware of? My biggest question is why he would even want to protect me. Why does he want me to live? Why does he seem to care if I die?
Soren is fighting against Lord Talon’s telekinesis and can move slowly against his power. I wonder how he is able to move even if it is slowly against the telekinesis when I couldn’t even budge an inch.
Then I remember how Soren was able to make warriors from my pack fly high into the air with a single punch, which makes me realise Soren has super strength! They all have their own unique power.
Lord Talon turns his head to look at me, ‘What are you waiting for? Shift! Isn’t that how your kind heals quickly?’ he yells.
I bite my lip and look at my feet. I don’t know what to do. I turn around and look at the mountains contemplating whether to run. Then I turn back to face Lord Talon. He looks at the mountains and realises I’m considering to flee.
But then suddenly, Nadia screams, sending me onto my knees as I clutch my hands over my ears in pain. Lord Talon is still trying to hold them both away from me, but he is beginning to struggle.
‘You can’t run away, Lylah! You will die! You need to shift to heal so Soren and Nadia can control themselves,’ he yells.
Tears begin to form, ‘I-I can’t shift,’ I reply.
Lord Talon stares at me with confusion. ‘What are you talking about?’ he asks.
‘I haven't got a wolf. I can’t shift, and I’ll never be able to shift. I-I’m human,’ I say and wipe the tear from my cheek.
‘That can’t be right. I could taste the power flowing through your blood. You aren’t human,’ he says.
Nadia stops screaming and resumes trying to wriggle free from Lord Talon’s power.
‘I’m telling you I have no wolf. Therefore, I cannot shift. Therefore, I cannot immediately heal! So, you will have to find another way to stop these monste-‘ Lord Talon gives me a look to not dare finish the words. ‘To stop Soren and Nadia,’ I rephrase.
‘Well, wands! You know how to make things worse, don’t you?’ he says.
‘What in the wands is that supposed to mean?’ I say angrily and storm right up to him. My hands are on my hips, and I stand in front of him, glaring into his eyes.
‘You need to wash the blood from your hands and face in the river. It might help stop the blood lust. Just don’t bloody fall in the water this time,’ he growls.
Furious, I yell at him, ‘No! You didn’t answer my question. How on this earth did I make this situation worse? Huh! You’re the one going around murdering everyone! You’re the ones who kidnapped me! But no, it’s me who has made things worse for you! You’re the one who destroyed my entire life!’
I grab my dagger from his waist, but this time I turn to stab Soren and Nadia.
‘Wands!’ he curses as he grabs my wrist and retrieves my dagger, releasing Soren and Nadia from his power. They lunge toward me, but Lord Talon pulls me into his chest, wraps his large cloak around me, and leaps high into the air over them. He lands safely on the ground holding me protectively but immediately runs.
‘Why are you so stubborn? For moon's sake, Lylah, can you not go five minutes without trying to stab someone?’ he growls, clutching me as tight as possible against his chest.
‘Well, why are you doing this? Why do you keep saving me? Why don’t you just let them kill me? I don’t understand what you need me for,’ I argue back, clinging onto his shirt and leaning against his warm, muscular chest.
Lord Talon’s breathing calms, and his voice softens, ‘There is a good reason why I won’t let anyone harm or kill you. In time you will know.’
‘Know what? What don’t I know?’ I ask, confused.
‘Now is not the time for you to know. I’ll already be sleeping with one eye open around you as it is. The last thing I need is to sleep with both eyes open,’ he frowns.
‘You say that as if I will be staying with you long term. I need to go home! My family will be looking for me, you know! They are strong and not like normal werewolves. My father is a Lycan and the Alpha, and my mother is a witch and werewolf! They will come for me, and they will kill you all! So, I suggest you put me down, let me finish killing you because you will be killed anyway at the hands of my parents. Then I can return home to be miserable and lonely like before all of this, but at least I’ll have some kind of peace knowing you are dead.’
Lord Talon slows down his pace and stares intently at me, ‘You’re a hybrid and the daughter of Alpha Maximus?’ he says, surprised. ‘Could it be witch's magic I could taste in your blood?’
‘Sorry to burst your bubble Lord Talon but I already told you I’m human. Which means I can’t shift nor can I cast magic!’
‘Have you tried?’ he asks.
‘Are you kidding me? Have I tried?’ I let out a manic laugh that disturbs Lord Talon enough to come to a stop and put me down.
He watches me as I take a few steps back. ‘Aqua bedew! Inferno Flamo! Lifto Levitatous!’ I say out loud and flick my hands towards him. But, of course, as expected, nothing happens. ‘So, you can see, Lord Talon, if I were able to wield magic like my mother and her mother before her, I would have already cast you on fire and turned you into a pile of ash!’ I shout.
He holds his elbow with one hand and holds his chin with the other hand, and stares at me in thought. ‘A beautiful girl, born from a Lycan and hybrid wolf-witch that can’t shift or wield magic. Yet, has blood full of immense power like nothing I’ve ever tasted before?’
He can’t truly think I’m beautiful? I’m sure he would change his mind the moment he sees my scars. Not that he would ever be given a chance to see them. As he stares at me in thought, his demeanour changes. He now stares at me with sadness, but I don’t want his pity.
I look away, upset, ‘Yes, I get it. I’m a freak, okay!? No need to remind me,’ I say, turning to walk away before he can see the tears forming in my eyes.
In a flash, Lord Talon suddenly appears in front of me, bringing me to a halt.
‘I don’t think you’re a freak,’ he says, surprising me, ‘You mentioned you were miserable and lonely back home. Why?’
‘You already know why. It’s because of you I’m miserable and lonely! You will never be able to stop me from killing you. I’m unstoppable,’ I say, bravely taking a step closer to him, ignoring the rogue tear escaping my eye.
Lord Talon stares at me, confused as to how he has caused me so much pain and loneliness. He then takes a step closer, closing the gap between us and uses his thumb to wipe the escaped tear running down my cheek—his dark blue eyes boar sadly into mine. ‘You might be unstoppable, Lylah, but you’re not unbreakable,’ he says.
‘How would you know?’
His eyes look even deeper into mine. My breath catches, and my heart deceives me and flutters in my chest.
‘Because you're already broken,’ he says.
I burst into tears and fall to the ground onto my knees and cry. Lord Talon kneels in front of me and pulls me onto his lap. I know I should stop him, but I don’t. He holds me tenderly in his arms until I can no longer cry.