Cole's POV:
A voice would break over the intercom,
"Welcome back to Lycanthrope! It's been a long time since our last session! How long has it been, months? We haven't had a show ever since the fires spread and ran us out of our homes back in Dragavei's first territory. How is everyone doing tonight? I know you're ready to see some blood shed so I'll make this quick. BETS are called final in exactly five minutes."
I heard the distant bell tolling on the intercom as the device shut off.
I was standing in the middle of a community pool, with noise buzzing over my head. This was the community pool down at the town square where my pack spent various free time. This was condemned a couple years back due to the lack of funding. It was run down with barely any wall structure left.
The fire that I set, the night I helped free werewolves from the warehouse, burned down everything in Lamia's territory. The Vampire's were forced to leave during that time period and Lamia's territory relocated itself into the unoccupied territory my family home was left behind at. It happened several months ago. The vampires couldn't control the fire due to being unable to approach thanks to the light it emitted. They let it spread and burn down the nearby forest. It burned for two weeks straight until the rain came.
I could smell the adrenaline running through the vampire's emotions as they surrounded me from up above. The pool was ten feet deep. Towering above my head. The windows were covered with planks of wood to block out any sunlight from getting through. As if there would be any. It was the middle of the night, now. The pool was vacant of any water.
Strobe lights lit the room and a light roar of pop music came from a DJ booth that was distracting the crowd. A barbed wire fence wrapped around the pool meant to keep me inside. There was dry blood splattered across the walls of the pool and some running off towards the pool drain.
I felt my head pulsing from the hangover I was feeling from the night before. I could still taste wolfweiser under my breath. Jameson slipped me a six pack. Which made me a little dehydrated tonight.
Jameson was one of the guards tasked with keeping tabs on me. It was to ensure I stayed within the territory and came to Lamia when summoned. Though she's remained out of my sight and mind.
He was one of them, a vampire. Jameson was an average height guy, at about five, six. He was pale like the rest of the undead. With dark circles under his eyes. He was healthy. With marble skin that tightened and showed off his unnatural muscles. He was always flexing them when around me. He had a great sense of humor, finding any situation to be laughable. He had dirty blonde hair and facial features that made me believe he was Europeans.
There was also Felix, who had a Transylvanian accent. He stayed the most quiet out of the two and was more serious when it came to pushing me around. I believed it wasn't just that he lacked emotions when it came to my situation. In fact he had more than enough to fill a cup. He ruled loathing me- but not me peculiarly- but my species entirely.
Jameson slipped up one night and told me it was because Felix had lost his family to a rogue attack. I could understand why he hated my kind. I also was beginning to harbor these feelings for vampires. We had a lot in common.
"I told you this was too dangerous. What if he can't take on his opponent? Look at how small he is- Lamia specifically told us to keep him alive," I could hear Jameson's worry in his voice from up above as he stood with his hands hidden in the pockets of his puma hoodie. Felix stood a little off next to him, he wasn't exactly facing anything in particular. He was staring straight at a wall. This had been his suggestion all along.
I needed an opportunity to do something that would be too risky and Felix needed his next rush of adrenaline. Plus he was betting on me to die. None of this was approved by Jameson however. Especially since if I died they would be in trouble. It only mattered to Jameson if I lived. He rather liked his immortality. Jameson ended up swinging a light punch toward Felix in an attempt to make him pay attention. His hand collided with the other's chest and echoed down to my ears.
"F- What do you want, James?"
"I said he's not going to live, you idiot! Go tell them we're pulling him out of the deal."
"Stop acting foolish and keep your voice down. It'll be a good show."
"What?! You aren't actually letting this happen are you? This is serious- if he dies we're screwed!"
"He won't die, look at him. He needs something to do and this is it."
"This is not it," Jameson hissed through his sharp teeth. "You bastard! It's my life on the line now too. Not just yours." I heard Jameson begin to snap his fingers to call for my attention. "Hey! You better not die, Cole! I have money on you."
So Jameson bet I would live while Felix bet I would die. Despite Felix already growing confident I would survive this somehow because he let me come here. Surely he wasn't lunatic enough to risk his own life to kill me here.
I looked up at them as I caught desperation staring back at me as Jameson was biting his nails from a terrible human habit he brought with him to his immortality. His nails were bit back beyond repair. He was bleeding this time from ripping off his pinky nail from the anxiety. Jameson was something special in my eyes. He wasn't like the other vampires. He felt different emotions more strongly and consumed his nightly habits in fear. Everything was worry-some to his eyes. Unless he was drunk. Then he was a different story. He was the clown of the show when he let his guard down. I knew Jameson was better drunk than sober.
His singular joke to sign me up for Lycanthrope's first match tonight was made over a drink. It turned into this reality he couldn't be able to take back. Not after getting Felix involved.
"I've already seen the size of his opponent," Jameson whispered low to Felix. "It's a rogue alpha."
I flinched from his words. I wish I didn't hear that. I was trembling now from the thought of going up against someone that much stronger than me. I was GOING to die. They rigged this game! That's not fair. There was no way I would survive from a regular rogue match let alone an alpha rogue.
The intercom turned back on while my nerves were still high from Jameson's words. My heart raced. "Gather around," the voice over the intercom sung out. It was a new light female's voice. A voice of a demon to my ears. I flinched at the voice. People began to gather around the pool side to look down at me. I circled the pool with no other choice as they began to mock my size. Insults flying back and forth across the pool in debate about the bets placed. "One minute left to go."
I could hear the clicking of another wolf's paws drag across the concrete floor. I heard a growl rip through the air as frustration broke my panic. I knew I was about to be faced with him and I didn't want to show my fear. I couldn't give him any ounce of weakness.
"Last call for bets!" I heard the voice shouting over the cheer of the crowd. I could smell excitement enter the air as the wolf was let through the one exit out of the pool to the north side of the pool where the shallow hill went up to the three foot side. It was heavily guarded as he was thrown over the wire and tossed in like a catfish. A silence struck the air when the wolf hit the pool floor. I growled, my roar ripping through the silence. The crowd shook the room from their excitement. I knew instantly this was all a game for them- but this was life or death for us. I was here to win.
I needed someone to take my frustration out on and a rogue was the perfect target- the only one available. The fear faded from my chest as I lost all control of myself. Instincts kicked in as the wolf got to his feet. I started up the hill for him. I wouldn't cut corners. He saw me coming and was quick to his feet. He braced himself as I got up the hill and froze. My legs locked in place when our sizes compared themselves and I was left looking up into the hollow out eyes of a soulless rogue.
The rogue bowed downward as he showed his fangs at me. He snapped them as a growl erupted through his throat and had me beat by sound. The floor shook as the crowd surrounding the pool came closer and stomped in their cheers. It was a rush I had been waiting for as I growled back viciously. He jumped for me and suddenly his weight crashed into mine. We tumbled as his jaws locked down onto my throat but came loose when I crushed my weight into him at the bottom of the hill. I heard his jaw snap as it broke open. I could smell blood as I yanked away from him last fall. I ran away towards the wall. My snout pounding as I jumped up to the side of the wall and pushed it off. As suspected, the wolf was right behind me. I was sent flying into him as I knocked him back down into the floor. I landed a few feet from him and took off towards the top of the pool.
"Kill him!" I heard someone in the crowd yell out my way. I knew it was meant for me. "Why are you running?" I had a feeling it was coming from Felix.
"BEHIND YOU!" I heard Jameson trying to overpower everyone's voice.
I felt something sharp cut into my tail and I was brought to the ground and dragged down the hill. I whined as yells cheered on the rogue. I flipped around and snapped my jaws at the rogue and our mouths collided. I slid into him when we were distracted and we tumbled back down as I fought to sink my teeth into his throat. He snapped his jaws against mine and a surge of pain rushed through me as he bit down into my flesh before ripping away. Blood gushed out of my skin and poured over my mouth. I could taste the iron hints in my liquid. The foul taste sending me into a gag as I refused to swallow. I spat as I got away from the wolf to try and get the taste out.
He didn't hesitate as he threw himself at me and I was forced to dive under. I pounced under his body in a split second and snapped my jaws into his soft flesh. I caught him as his body took me under his weight. I tore a piece out of his flesh before repeatedly biting into him. He squirmed under me and tried to crush my neck with his weight but I snapped my jaws faster. I tore into his flesh before getting to his ribs. I needed to kill him with his heart. I have to break through him to end him. I was determined as I used my paws to help me break one of his ribs.
I yanked with my jaws until one snapped between my jaws. I heard him howl in pain as I was outsmarting him. I could feel him forcing to shift back as his wolf absolutely refused to stay with the pain. I had him as I beat my jaws into his chest and crushed his lungs first. My snout led me into his heart as I tore it out and spit it for the crowd. I brushed off the weight of the human corpse. My eyes locked with his own empty ones. No longer gleaming alive. They were faded now with a pained expression written all over his face. His wolf had slipped from him and forced him to suffer an ultimate death.
"Holy shit!" I heard Jameson yell out towards Felix. I glanced around to find them still close to the edge. I was panting as I felt my legs giving out on me. I was exhausted as the blood poured from my snout. He had given me a pretty harsh wound. I just hoped it wouldn't affect my face when I transformed. "I can't believe I just won!" I heard him shouting over the crowd before rushing off to collect his money. Felix walked over to the shallow side of the pool as if to come get me. He held my clothes in my hand from where I had shifted out of form. I walked up the hill to him without hesitation and transformed in front of everyone. I snatched my clothes from him as I began to put them on. A few people slipped past us and were running up to the dead rogue. I finished getting dressed and even slipped on some slides. I brought my hand up to my face shakily as I felt it pulsing from a wound. It wasn't good as I yanked my hand away when it burned. I hissed and looked towards Felix.
"You bet I would die?" I asked him as I glared him down. He gave me the same look as if he wished I would challenge him. I rolled my eyes and walked away from him to head up the stairs and leave the pool.
"Bring your mutt back anytime," I heard a girl shouting towards Jameson as he took money from her at a table.
"Oh, I won't!" Jameson promised as he look at us. Felix had been right behind me. He wouldn't let me out of his eye sight. Not even to go to the bathroom.
"Hey," I heard a voice get directed at us. I stopped to turn around and looked for her voice as I found my eyes staring across the pool and landing on... her.
The piercing eyes I long forgotten were staring me down. Cold blooded. Murderous witch. Her icy glaze was emotionless. It was Lamia. This vampire Queen staring holes into my head was a woman worth every ounce of hatred I've ever felt for another being.
I thought I gave up these useless feelings for this life... I had settled on the idea of never going home. I had been looking for a way out for so long. I wanted to pass away. I wanted to be long away from the idea of escaping or happiness. But, it looks like I was wrong to forget about her.
She had the face of a siren. A seductress. With a clever way of getting any man to do as she pleased. I saw this as she moved men away from her as her eyes were only for me now. She was a demon in disguise. Her eyes were soulless. She was hollow. Even in the rogue there was something normal to him. She was empty inside. Like a void. She had a hunter's apparel about her. She was dangerous. Frightening really.
She was hiding that beauty under a cloak. Something I've become aware of. Vampires used them to move around in sunlight. That didn't prevent me from seeing her as she truly was. This stature of a woman... was a predator. With porcelain skin that was lacking blood flow. She had been starving. Like a hungry animal. She had waited for this exact moment. It wasn't that she was hear for me. But, for her own pleasure. Felix and Jameson were sure to be in trouble now. She had spotted them disobeying her orders and now they would pay for it. I just don't understand why she won't leave my eyes alone. It was all down to this for her. She didn't look so good... really. She had stained red lips from worn off lipstick. A shade that wasn't doing her face any justice. Her once silver hair was now graying in the light. My disgust reflected in her eyes. She had been her for pleasure in seeing a good fight. Little did she imagine she would get dinner right after a show.
"Meynard," I heard her say and I flinched. He moved out from under a dark cloak as he unmasked himself next to her. He terrified me as the flashes of my brother's death flashed before my eyes. I could never forget seeing my brother be slashed apart. How the blood splattered all over my body. I remembered it all too well. "Is that the descendant from Fang?"
"Jameson, Felix," Meynard's warning voice made their heads turn their way. Meynard still looked the same from the last time we met. He was still bald but with an old hairy beard. He was disgusting to me the most.
"We can explain!" Jameson shouted as he stepped forward and balled up the money in his hand. "Nothing happened, he's alive," he said as he pointed at me. Felix stepped away from me slightly as if to distance himself from the situation.
"It was Jameson's idea," Felix said quickly and I blinked in astonishment. He said what now?