Chapter 30
LOU RIVERS
I stood by a nearby tree, my back on it and hands in my pocket, inhaling the stale air around: the metallic scent of blood.
I lost track of time but it has been awhile since Maggie and the enemy woman fought.
As I watched them ripping each other, I did not know what exactly to feel or what I felt back then but I am certain that pity surpassed other emotions I had.
I pitied the woman and I pitied more— my crying friend.
'yeah'
Maggie was crying—
She was crying not because she's losing the fight but— but of the outburst of her emotions.
Everything that has happened to her: the pain, the terror, the helplessness, the near death experience, those had reached an unfathomable depth within her; a certain depth none has ever reached before.
As her alpha, I was able to feel that.
With her new found strength, she was able to turn the tide into her favor.
The woman at that point was already a bloody mess and of a withered body. Her eyes were half shut, barely able to open them full anymore. She was that tired, that weak already.
With that, unable to move a muscle, she just let where Maggie's every strike tossed her to.
She was that helpless.
With my friend, her every punch, her every kick was accompanied by a frustrating scream and of a hoarse cry, earning a grunt from the enemy woman everytime.
I watched Maggie unleashed the beast in her.
Also, I heard the sound of her pounding blood growing louder and so was everything: anger, hatred, rage and most of all, self loathe.
'yeah'
'Self loathe'
Her helplessness a moment ago; her being powerless, she loathed that feeling.
Hence, she was channeling that simmering emotion to her every punch and kick at her opponent; to the one who caused her all that pain.
Blow by blow, she was screaming, crying at the same time.
It was heart wrenching.
The woman—
The woman, any block tried was weak, so she was staggering backwards with every blow from Maggie and before her body falls, my friend was already there to catch her—
Well, to catch her with another hard kick or punch, that is.
She did not let her opponent's battered body to hit the ground at all. It either flew backwards or sideways.
And just when I thought Maggie was done, as she just stood there unmoving while the gravity was pulling down the almost lifeless body of the enemy woman, with speed, she ran and threw out a fast jab sending it to the woman's ribs, earning a satisfying crunch.
'a grunt'
Another low and defeated grunt was heard.
Then, with Maggie's last falling tear, she gritted her teeth, swung a kick, sailing cleanly on the woman's stomach, sending the body towards a tree.
I saw—
I saw how that body bounced its back on that tree, vomiting a lump of blood along.
And in a split second, my friend appeared— like a ghost in thin air, swinging the leaf-shaped dagger of silver she picked up. With force, she buried it deep into the woman's chest, piercing the heart.
Not pulling the dagger, she backed a step away after the enemy woman took her last breath.
With shoulders drooped down, Maggie remained standing and there was complete silence surrounding us and I dare not broke that.
Then I glanced at Marc, who remained sitting on the ground with a frown, eyes staring still on my blood on his legs.
He was still at it— undecided.
Maggie's fierce battle a moment ago, without noticing, got us back to where Marc was.
Then I rushed to catch her when I noticed her body slowly falling down the ground.
She collapsed—
The boost my blood had caused her came to an end.
'yeah'
It ended—
It was just a temporary surge of power caused by licking my blood for the first time.
So I caught her, held her in my arms. She was like a withered plant with all the broken bones that she had.
Then I froze, slowly sliding into confusion when I felt that odd feeling yet familiar.
I turned to Marc, and he was bent down licking my blood.
I stood staring at him but he did not met my gaze and I once again commended him as he just remained seated despite the surge of power circulating in his being.
I saw some of his veins popping out trying to control himself down.
His control— I commend that.
But why?
Why did he do that?
Why did he licked my blood?
"Why Marc?" I mind linked him personally, we now have a bond.
I had to ask.
I had to—
There was no point of him licking my blood after everything has been settled down.
There was no more enemy for him to need my blood, for him to hold on a rope to live on.
So why?
He smiled a bitter one, still not meeting my gaze. There, I saw a falling tear.
"I had to," he spoke, his voice cracked.
"I had to, so Maggie won't be alone regretting this slavery."
'slavery'
I flinched at the word.
"This is the least I could do, so I could share her burden," he continued.
"So when she wakes up, she won't be alone facing the consequence of her decision."
"I will be with her through it all."
As much as I admire his bravery, his care, his sacrifice for Maggie, or was it love? I don't know, but I can't deny the ping of pain from the words he uttered and it pissed me off that he still did not look me in the eyes after spouting all those.
"Look at me," I spoke but he did not heed.
"I said look at me!" I yelled, authority sipped through my voice and that made him to flinch and met my gaze with terror.
I wasn't angry, I was just— disappointed.
That was it—
'disappointed'
I looked him in the eyes. I was hoping he could see the truth through my orbs; that I am different from what our kind say; that I am not like the one in the books of history— but who was I kidding?
He won't see all that just by a glance of a moment. So, I inhaled deeply and gave him my disappointed smile.
"People are quick to judge," I spoke.
"My predecessors," I paused. "Does anybody of you asked or discussed what triggered them to be murderers?"
"Have you Marc?"
"Have you even tried to know why they became like that?"
"Have you even tried to understand?"
"I bet you haven't"
"Surely, by how they reacted, by how they ripped your ancestors throat, that's all you know, right?"
I paused a moment.
"And I am not them Marc," I said with a grave tone.
"Everyone is trying to piece me together in a way that makes sense to them."
"But I know myself better than them, than you."
"I am me."
"I am not who you think I am nor the tongues or the books say I am."
"Don't mistake me for something I am not."
"Know me better."
"That's all— I ask."