Aria stood firm, her hands glowing with a fierce blue light as she summoned a protective shield around her family. The wolves, led by Malakai, snarled and recoiled, momentarily repelled by her magic.
"Get away!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the forest.
Malakai's eyes narrowed, his face twisted in a snarl. He had never encountered a witch as powerful as Aria before. But he was determined to break her.
With a swift gesture, Malakai unleashed a dark blast of energy, striking Aria's shield with incredible force. The witch stumbled, her shield wavering, but she refused to yield.
The battle raged on, the two clashing in a spectacular display of magic and might. Aria's family watched in horror as the fight intensified, the air thick with spells and counter-spells.
Malakai's powers seemed to grow stronger, his darkness feeding on Aria's light. One by one, her family members fell, succumbing to Malakai's relentless attacks.
Aria's rage and grief fueled her magic, but even her formidable powers couldn't withstand Malakai's onslaught. As the last of her family fell, Aria's shield collapsed, leaving her exposed.
Malakai approached, his eyes burning with triumph. He raised his hand, ready to deliver the final blow.
But as his dark energy touched Aria's skin, something unexpected happened. She didn't flinch. She didn't die.
Malakai's eyes widened in shock. Aria was immortal.
Intrigued, Malakai lowered his hand, his mind racing with possibilities. He could use her powers for himself, exploit her immortality to strengthen his own magic.
"Yours would be a valuable addition to our pack," Malakai said, his voice dripping with seduction.
Aria's eyes blazed with defiance, but she knew she was trapped.
As the wolves gathered their captives and the ruins of the Netherlands, Elijah, the alpha of the park, approached.
"This one," Elijah said, nodding toward Aria, "should be taken to our ship, back to Wolfland."
Malakai's face darkened, his possessiveness stirring. "She's mine," he growled.
Elijah raised an eyebrow. " I get to decide her fate, not you."
Malakai's eyes flashed with anger, but he knew better than to challenge Elijah openly. For now, he would bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment to claim Aria as his own.
As the wolves dragged Aria away, Malakai's whispered promise echoed through the forest: "You will be mine, Aria. Soon."
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Here's the expanded chapter:
The ship sailed triumphantly through the choppy waters, the wolves' jubilant howls echoing across the seas. They celebrated their crushing victory over the Netherlands, their spoils of war – captives, treasure, and territory.
But amidst the revelry, Elijah, the Alpha, sat brooding in his captain's quarters. His eyes gazed out the window, lost in thought. Axel, his beta, knocked on the open door.
"Alpha."
Axel's voice broke the silence.
"Enter," Elijah replied, his tone flat.
Axel stepped inside, a broad smile on his face. "It's a great win, neh? The Netherlands will never forget the Blackwood Pack's wrath."
Elijah grunted, his expression unchanging.
Axel's smile faltered. "You finally got your revenge... and solidified your place as Alpha. You did it!"
Elijah's gaze shifted, his eyes piercing. "It wasn't even a fight. We just invaded some powerless nation and claimed victory."
Axel's enthusiasm waned. "But... it was a necessary victory. They killed your parents, left you scarred. This was justice."
Elijah's jaw clenched. "Justice? This was slaughter. We took advantage of their weakness. Where's the honor in that?"
Axel's brow furrowed. "You're not proud of what we've achieved?"
Elijah's shoulders sagged. "I thought I'd feel... fulfilled. But it's just emptiness. Something's missing."
Axel approached, his voice softening. "Maybe it's because you've carried this burden for so long. Revenge can't bring back what's lost."
Elijah's gaze drifted to the window once more. "I know. But I expected... more. A sense of closure, perhaps."
Axel placed a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "Time will heal, Elijah. And our pack will prosper under your leadership."
Elijah nodded, though his eyes remained troubled.
As Axel departed, Elijah's thoughts returned to the Netherlands' fallen people, and the white-haired lady.
Elijah's boots echoed through the dimly lit corridors of the ship's lower deck, where the captives were held. The air reeked of dampness and despair. Malakai's "generosity" was evident in the magical bindings that suppressed the prisoners' powers.
As Elijah approached the cells, he spotted Aria, her white hair a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding her. She curled into a corner, eyes vacant, lifeless.
"Bring me the one with white hair," Elijah ordered the guards.
The guards unlocked her cell, and Aria's limp form was dragged out. One guard sneered, "She's a virgin, Alpha. I can feel it. Her pussy is gotta be tight."
Elijah's glare silenced the guard. "Leave us."
The guards departed, leaving Elijah alone with Aria. His chambers, adorned with dark wood paneling and flickering torches, seemed to shrink, overwhelmed by the weight of her despair.
Aria's eyes, once bright with defiance, now seemed dull, empty. Elijah's thoughts flashed back to the day he lost his parents. The same lifelessness haunted her gaze.
"Sit," Elijah commanded, nodding toward a sturdy wooden stool.
Aria didn't flinch.
"I told you to sit!" Elijah's thunderous voice shook the room, the wolf within him stirring.
The ship fell silent, the crew and guards trembling at the Alpha's wrath. But Aria remained unmoved, lost in her grief.
Elijah's gaze roamed her face, searching for a glimmer of the fiery spirit he'd seen during the battle. Instead, he found only a deep, abiding sorrow.
Aria's thoughts were consumed by her family's lifeless bodies, left unburied and forgotten. Her only wish was to join them, to escape the agony of living without those she loved.
As Elijah's eyes locked onto hers, Aria's vacant stare seemed to pierce his very soul. For the first time, he questioned the true cost of his revenge.
The silence between them thickened, heavy with unspoken emotions. Elijah's wolf, sensing Aria's hopelessness, whimpered softly, a rare display of empathy.
The Alpha's grip on his emotions faltered, and for an instant, Aria saw a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. But it vanished, replaced by the hardened mask of the Blackwood Pack's leader.
"Tell me, witch," Elijah said, his voice softer, "what drives you to surrender to death so readily?"
Aria's response was a barely audible whisper: "Nothing remains."
He saw her fight malakai. She's a very powerful witch, he can tell.
Elijah's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "There must be something. A reason to keep fighting."
Aria's vacant stare deepened. "My family... gone. Nothing left."
Elijah's jaw clenched. He knew the pain of loss, the emptiness that followed. But he had never surrendered.
"Your magic," he pressed on. "You have incredible power. Use it to reclaim what's lost."
Aria's laughter was a hollow, mirthless sound. "My magic can't bring them back."
Elijah's face twisted in frustration. He couldn't comprehend her willingness to give up.
Suddenly, the ship's door burst open. Malakai strode in, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Alpha, I see you're getting acquainted with our prized captive."
Elijah's eyes flashed a warning. "Leave us, Malakai."
Malakai's grin widened. "Oh, I think I'll stay. This concerns me."
Aria's gaze flickered to Malakai, her expression darkening.
"Malakai," Elijah growled, "this doesn't concern you."
Malakai's eyes sparkled with amusement. "But it does. You see, Alpha, I have plans for our little witch."
Elijah's wolf snarled, sensing the threat.
"Plans?" Elijah repeated, his voice dripping with menace.
Malakai's smile never wavered. "Yes. Plans to unlock her true potential... and make her mine."
Aria's eyes flashed with defiance, and for an instant, Elijah saw a glimmer of the fiery spirit he'd admired.
"Never," she spat, her voice venomous.
Malakai chuckled. "We'll see about that."
Elijah's gaze locked onto Malakai, a silent challenge issued.
This was far from over.