Chapter 8.
Enemies.
Lilian.
Numb.
That was all I was feeling at this moment. As the Alpha King advanced towards us with the silver chains in hand, all I could do was slump my shoulders in surrender.
"You will kill a pack member just to hurt the Predator?" Hailey asked the Alpha King shakily.
"I've done it once before already," He said as his eyes fixated on mine. Was he referring to my family?
"Is it true?" I had to ask. "Is it true that my family never really killed the Alpha and his wife?"
An evil smirk formed on his face as he twirled the silver chains before giving me an answer. "How can your weak family take on an Alpha and his family? We just needed a scapegoat and they were at the right place at the right time."
"But...why?" My voice broke as I listened to him.
"What of my siblings? They were also innocent. My family was innocent!"
"Or that's just what you think..." He said and nodded to the men who surrounded us.
As they closed in on us, a shrill scream could be heard piercing the cold night sky.
There was fear in the eyes of the Alpha King as he rushed towards me and backed me into him, a strong arm around my neck. I could feel the fear that was coursing through his veins as his eyes scanned the surroundings for any form of attack.
"Any step further, and I would kill her without a single form of hesitation!" I heard the fear in his voice as he spun around with me in his arms, my body moving without any form of resistance.
"You'd be dead before you see anything coming." A low voice in the pack grounds said.
And in an instant, half of the male warriors who surrounded us fell to the ground with something glistening at each of their bodies.
I let out a shaky breath as I realised that it was their hearts, plucked out from their bodies.
"A vampire!" The Alpha King said, gritting his teeth in anger.
I felt myself hyperventilating. Was this how the rest of my life would be? Constantly getting attacked by anyone and everyone?
"I'm sure we are all after the same thing." The Alpha King said in a hard voice behind me. "We all have one common enemy. The Predator. His mate is our target. We should work together to bring him down."
A cold and sinister laugh filtered through the woods as a tall and well built man stepped out of the shadows. He was in fancy clothing, looking all refined and poised as he stepped forward slowly.
"Damien," The vampire said icily, "The Predator is your target, not mine. His mate is my target, so, hand her over."
"And why would I do that?" The Alpha King responded with the same intensity of coldness in his voice. "I want her dead. I want him to feel what we have all felt after he destroyed our families!"
"Don't make me ask again, Damien." The vampire replied again, seemingly unperturbed about the pain in Alpha King's voice.
"Just because you have a gift in speed doesn't mean anything, little vampy. I'm the Alpha King, and I will kill you within a heartbeat!"
"How did that work out for you when I staked your mate and the witch you were cheating on her with?"
The grip around my neck loosened as the Alpha King staggered backwards and away from me.
"N-no... No... That can't be possible. You can't be him..." The Alpha King stuttered as he stepped backwards. "Hayes?"
"In the flesh." The vampire seemed to glower at the reaction of the Alpha King. He smiled. And under the moonlight was one of the most breathtaking things I ever saw in my lifetime.
"You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!"
"Bold of you to assume that Wilder Hayes can be killed."
I knew it was futile to run from a vampire. He could catch me and snap my neck at any time. Instead of running, I cuddled myself into Hailey who was knocked out unconscious when Alpha King and his cronies had me surrounded.
I curled myself into a ball as the vampire named 'Wilder Hayes' made his way towards me. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest, thinking back to my miserable life and how it was going to end anytime soon...
"Hello there, Lilian." He said slowly as he reached my side, squatting beside me. He smelled of... Peaches?
"Just get it over with." I said, about to close my eyes and let whatever that was going to happen to happen.
"What?" There was a look of confusion on his face.
"You want to kill me? Get it over with already." I closed my eyes as I said so, waiting for the strike to come.
"Heh..." There was a soft chuckle beside me. "I want to kill you, Lilian. I really do. But your mate thinks it's just okay to put me on bodyguard duties."
"I'm sorry, what?" I opened one eye as I stared at him in disbelief. "Bodyguard?"
"Unfortunately." His face twisted in a frown. "I'd rather be doing something productive right now, than babysitting Daemon's weak mate."
"But... You are a vampire!" I pointed out.
"Duh..." He rolled his eyes at me as if his nature wasn't already obvious.
"And you're working for a werewolf?"
"When you put it like that, it sounds kinda annoying. But you're right, so..." He shrugged as he smiled at me again. "Besides, Daemon is a predator and not just any other werewolf. He would've been here instead of sulking in his house that you've thrown him out of your life."
"I..." I was stunned when Daemon was mentioned. I felt really grateful that he still thought about me even after I chose the pack.
"You don't need to say anything, my dear. I only need to convince you to reject Daemon as your mate."
A small gasp of surprise left my lips as he said that.
"Why? Why would you say that? Isn't he your friend? Why would you want him not to be mated with his fated mate?"
Wilder scoffed, a lock of golden brown hair falling towards his left eye. "Daemon is a Predator, the strongest thing the supernatural world has ever seen. First of all, he shouldn't even have a mate. That's a curse for all Predators, and he is the first one in history to have a mate."
"So? It means the curse is lifted. Isn't that so? Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"
Wilder eyed me, ignoring my question and continuing with what he was saying. "The curse is still there if he is mated to something like you."
Something?
"Something?"
"Don't let that bother you. But, honestly, you're like the weakest thing in this pack. Do you even have a wolf that could protect you?" He asked as he looked into my eyes.
How did he know I didn't have a wolf? I think he could see the questions in my eyes as he shook his head and continued.
"I can smell you, Lilian. You have the smell of a human." He put a finger over his pointed nose and swiped it vigorously. "And you know what it means for a werewolf to smell like a human. It means you're the weakest of them all, and that also means that Daemon is still cursed as he has been mated to something so weak that its life can be snuffed out at any second."
"It's like a joke the moon goddess is playing on him." We heard a beautiful female voice behind us, and turning, my eyes widened in awe.
She was the most beautiful woman I ever laid my eyes on. She had the ethereal beauty of a goddess as she made her way to us. I was stuck in a trance, drinking in her beauty.
"I wonder why he even cares to protect something like you." Her voice was mocking as she stepped closer to me. "There's nothing even special about you. Even if you were human, you'd be the weakest type of human in the human world."
I could feel the immense power radiating off her as she came even closer. I had never seen a woman with this strong aura before. She bent low, coming to the same height as Wilder who was squatting.
"You look even more terrible than I imagined."
"W-wh-who are you?" I couldn't help but ask as her eyes had started glowing in what I could call resentment.
"Oliver Rosewood. Daemon's girlfriend, and soon to be fiancée."