The Dominance Equation: Unveiling Darkness

Chapter 32: Play With Fire

A medium-built man, Jeson Lautner, He ascended as one of the deputies of the Lunar Pack after three of the deputies were killed in the Nocturne Coven and Lunar Pack's secret meeting incident. He approached Joyce with a sinister smile on his face. "Good job," he said mockingly, before delivering a swift and brutal kick to her stomach. Joyce staggered back a few feet, but her determination pushed her to quickly regain her footing.

"You animals!" Joyce exclaimed, her voice filled with anger and defiance. Joyce's skills and combat prowess were on par with the members of the formidable Shadowstrike team. She possessed the ability to take on even ten werewolves if she desired. However, her hands were tied in this situation, as the safety of her family was being used as leverage against her.

"Calm down, bitch," Jeson sneered, waving a mobile phone in front of her. He knew that Joyce's hands were tied, her family's life at the mercy of the Lunar Pack.

Desperation filled Joyce's eyes as she mustered the courage to speak up. "What about my family?" she interjected, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination.

"We will send them back," Jeson replied, his tone dripping with sinister amusement. He formed a mocking kiss with his lips, taunting Joyce with his cruel gesture.

Eijin, hearing the conversation unfold, felt the urge to intervene and help Joyce. However, he knew he needed to be patient and ensure the safety of the woman in the sleek uniform's family first. He couldn't risk jeopardizing their well-being by acting rashly.

"Take her," Jeson ordered his men, instructing them to take Maria Grace with them. Joyce's eyes filled with frustration and remorse. She didn't want Maria Grace's life to be endangered, as she had sworn an oath to protect her with her own life. However, she couldn't risk the lives of her own family. Helplessly, she watched as the Lunar Pack forcefully pushed Maria Grace into their SUVs.

Just as Maria Grace was about to enter the car, the concrete walls surrounding them suddenly exploded. An armored vehicle crashed through the wreckage, revealing four men and a woman clad in advanced armor suits, armed with high-tech weapons. They positioned themselves strategically, ready for combat. As expected of the elite soldiers of the Shadowstrike organization, renowned for their exceptional skills and training, they managed to survive the ambush and successfully located the director, Maria Grace, through the tracking device installed in her advanced vehicle. The team's unwavering determination and resourcefulness had led them to this crucial moment.

Now, with Maria Grace in grave danger, the Shadowstrike team prepared to engage in a fierce battle against the Lunar Pack. The tension in the air was palpable as both sides braced themselves for the impending clash.

However, their movements abruptly halted when they realized that their director, Maria Grace, was at the center of the gathered men.

In an instant, all of Jeson's men transformed into their werewolf forms, growling menacingly. Jeson, on the other hand, didn't fully transform. Only his hands morphed, his claws dangerously close to Maria Grace's neck.

"Come on! I dare you," Jeson exclaimed, taunting the elite bodyguards of Maria Grace as he pressed his claws deeper against the director's neck. The tense standoff left the bodyguards in a difficult position, realizing that any sudden moves could escalate the situation further.

"Let's go!" Jeson ordered, and his men transformed back into their human forms. "If you try to even follow us, we will kill your precious leader," he added, his words laced with a chilling threat.

The leader of the elite soldiers found themselves torn, but with the life of their director hanging in the balance, they just stood their ground, helplessly watching as the SUVs roared to life and fled.

Joyce, overwhelmed by frustration, fell to her knees, feeling the weight of her inability to protect Maria Grace. Meanwhile, the leader of the elite bodyguards immediately contacted Selene, the second-in-command of the Shadowstrike organization.

"What the fuck happened?" Selene shouted in anger, her voice filled with worry, as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Just then, Eijin teleported, appearing outside of the old building. Determined to discretely follow the SUVs' and potentially find the family of the other woman held hostage, he knew he had to act swiftly. Additionally, he was determined to rescue the blonde woman, Maria Grace.

Suddenly, Eijin almost lost his footings and balance as he landed on top of the edge of a building, as he heard Mara's voice telepathically, "Just because she's blonde and voluptuous you followed immediately." she teasingly remarked with jealousy. "just be careful, love." she added, expressing her concern.

Eijin couldn't help but smile at Mara's playful words, appreciating her telepathic connection and the support she provided, even from a distance.

Eijin considered utilizing his weather manipulation powers to heighten his covert pursuit, but he didn't want to ruin Mara and Elise's day out. He also contemplated using his wings for transportation, but flying would make him more easily detectable. So he just decided to rely on his teleportation technique, which allowed him to gracefully leap from one building to another and discreetly follow the SUVs.

With each teleportation, Eijin closed the distance between himself and the werewolves' vehicle. He remained vigilant, ready to intervene and ensure the safety of both the hostage family and Maria Grace.

After two and a half hours, the werewolves' SUVs finally entered a large building located in a vampire-controlled district. Eijin couldn't help but marvel at their cunning choice of hideout. "They were smart," he thought to himself, realizing that the werewolves had sought refuge in the territory of their vampire rivals.

Just as Eijin was about to teleport closer to the building, Mara's concerned voice reached him telepathically. "Hey, honey, where are you?" she asked, her worry evident in her tone. "It's been almost three hours now. Have you located their hideout?"

"Yeah, I'm here beside a large building in the vampire-controlled district," Eijin replied, sharing his current location with Mara. "I need to investigate, and find and save the hostages before I can rescue the blonde woman," he explained further, his determination unwavering.

"Just focus on rescuing the hostages and forget about the blonde," Mara advised, her mouth twitching with a hint of jealousy.

Eijin chuckled at Mara's playful remark and teleported to an even closer location, ready to continue his mission.

"How is Elise?" Eijin asked Mara as he landed in a discreet location near the hideout. "Just give alibis for why I can't return."

"She's fine. I'm heading back to the mansion now... with her," Mara replied, her voice filled with a hint of disappointment. "I could have returned using the underground passage, but now I'll have to wait for Tres to fetch me using your yacht. It's all your fault for making her worry."

Eijin couldn't help but chuckle at Mara's response. "Well, have a safe trip, princess," he added teasingly, knowing that Mara would appreciate the playful banter.