Love And Betrayal | ✔️

50. Mark your prey

Mors Irrumat Omnia.

Death fucks us all.

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G R E Y H O U N D

I HAVE WATCHED generations come and go.

Watched the rise and fall of an entire clan of wolves.

Watched foolish human hunters try and take me down.

But nothing worked.

Then why would this war be any different?

Death is wrong.

The blinding rage reaping inside of me would keep me going. Centuries of skill and experience cannot be beaten by a gaggle of teenaged wolves.

"Master!" Hurried footsteps barge into my thoughts and a warm hand presses into my back. I flinch at the touch, and it ceases immediately. "Master, are you okay?"

I straighten up, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Better than okay, Commander Gavriel."

"You don't—"

I cut him off. "Is the boy dead yet? If he's still alive, do me a favour, take over from Dimitri and put the brat out of his misery yourself."

"Master, the boy died two hours ago."

Two hours?

But it only felt like minutes...

Commander Gavriel Dennis regards me doubtfully.

"Did you find out anything about this uprising?" I question.

He shakes his head. "Nothing. The Maikohs are tough lot even in the face of death."

Very well then.

Time to take matters into my own hands.

Just as I am about to speak, I hear a low whistle. Somewhere deep in the forest, the wind speeds up and the trees begin to sway, their gnarly branches creaking ominously. I glimpse a flash of black in the sky before it disappears between the trees.

"What was that?"

Commander Gavriel frowns. "What was what?"

"That black—something..." I trail off. "Didn't you see?"

He squints into the darkening sky. An owl hoots as it flies past the castle. Night is setting in, making it harder to see.

"Must be a raven, Master." He says eventually. "The birds are returning home."

No. Foreboding roils through me, even as I struggle to quiet it. Gritting my teeth, I face the young Commander again."Send out a platoon to scan the forests. Double the border security."

Commander Gavriel hesitates for a second before he bows wordlessly and takes leave.

I watch his retreating form disappear down the dark hallway. Footsteps fade into the distance. A sigh escapes me as I turn my gaze towards the forests again. Something doesn't feel right.

The wind speeds up again. Dark clouds are gathering over the castle.

Whirling on my heel, I head in the opposite direction, towards the white dome shaped laboratory.

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The guards at the door step aside as the glass panels slide open. The strong smell of chemicals and incense hit me at once.