[Bonus chapter] Blasted

Elize was too dizzy. Auril's remark brought her back to reality. She had to hide somewhere, or else she would die. "Yes, I am a vampire," she said in a shaky voice. Her limbs became limp and she staggered back.

Auril held her firmly so that she didn't fall. The girl was scarcely breathing. "I— I can't—" she tried to say something but she couldn't. She was unable to speak. And perhaps she was in so much pain that she was crying. He saw pink tears running down. When she looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, he knew that she was too unwell. She whimpered.

"Damn vampire, you need shade!" Her skin was burning with fever. Auril swooped her in his arms before she passed out. He didn't know what to do. Panic gripped his chest like a vise. He had never come across a vampire, but had heard enough about them. He didn't know whether she was a pure blooded or a turned vampire, but whatever she was, she was too vulnerable to the sun's rays. With her temperature rising, his mind overcame with an overwhelming sensation of dread. What if she died? His mind jumped to an unreasonable conclusion, but then it was the worst-case scenario. He swiveled his head around to find a place where there was sun. Quickly, he took her over there, placed her on the ground and started digging a hole in the wall to put her inside. "Fuck!" he muttered. He needed help and this was what his stag brought! He was annoyed with Lord, he was annoyed with his mother and he was extremely annoyed at the way things were turning up. If his mother's soldiers sent the information to her that he was trapped with a woman, she would send Orla. Orla would only end up killing the vampire. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Why was his situation only worsening by the day?

---

Caleb ran as fast as he could, jumping over the fallen logs and big rocks, dodging the trees and occasional creeks. When he neared the source of the shriek he had heard, he sniffed her scent. And it was strong. She was alive. Relief flooded his body but it was short lived, for now he feared for her safety. But what was this extra smell? And that of a male? Anger flared. Who was she with? Was she in danger? Was it already too late?

Suddenly he came in front of the strange cage—a wooden mesh of branches so tightly woven that there was no way one could see what was inside with green shimmery lights that ran the length of it. Right outside was sitting a stag that got up with its antlers in his direction—ready to attack.

Though her smell was strong, Caleb didn't hear her voice. Anxiety flooded in his body. The stag scratched the ground with his hooves and chuffed. How the hell was he going to quickly break this prison to get to her? The stag attacked him.

No way! He leapt to the side and dodged the stag. If he had the time, he would have shifted and scared the stag in his wolf form, but he didn't have that kind of time.

Caleb heard a faint whimper from Elize—it was weak, reedy. "Shit!" he said as he readied himself for the stag's attack. The animal was ferocious, obviously protecting something. He was sitting outside the prison as if guarding it. It attacked again, but this time Caleb was ready. He flung his hands forward and a solid wall of air came in front of him. The stag's deadly antlers got trapped in the wall and it struggled to disentangle them. That was all the time Caleb needed.

"Lord!" a male's voice came from inside. "Are you okay?"

And it boiled Caleb's blood to the extent that his chest vibrated with a rumble, which came out as a roar. He shoved his hand under the prison, as his claws lengthened and dug deeper in the ground. He wanted to find a grip to topple the cage. But he realized that the branches ran deep inside the ground. The green shimmery lights had increased in intensity. He heard her whimper from inside and all his muscles bulged. The green lights started poking him. And that was good, for now he could emulate that magic. They poked him, burnt him, but he let them do it, until—until he knew what exactly they were. He picked up that magic, mixed with his own and then yelling out to the sky, he pushed against the cage.

It blasted.

It blasted so heavily that every damn piece of wood splintered and shattered or burned, flying in every direction. Through all the debris and smoke and leaves and twigs, he saw a man standing in the corner with wide eyes and his Elize—she was curled up behind him on the ground in a cloak. She was unconscious. A roar rumbled out of his chest.

Caleb jumped into the pit and barreled right into the man.

"Stop!" the man said, but from the corner of his eye, he saw a huge fist swinging at him. Caleb was in a murderous rage.

Auril landed at the far end of the pit. He was at first shocked that someone could so easily blast this cage. It was as if it was a child's play. No one and he actually meant, no one, in his kingdom or the ones he had known could match his mother's magic. But this—this was brilliant. Auril looked at the man through the smoke with awe, with wonder, as he stood there on the lip of the pit. But he looked furious. His muscles had bulged, his fangs lengthened and his claws were jutting out. Damn, a werewolf! Had he come for the vampire? Was the vampire his mate? For only the wolves protected their mates so ferociously. He was about to say something, but by that time, the werewolf had attacked him.

Enraged as hell, Auril scrambled up, blood dripping from his right eyebrow. The two men snarled as they circled each other. Caleb struck him again with a heavy fist, but Auril ducked. Caleb swung around and punched him back, but Auril stopped it with his forearm. He stared into Caleb's eyes and said, "That girl needs immediate attention!"

"I am going to kill you!" Caleb rumbled.

"C—Caleb," he heard Elize call weakly for him. And he scented her fear. Caleb whisrled around. No, no, no, no. This couldn't be real. He couldn't believe his eyes. She was lying in a corner, her skin burning, her lips pale and her expression agonized. "T-too hot."

"Elize!" he yelled, every part of his body tensing. He looked up at the sky. He had to gather clouds—water and ice. He had done it in Galahar. And he had to do it quickly, else—