Chapter 4

Before Thomas could sink his fangs into her, Celine quickly grabbed her stun gun from her pocket and zapped him on the head. 

Bzztt!

"Argh!" Thomas groaned in pain, momentarily paralyzed by the shock. Celine took the chance to push him out of her way and make a run for her life!

Thomas gritted his teeth and, with unnatural speed, closed the distance between them as she tried to flee through the damp soil. 

Celine glanced over her shoulder and saw Thomas rapidly approaching. "Damn it, that's cheating!" she cursed. 

Summoning her courage, she turned around and faced her pursuer. As Thomas closed in, she aimed her stun gun at his face and zapped him a second time.

Bzzzt!

"FUCK! ARRRGH!" Thomas writhed in agony, covering his eyes as the pain overwhelmed him. He convulsed on the ground, temporarily incapacitated.

Celine took a step back, preparing to leave, but she slipped on the muddy ground and fell with a cry of pain."Ah!" 

Covered in mud, Celine tried to rise but felt a sharp pain in her ankle, confirming she had accidentally sprained it.

Her face turned pale as she realized the dire situation she was in—stuck in the middle of the woods with a hungry vampire.

"YOU BITCH!" Thomas yelled as he regained his composure, glaring at Celine, who was seated on the ground, clutching her injured ankle. 

He smirked from ear to ear, realizing he no longer needed to play this chasing game anymore. 

"I was trying to be kind to you by sucking your blood dry and leaving your body intact. But it seems that I was too kind," he sneered. "I will rip your neck and tear your limbs! I will throw your body to a pig den!"

Thomas' fangs protruded again, ready to feast on Celine, who quickly closed her eyes as she braced herself. 

Her mind began to fill with memories of her childhood with Monica. 

—

'Dad already left us, Celine…' the thirteen-year-old Monica said, sitting on the backyard porch. 'And Mom is going to one of her new men's houses to get more drugs. She will leave as well, right?'

…

Celine, unable to deny the truth from her sister, kept silent. 

Monica turned her head toward her big sister, her eyes filled with tears, and implored, 'You are the only one I have, Sister. Please don't leave me. I'm afraid to be alone.'

Celine embraced her little sister and gently patted her head, 'Don't worry, I will always be by your side to protect you, no matter what.'

—

'Maybe you're already in heaven, so wait for me, sister,' Celine thought. 

Thomas lunged at Celine, but before he could reach her, there was a growl, followed by another groan of pain coming from Thomas.

Celine still closed her eyes for a while until she felt a warm breath tickling her face. 

When she finally dared to open them, she was met with a pair of golden eyes.

Her shock deepened as she stilled at the sight of a black wolf three times larger than an ordinary wolf standing before her. 

"Ah—" Celine felt dizzy, on the verge of fainting. However, the wolf opened its jaw, and a male human voice came out, "Tch, don't pass out. I'm not here to save a sleeping beauty."

Celine regained her consciousness. She stared at the black wolf with golden eyes in front of her. She opened her mouth, but no voice came out of it. Everything that happened tonight was just too much for her to handle. 

The black wolf scoffed, "I know you have many questions about me, and I have much more for you. But we can do that later. For now…"

The black wolf circled around Celine, then positioned himself in front of her. He growled menacingly at Thomas, the young vampire who had slipped from his watch. 

Thomas stood up after a while. He had an unimaginable pain in his abdomen after the black wolf used his sharp claws to rip it. 

"What a pity. I thought I could have fresh virgin blood tonight," Thomas sneered. "But I guess it's not my lucky day."

"Is that all? You're not going to fight?" The wolf asked. He was still in his fighting stance, ready to kill this weak vampire with a single strike. 

"Oh, I know my limit. There is no way I can defeat Alpha Calhoun all by myself. Hell, I don't even think five pure-blooded vampires can defeat you," Thomas admitted. "That bitch got lucky to be saved by you. Unlike the other one—"

"Shut up!" Calhoun snapped. He growled again, his wolf carrying a clear warning "Don't you dare to mention her name! I'm not going to make the same mistake!"

"Well, I don't really care if I die now. I have no chance to fight against you anyway. But I will get the last laugh," Thomas chuckled. He pointed at Celine, who was still hiding behind the massive wolf, and added, "That girl, I've told every vampire in my coven about her. She has the fresh and pure blood that we want. Other vampires will eventually hunt her down."

"Is that so?" Calhoun shapeshifted back into his human form, but his hands and feet retained the characteristics of a black wolf. "I won't let your coven have this one. Not under my watch."

Celine was staring at the back of the naked man. His back was muscular, and he had a crescent moon mark that glowed with a golden light just below his nape.

Calhoun looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with Celine. His gaze was deep and intense, the kind that could ensnare any woman.

"I will mark her as mine."