CHAPTER 4: THE BLOOD MOON BATTLE

The whole room was in shock and stupefaction, their gazes browsing over me, trying to read me like a book.

"Who are you?" one of the properly dressed omegas questioned.

"What's going on here?" the meeting members chorused, their confused voices reverberating like an earthquake. Murmurs and mumblings trailed behind like ghostly footprints on desert sands—subtle yet inescapably there.

I held my ground without darting my eyes away from my target, even as different emerald eyes pierced my unshakable figure. A tall, imposing man stood up. His royal blue ermine cloak, resplendent with intricate embroidery and adorned with all manner of precious stones, shimmered in the light, each gem catching it in a dazzling display of opulence. He descended from his emerald-embellished throne, and with a voice replete with power and might, declared:

"I ACCEPT."

As the words resonated through the chamber, every member of the meeting stood up, their movements a synchronized display of fear and respect, acknowledging the authority and wealth of the speaker.

I gave a sadistic smile, tainted with evil and euphoria.

"Finally," I hissed.

"Where have you been all this while, omega nobody of the trashy Crimson Pack?" he retorted, his bright green eyes plunging into mine. "I see you've grown into a huge one. How long have you been searching for me?" he continued.

"It's Ronan. Ronan Darkfang," I snarled, my face convulsing with unrestrained fervor. "And here I was, thinking you couldn't get more despicable, but tsk, tsk, tsk... I was an oaf to even think that. Sacrificing a little creature for your own gain? You're a monster. No... a devil."

"Aughrrrg," he groaned, clutching his body as he shook from side to side. "I'm chuffed, Ronan. Thanks for the compliment," he added, his eyes beaming with ebullience.

"What in the masochism...?" I flinched, my face caught between disdain and concern.

"I won't say much, but I'll congratulate you. You thwarted my omegas before coming here. You even made one of my composed soldiers lose his composure and show his disloyalty. I applaud you. But your insolence ends now.

I, Alpha Thorn, the ruler of three mighty packs, accept your ridiculous challenge. On the 10th of Jakenry, the Blood Moon shall rise, inundating the sky with its eerie aura. On that night, I, Alpha Thorn, shall swiftly eliminate you and hang your head in my trophy room, just like I've always done with weaklings that dared to challenge me. Just like your mother."

He sneered, his lips curling with unperturbed malice as he raged.

"Keep your filthy, bandit-looting mouth out of her name!" I barked. "I would've pounced on you right here and uprooted your head in front of your pack members, putting an end to your disgraceful life. But I will respect the Blood Moon and patiently wait until you're mine."

I continued, my face enveloped with rage. "And as for this child, you'd better cancel all dumb plans you had in mind because I'm keeping her. If you want her, you'll have to pull my heart right out of its chamber."

"Oh, don't worry. Keep her, buddy. Demons should be with their kind, after all," he smirked.

Whatever he meant by that, I didn't care. I tugged at my cloak and left the palace with grace, stealing one of the adorned carriages.

"Nice, hey, Thorn, nice carriage. It's mine now! And yeah, help impart my feelings to your beta," I needled as I charged into the dark.

"Oh, I will. I will," Alpha Thorn grinned fiendishly.

Reaching my hovel, I carried her gently and laid her on the makeshift bed in the corner. The flickering light from the hearth cast soft shadows on her peaceful face. As I draped a blanket over her, I marveled at the contrast between her otherworldly beauty and the rustic surroundings of my humble abode.

Questions swirled in my mind, but for now, all that mattered was ensuring she remained safe and undisturbed.

A wave of unease washed over me, my stomach churning as if I'd swallowed a storm. The world around me began to blur, tilting and spinning like a frantic windmill. I didn't feel too good, but I had to wake the girl up. She needed to eat something.

I powered through the billow of dizziness, gently tugging and tapping her small, slender legs.

"Hey, wake up. You need to eat something," I murmured, my voice slurring.

I got up, cupped water in my palms, and sprinkled it on her face.

"Don't kill me!" she shouted in a frenzy.

"Hey, chill."

"Now eat. Don't think too much," I insisted.

"Sor-ry... and yes, thank you for saving me, sir...?"

"Ronan. And you're welcome. You're far away from home, missy. Don't worry, we'll discuss more in the morning," I assured her as if there was still time left to sleep.

"Thanks for saving me once more, Sir Ronan. I'm Anna."

"Shooosh, now eat," I said, handing her the leftover pork. Her face lit up with happiness as she devoured the food without restraint.

"You should come with me to Shadowfell Bastion," she suggested, her mouth stuffed with food.

"Careful, don't choke," I cautioned.

"So, that's the name of your pack, huh?"

"No. Demons don't have packs. We ain't wolves, Sir Ronan. C'mon, you should know this," she pouted.

"What do you mean, I should know this?" I queried.

"You're one of us, don't you know?" she noted.

I was in no state to comprehend what she was saying. I needed to sleep; my head was still spinning, this time even faster.

"What's happening? Was I poisoned?" I swooned as everything went pitch black.

In between her meal, she noticed a footprint made of blood on the floor.

"Blood! Sir Ronan, there's blood on the floor!" she cried out, finally noticing that the blood was pouring from me.

But it was already too late, as her voice faded into the background.

ALPHA THORN'S POV

"How dare you bring in that man to my palace, you disloyal serf! You are dead!" I snarled.

"I'm sorry, my liege, but I managed to poison him during the battle, sir," he muttered in fear.

"I saw that, but you're still leaving this world for your perfidy," I scoffed as I ordered his disposal in front of the pack elders. He accepted his fate as he was escorted to the execution chamber.

"Call me Beta Ralph and his son, Carpe Diem," I commanded. In a few minutes, they arrived in the palace, kneeling down.

"My lord, you called for us," they intoned in unison.

I thanked them for respecting me. "A perfidy has been committed, but I've taken care of it—or should I say, half taken care of," I explained the situation at hand to them.

"I'll be fighting the last surviving member of the Crimsonhowl pack—Ronan."

Ralph's face burned in fury and anger as he slammed his fists onto the marble ground. "Sire, I told you we should have killed him! So now he's with the ingredient for your potion. Should we kidnap her?" he implied.

"Bingo! That's why you're my second-in-command, Ralph," I praised. "And while you're at it, torture that villein. Ensure you take Walter with you too."

I ordered, tightening my fists.

Ralph smirked, tapping his son. "Let's go. The king has decreed, and we must deliver."

They took some warriors with them as they whisked out of the village and into the enveloping darkness, following the dried but tangy smell of blood that had been dripping from Ronan.

"Meeting adjourned."

The chamber emptied, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The Blood Moon was approaching, and with it, the end of Ronan Darkfang.

RONAN'S POV

I woke up to an incessant ringing in my ears. My vision blurred. I squinted, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Pain pulsed through my temples.

"My head," I muttered, disoriented. Where was I? I tried to move, but all I could hear were the shackling noises of a chain.

Immediately, I jolted into full consciousness. "Anna! Anna! Where are you?" I searched frantically, my eyes darting to every shadowy corner.

"She's in safe hands," a loud, commanding voice sliced through the confusion, echoing across the empty room. A broad, tall figure emerged from the shadows, his presence imposing.

The dim light of the room brought his face into sharp relief, revealing cold, piercing eyes that seemed to cut through the darkness.

"YOU!!!" I growled, an unexpected wave of nostalgia washing over me.

"Yes, it's me—Ralph, the handsome Beta that is going to make you miserable. I'm glad you remembered me, buddy. And this is my son, Walter, a much stronger wolf, and we're going to make your life a living hell. Then release you on the 10th of Jakenry to meet your ineluctable doom, you know," he sneered, his face laced with pent-up ire.

"I should've known. Your cowardly king would be too afraid to face me at my best. Shows how pathetic he is," I shot back.

"Quiet!" Walter yelled as he swung the iron club, the impact gnashing open my head. Pain exploded through my skull as darkness threatened to consume me.

"I commend you, though, but I implore you not to hurt that girl. Please! Don't—"

Before I could complete my words, a long whip cracked through the air, a sharp, stinging sound that echoed in the silence. It struck my skin with a resounding snap, followed by a painful hiss as the flesh recoiled from the impact.

"You have no right!" Walter barked. "Pops, take the girl to our king. I will handle this bastard till the time is ripe."

Ralph winked at his son as he set off to the Shadowclaw territory.

"I will kill you. Release me now, and I might consider going easy on you!"

"You still don't seem to understand the situation you're in. Hahaha! Alpha Thorn will have it easy on the 10th," he replied.

Days passed as I was continuously tortured by Walter. The room suffused with the metallic tang of blood. I was bruised, beaten, and bloodied—my body a canvas of pain and suffering.

"Wake up," a cold voice demanded, jolting me from my woolgathering as he splashed a bucket of water over me. "It's the day. The day your pain metamorphoses into death at the hands of Alpha Thorn."

He released me from the shackles and boarded his carriage, scurrying away to the Shadowclaw territory in an instant without saying a single word.

At this point, my wounds weren't healing. I figured I had been poisoned after the fight with those omegas; my left thigh had been slashed by one of their poison-infused claws.

"Anna, I'm coming." It was the first time in a long while that I felt such responsibility toward someone. I needed to save her and reunite her with her family.

I crawled, scratching and gripping whatever surface I could find, pulling myself forward. Finally, I reached the outside of the hovel. Mustering the last vestige of strength I had left, I climbed onto the horse, gently tapping it. It was as if the horse knew my intentions, as it raced off and dropped me in a place called the Moonlit Arena.

I gave the horse a grateful pat, the gesture almost automatic, as I stumbled and fell, landing hard on the unfamiliar ground.

Unknown faces and unexplored terrains surrounded me. It was time to fight. My eyes caught the devil himself, Alpha Thorn, smirking in the distance. The pack members were all ready to witness the battle. The moon was crimson; the Blood Moon was in full glory, casting its eerie red glow over the arena.

My face burned with barely contained rage as I lay sprawled in the dirt, the indignity of the position fueling my fury.

"Where's the girl, you coward?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous, a snarl escaping my lips. My eyes narrowed, focusing all my fury into a single, piercing glare that belied my prone position.

"Save your breath," he said, his gravelly voice cutting through the air like a knife as he stalked closer.

He closed the distance with predatory ease, his boot landing squarely on my already poisoned thigh.

Then, a devastating blow to my gut. The air rushed from my lungs, and I spat blood, the metallic taste filling my mouth.

"Don't taint me, peasant," he growled in disgust, kicking me away like discarded trash, sending me crashing into a nearby rock.