3 Chapter 3:

〰 Hrudra 〰

"So be it, beast. But once I've got you down, I will change you and you will be mine." The vemon's black eyes held promise and truth. The sight was odd and strange causing a rough laugh to leave me.

My body still burned from fending myself from the vampires a moment ago, not even considering the poison and the fact that the damn monster has taken nearly three pints of my blood. The feeling of being weak and vulnerable meant nothing to me up until now.

In all my life, I have never felt so worthless and disgusted with myself only because I knew that this would happen to me and yet I walked into the lion's den knowing that he'd drink from me like a fucking cattle.

The thought and memory of him toying with me and tearing my soft skin when taking blood from me made not only my anger grow, but my wounds to burn even more.

I felt the night sky soaking and mending to my broken skin and missing blood giving me a radiant look underneath the moon and flickering lightning above. I felt like I was shining within the darkness of my lightning giving the vemon an advantage.

The marks and bruises he's caused on my body dug deep in me, causing my body to give a small shake due to the wild winds blowing around us. With the harsh weather affecting me so negatively, I couldn't remain standing still and putting up the tough front I always had on.

Due to the lack of blood, the poison, and the cold air. I was unable to stop myself from letting out another cold shiver, the smile on his face widening at my weak body and mind. He continued staring with the same cockiness he's had the last few days, his expression only pissing me off the more I see him.

"We will see, vemon." I hiss, lunging towards him as he dove and ducked under my unnaturally weak attacks. His grin told me he saw me struggling as humorous and fun. The action of him toying with me angering me more than before.

I almost prayed that Valrun and Getha shot down a fire of bullets on this bastard. Though with my message clear, I needed the demon to be angrier. I wanted to feel his fury from here and yet I had detected a single thing.

I needed this demon to get pissed off!

"What is your plan, my beast?" The vemon finally stuck back, hitting me in my stomach when kicking me down into the ground. I yelped, landing harshly on the ground and quickly diving out of the way before he could hit me again. "You know in your current situation that you couldn't beat me. Did you expect those friends of yours to protect you?" He asks in a quiet voice, kneeling down in front of me and making sure I was the only to hear him.

His black eyes and greasy hair shimmered in the shine of my lightning, causing me to narrow my eyes at him in a challenging way.

"I expect them to leave me. I am nothing more than you are." I whispered back in an aggressive tone as he sighed and stood up. My legs launched out making him drop to the ground hard. "They know I want you for myself," I said in a louder tone while he flashed his reddening eyes at me.

"You make it hard to want to love you, beast." He snarls darkly.

"Who said I wanted your love?" I question hysterically, feeling his eyes on me. The anger I felt through the bound wasn't enough for him to lose control. I needed to figure something else out.

"I will slaughter you just like a beast you are." He threatens, lunging for me as I gulped and closed my eyes. I pray that he will lose all control and kill this vemon.

Do it for me if not anyone else.

I felt a sharp, deadly pain at my throat when I dropped on the ground and felt myself drifting away.

〰〰〰

I gasped awake, unable to move as my body weakly was pressed down. The pressure is so unbearable that I couldn't even mutter out a word. It was complete darkness where I was, wherever that was, the feeling of something heavy on my chest causing my body to go haywire.

I wasn't sure where I was, but I was close in break down hating the feeling of being held down, my freedom being taken away from me.

Opening my mouth, I got a mouth full of dirt making realization drown within me.

I was buried alive.

Letting out the loudest scream I could, I tried clawing my way out. Feeling the lightning licking the ground I was held underneath I tried reasoning for the reason I was buried. A frenzy of thoughts and question leaving my mind.

Was I changed into a vampire?

Where was everyone?

Why was I buried?

Did the Valkyrie believe I was dead?

Where was my demon?

Did the mate bound mean nothing to him?

And why in Freya's name so I not have a casket?!

"Fucking get back you mother fuckers! Hrudra! Hold on!" The demon's voice came from above me all of a sudden as I continued to claw at the earth, trying to free myself in a mad frenzy.

The sound of him digging up the earth eased me a bit but I hated that I knew nothing of what was going on.

Had he killed the vemon?

Did he stop me from becoming a vampire?

Was he the one who buried me?

After several minutes of the both of us digging, I finally felt the soft lick of fresh air on my fingertips. A hand wrapped around mine before pulling me from beneath the earth and grasping me in a tight grasp.

I coughed harshly, shaking at the thought of being buried alive once again. The mere mention of losing my freedom once again had me shivering once again.

"It's okay, Hrudra. I've got you. You're alive and safe." The demon combed my hair from the dirt, holding me tightly as I let him. My pounding heart didn't calm down just because I was above the ground.

"A-Am I a vampire?" I coughed again when he cradled my head against his chest. Someone kneeled in front of us, her large black hair tied into a bun on her head.

"No. But I knew that the soil that circled a coven was sacred with healing properties. We needed to get you in health as fast as we could so I placed you and Getha underneath. She was injured badly as well as you but had recovered hours ago." Valrun assures me before I sagged in the demon's hold on me.

"Thank, Freya," I whisper as she stood up and nodded to the demon, pleased.

"Good job you pulled her out. Even though I feel she could have remained another hour or two. Us Valkyrie are very sensitive towards being buried alive or being stripped of our freedom." Valrun admits when I nodded and inched away from the large hole in the ground that I was held in.

I'll murder her later, but for now, I am gr-

"Did you kill the vemon?" I question quickly, the thought of the bastard rising my hatred from within. The muscles on my back tensing but strangely getting tamped down by the demon's touch.

This so-called mate bound was holding back my urge to go killer?

Interesting.

"Don't worry, Hrudra. I've killed him, very slowly." The demon keeping my rage in, tells me softly as I nodded and relaxed slightly.

Valrun and I shared a look before she sighed and brushed her hand across her brow. She seemed exhausted from everything and I couldn't blame her, she was not born to be a natural leader.

I still remember when I first picked her up from the battlefield that bestowed her death...

Carnage and bodies littered the dear soil that the gods blessed us with, my eyes training and seeing the wicked slashes and wounds on the men around. I was deployed to seek the man, Vahah, a strange name for a man but I didn't question Freya or Odin.

Freya and Odin sent me here without telling me much information other than the man, Vahah, was dying and I needed to save him somehow. It was my first time in the field like this and I wasn't sure what it was I was supposed to do.

Walking through the blood and weapons that laid on the ground almost made me smile, that was until I heard the sound of clashing metal.

〰 Flashback 〰

'I will slaughter you for killing my beloved!' A woman screams, shocking me since it was unknown for a woman knowing how to raise a sword or even to me out in the battlefield. Her words sounded as if she were in misery and the metal hitting another had me scrambling to where they were.

'He deserved it! He fought against my kind and murdered us all!' A man howled back when I caught sight of the battle. The woman was cloaked in armor and weapons dangling from her, the man much of the same but in a general's outfit.

A woman... in the war?

When has this been allowed?

Her speed was amazing as she dove underneath the blade he swung at her, slicing through his gut and kicking him down to the ground. The general gasped in a breath, dropping to the ground and grasping the wound that bleeds from his stomach.

I watched in amazement as she swung her sword down and decapitated the man. His head rolled away with a horrified expression while the woman dropped her blade before falling to the ground.

In a flash, I was at her side and cradled her head in my bare thigh. She stared up at me, unsure of what was happening when wincing from the wounds on her torso and chest.

'Valiant one. What is your name?' I ask her in a soft tone, ignoring my previous mission from before. She coughed, blood trickling down the corner of her mouth as her brown eyes stared up at the dark skies.

'V-Vahah.' She whispers in a throaty tone, coughing once more while leaning more into my legs.

Vahah!

Ha! I'm good at this job!

'Oh, Vahah. I can save you if you wish to remain in this word and continue fighting as the warrior you were destined to be. Give me your permission and I will save you.' I tell her with a softness that I don't have normally. The coldness within me burning to expel the emotion I was showing but I couldn't help it, this woman fought and died honorably unlike me.

She was the definition of a Valkyrie warrior.

'S-Save me... I wish t-to murder those wh-who have killed-d, my beloved.' She says in a quiet voice, her energy fading from her as I nodded and backed away.

'You can not return to your old life. You will not be Vahah anymore, you will be Valrun, the runner of light, a Valkyrie.' I told her with pride, calling Freya to bless her soul with mercy and strength.

〰 End of Flashback〰

"We will leave in an hour. Give everyone the supplies they need and I will assist in anything you need, Valrun." I nod to her, proud she was able to hold everyone together since she's always been my second in command.

Valrun smiles thankful, nodding before she turned and walked away towards the twins and the campsite. Her back seemed to relax in relief for my return and I knew it was a good lesson for her to learn since she was a rogue, but I forced her to follow the rules.

She must want to kill me later.

"Let's get you wrapped up." The demon says in a tight tone before picking me off the ground, though I smack his hands and dropped to the ground.

My legs nearly broke underneath me as I blinked back the dizziness and backed away from him. A growl rippled through him when he tried grabbing me but failed miserably.

"I need to go some things before we depart. You should get some rest, I'm not sure how you killed the vemon and came out unscathed. But you should take a break." I nod, trying to get away from him so I could search through the vemon's coven without him breathing down my back.

"No. You are the one wh-"

"I wasn't asking you." I snap, baring my fangs at him despite the weakness I felt within me. "I need you to watch over them when I am gone," I tell him and shook my head at his feral look.

"You wish me to let you go yet again?" He snatched my arms and pulled me against him with little work. His black eyes glared down in mine as I matched to his challenge. "Trying to escape from me once again? I won't allow you out of my sight again." His words were deadly but unwavering making me shiver even though I willed myself not to.

The poison must be affecting me worse than I thought it would. My face paled at the thought making me realize that if I was attacked that I wouldn't even be able to fend myself from a measly vampire.

What happened to me?

Was this the effect of the poison and the blood loss?

"I see it on your face, Hrudra." He says, suddenly calmer than before and easing his tight grip on my arms. "I won't bother you, just let me watch over you alright?" His words were softer and kinda like when he pulled me from the ground making me sigh.

"Fine." I grate out while glanced down at the dirty dress and frowned. "I have to find a new outfit." I murmur under my breath, feeling him let me go and slip his coat off.

"Wear this for now." He wrapped the coat over my shoulders when grabbing my hand. "Come on. We don't have much time." I nodded, zipping the coat and letting him bring me to the coven.