CHAPTER 56

My back hit the adjacent wall for the umpteenth time. I'm not even sure that was the correct number of times.

I had cracked the left side of my skull, and blood was tickling down the wound, my eyes were swollen from receiving so many punches that I could barely see, my nose was broken and my jaws smarting. It also felt like my internal organs were on fire.

I landed on the floor and coughed up thick blood, it looks like one of my internal organs was injured from receiving continuous blows, even the walls I smashed into were slightly indented, that was how strong this alpha was.

I can't explain what happened within those few minutes, one moment I was attacking, running towards him to split his throat open, the next, I was smashed against the wall with a broken nose, a smarting jaw, and one of my daggers embedded in my thigh, the other was nowhere to be found.

He was fast and strong, it was almost like fighting with Adela except he was stronger and his attacks were deadlier. I took a few seconds on the floor to rest before I felt his grip on my hair, I held onto his hands, wincing in pain as he pulled me up to face him. His eyes were glowing yellow as he stared into my amber ones, I kneeled before him in the most pitiful state remembering the last time I was like this.

He crouched in front of me as I groaned in pain, not only was my scalp on fire, my thigh felt like they were being caved out, flexing the knife-embedded thigh wound by kneeling intensified the pain, apart from that, the knife wasn't just any knife, it was one of those I had taken from Rosie, a silver knife that has been infused in wolf bane poured all over it.

The pain was driving me mad.

"You amaze me," he said with a sinister smile and my brows furrowed a bit. "You are a wolf in a blood rage, but until now, I haven't seen your wolf nor you entering into rage," he said as he looked at me with a kind of interest that made me want to vomit.

"Why is that?" he asked but I refused to reply, I didn't even struggle anymore, I was tired and weak, I just wanted it all to be over.

I have failed Adela, I couldn't even avenge her, what was the essence of living if I could not avenge my loved ones, I might as well die here today. Let him just get it over with.

I felt my blood rage fighting to take control but I refused to give in. I wasn't a fool, even though I had been stupid enough not to map out a strategy when Rieka told me I couldn't beat him, I now know the strength of my opponent, which is more reason why I couldn't let my rage take control.

Even with my blood rage, the fight would take longer, as I had a feeling that we would most likely be on par, with a blood rage that could burn out at any time, falling unconscious during the fight would be a huge disadvantage but I wasn't going to tell this man that.

A wolf in blood rage can't think straight, no, he doesn't think at all. He can't strategize and even when he fought, he fought carelessly, without fear of receiving a severe injury that could cause damage even if he did receive that injury, he doesn't feel it at that moment because he is numb to pain during the period of the rage. He knows and hears only one thing, which is to kill.

To kill them all. Friends or foe. I have experienced it many times and I knew it wasn't the best approach to fighting a stronger opponent.

"You can control it, can't you?" Alpha Dante suddenly said after observing me for a few seconds, but I only stared at him, breathing heavily as my hand found its way to the dagger in my thigh. It hurt so much and I just wanted to pull it out, but couldn't, without drawing his attention or screaming.

He laughed, "This is the best gift Adela has ever given me, an Austan with the ability to control her blood rage, just imagine all the things we can achieve together. Join me." he said with a whisper and I chuckled despite myself.

"You are foolish to even think those words would have an effect," I said to him. Because the blood rage was already flowing through my veins but I was restricting it from taking over my senses, I could feel my injuries slowly go numb.

"You don't have a choice. I was only trying to be a gentleman," he said with a sinister smile, and I tried to claw at his tightened grip on my hair.

"I would take you and throw you to my scientists like a lab rat and they would find out what exactly makes you able to control your blood rage, and you know what I am going to do with that knowledge?" he asked as he came close to my ears and whispered, "I am going to give my warriors the ability to use the blood rage, and then I would destroy the dark knights and make sure that Adela doesn't even have a burial site, and that would all be because of you."

My eyes blazed red at his words and I felt myself at the point of losing control.

"No, Silveen, he's trying to get you angry. Control yourself." I heard Rieka hiss and I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply, calming myself down while he stared at me with wonder.

"Amazing," he said and I looked at him in anger.

"You're a fool to think that you and those bunch of stupid humans you order around can find out how to harness the power of the blood rage. It is supernatural for a reason, you won't be able to find out why even if you tear me open." I snarled.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. You are so ignorant, my darling. Those humans you call stupid, have achieved things no werewolf has been able to achieve in years. You would be surprised at their achievement. When I hand you over to them, they would tear you apart to the very last cell to find the answers that I seek and I would watch with pleasure." he said and fear rose in my heart, with was the intensity of my blood rage.

That right, negative emotions, always bring me close to losing control over my rage.

I can't die, not like this, not when I knew what he was planning. I would be stupid if I say I didn't know that a man as heartless as he would not stop with the dark knights, he would probably bring the werewolf realm to its knees with this power. His warriors would be strong and invincible. I can't let that happen. How do I face Adela if I let that happen, there was still my mother, a woman I never met.

"Rieka, what do I do? I can't let him do this." I said to Rieka in a panic.

"Do you trust me," she asked me calmly and I was stunned for a second before replying.

"Yes," I said as I closed my eyes, exhaling deeply.

"I am very curious about your wolf too and I can't wait to meet her, we Austan are never able to control the viciousness of our wolves, the protectiveness is out of this world, but until now, she didn't show up either. Now that you are in my hand, I would find out why you are so different, so you might as well consider yourself dead." Alpha Dante said with a satisfied grin.

"Today is not the day I die," Rieka growled and opened her eyes.

She had taken over.

Alpha Dante looked at me in shock but before he could react, Rieka pulled the dagger out of my thigh and swiped it across his left eye. He yelled and let go of me as he held on to his blinded eyes.

Seeing his distraction, she turned and ran for the window limping, I looked on confused about what she wanted to do.

Wasn't this the right time to kill that monster? I wondered but I didn't say anything, saying I trusted her, means agreeing to her decisions.

As I watched Rieka launch our body against the window, that's when I realized....

"Rieka, we are on the fourth floor!" I shouted but it was too late, we were already falling fast to the ground.

I watched the starless sky in slow motion as my blood rage finally broke loose from its shackles and took over my body. I didn't see flashes of my life, I only saw the starless sky and the glass pieces falling toward me as we fell to the ground.

I felt nothing and saw nothing. My eyes were blinded by a red brilliance and the pain was gone.