Chapter 23 ∣  Alpha vs. Pureblood

-Eris

"Your quarrel is with ME!" Maverick's voice thundered with such power through the air, Declan's head snapping to the side as he growled at my rescuer. I could feel his hot breath coming from the wolf's open mouth, the crushing force he was using to pin me down felt like it would snap the bones in my shoulders.

"M-Maverick," I tilted my head to glimpse the pureblood rogue standing with Tristan in front and to the side of him. Knocking Tristan onto his knees and suddenly launching himself at Declan, he wrapped both of his arms around the Alpha and rolled him off me. The weight that lifted from my body was a relief, my head shifting in the other direction as the two rolled around on the grass, each trying to take control of the fight.

I brought my right hand up to my side, reaching to the front of my stomach, feeling the shard of glass protruding from it. It hurt to grip the glass and it proved even harder to free it from my body. Encasing both of my hands around the glass, I was about to pull it out when Maverick's voice startled me.

"Eris, don't!" Maverick saw what I was about to do, Declan biting down into his shoulder as he hissed in pain, "Un-unless you can heal instantly if you remove that you'll more than likely bleed out."

I slipped and brought my hands away from the glass, looking at the palms of my hands to see that it had made two clean slices through the center of them. Barely propping myself up on my elbows, it stung, and I was shaking slightly. The energy that I had taken was just enough to keep me from going into shock. If try to heal myself completely, the damn glass would stay put and it would be horrendously painful to remove it later. If I attempted to dislodge the glass, I wasn't sure I could heal myself in time, as Maverick appeared to know a little bit more about where the glass was located and everything it had cut through.

Well...fuck me between a rock and a hard spot...shit.

Maverick withdrew a pistol, aiming it at Declan, but he dodged the discharged dart, knocking the gun from his hand. Fortunately, Maverick managed to throw the wolf off him, rolling onto his chest and pushing off the ground. He looked at the bite mark on his shoulder, shrugging it off as he began to heal exponentially faster than I could. The wolf circled around him, howling and snarling, his eyes ever so watchful, waiting for Maverick to make a move.

What happened next, filled me with horror as Tristan staggered toward my practically incapacitated body, unable to really defend myself. The last bit of energy I had left flood through my body and into the center of my right hand, healing over the wound from the glass and raising my palm up, ready to shock him.

"Maverick!" I lost control of the energy, dissipating into the air. My vampire attempted to dash towards me and stop Tristan, but he and Declan crashed into each other, flying into the opposite direction.

My vampire...

"Tristan, stop!"

What?!

My eyes shifted and I saw Hendrix surging forward, knocking Tristan to the ground right before he reached me.

Oh no...

Tristan didn't try to get back up, whatever Maverick had done to him, had him completely weakened and in no state to fight. I was slightly afraid when a shirtless Hendrix knelt beside of me, his eyes traveling over my body and lingering on the shard of glass.

"I didn't say you could use my shirt," I was relieved to see a small smile cross his face.

I retorted, "You also didn't say I could take your energy...or seduce you...so you know...I'm so sorry Hendrix."

He shook his head and replied, "If I was in your position, I would have done anything to survive," his eyes left me and locked onto the death fight that Maverick and Declan were battling, "It was wrong of him to take you...you didn't do anything, you weren't apart of this. He's lost and almost too far gone with Willow's death."

"I know it's Maverick's fault..." I nodded, "H-he's changing..."

"I know," Hendrix returned.

My eyebrows rose, "How do yo-."

"Because he is here. He's a rogue vampire willing to risk his life for another?" Hendrix almost replied with a question, catching me off guard, "Whatever he sees in you, you're helping him...maybe he could possibly rejoin his society one day. But the only way to find out...is to leave the hunters out of this."

Wow...you understand...

Yea, it was fucked up what Maverick did...but if he didn't care about anything, he wouldn't be here right now...

Declan snapped his jaws, closing them onto Maverick's forearm and shaking viciously. He was lifted into the air like he was nothing, trying to pry the wolf from him. He wasn't succeeding, trapped and being thrown around he was eventually pinned against a tree, attempting to push Declan off him. It wasn't working, he was stuck.

"No... Maverick," I groaned in pain, rolling onto my side and leaning on my arms for support.

Hendrix went to stop me, but hesitated for a moment, afraid of my touch. In this form, I could control my seductive properties, though he didn't know any better and I wouldn't blame him after I tricked him.

"Eris, don't move, that glass could slice toward your spine," Hendrix's warning fell on deaf ears, my tunnel vision solely on the wolf that was overpowering my vampire. I could feel small pieces of glass still stuck in the skin of my upper back and arms, ignoring the searing pain that came with moving.

Tiny, little devils...I hate broken glass...

It wasn't just the glass that had me in so much pain, but the force from Declan knocking me through the window and plummeting to the ground, with him finally using me to break his fall, had my bones aching. Hendrix stood up from beside of me, turning his back and growling. I didn't know what he was doing, maybe Tristan had tried for round two? I took a quick look at what Hendrix was so transfixed on, and found many of his pack members, both in and out of their wolf forms edging closer to the fight between their Alpha and my vampire.

That's right, Hendrix is the Beta...they'll listen to him. The last thing Maverick needed, was being teamed up on with more than one powerful wolf. I guessed he was mind linking with them, as he seemed to be gazing off in the distance for a moment. Whatever he was informing them, whether he didn't agree with what Declan did to me or if he no longer stood behind his Alpha because of his actions, I had no idea...but they stopped their advance. I guess he doesn't like innocent lives being used as pawns.

I feel horrible for Declan...I'm so, so sorry...

Even though he was willing to kill me, I still felt bad for him and the loss of his mate.

Someone from the throng of people standing by came running at Hendrix and me, making me cry out and move away.

"It's okay, Eris," Hendrix took hold of my arms, forcing me to lay on my back, "This is Canstany, he's our pack doctor."

"B-bu-but—Declan?" I asked, afraid and unsure of why they would be helping me.

"This is between Maverick and him," Hendrix nodded at Canstany as he knelt beside me, beginning to exam my wound, "You shouldn't have been brought here...you shouldn't have been caught up in this..."

Maverick...

**

-Maverick

It caught me off guard that Declan's Beta was protecting Eris, trying to get her help. They're just werewolves, they can't heal her and if they take the bloody shard of glass out of her, she's going to die. I doubt their "doctor" has something that will stop the mass amount of blood loss that will come with his actions.

I need to finish this.

The razor-sharp teeth had embedded into my forearm, pushing Declan away with every ounce of strength I had. It was something completely different going up against an Alpha in their wolf form and from what it appeared, there was little to no humanity left within him.

I did this.

I caused all of this.

Just to protect myself from the hunters. I was trying to show them that no one can cross me and get away with it...but what? At the expense of putting Eris' life in danger. She's already been through too damn much to be hurt anymore.

Unfortunately, I'm the villain...

"Get the fuck off!" I hissed at Declan, baring my fangs as I slammed my fist onto his muzzle. A very small whimper came from his half-open jaws, followed up by another growl and increased pressure.

Oh, you want to break my arm, do you?

I pushed forward hard, doing something I don't think even Declan expected, sinking my fangs into his right ear. He howled, instantly releasing his hold on me. I dashed away from the tree I had been pinned against, tasting his blood in my mouth energized me. The pain in my arm turned into a dull throbbing sensation before completely disappearing, as it wasn't just my vampiric healing that was aiding me. It was the only part I couldn't cut the connection off to, my silent guardian.

Eris' crying made me look in her direction, their "doctor" doing something, though I couldn't see exactly what as he was blocking my view. I took one step to her, and Declan was back in the fray, shaking his head.

Quickly withdrawing my second pistol, with my right hand and taking one of my medium length daggers into my other, blade pointing toward my enemy.

"Let's go," I smirked, Declan bounding at me with his full speed. I ran head on and just before he would have tackled me again, I pushed from the ground, flipping over his body. Extending my arm out mid-flip, I pulled the trigger, the dart shooting into his back, right between his shoulder blades. He whimpered and yelped loudly while I landed on my feet. It would take him a bit longer to shift back than it had with the Thetas, so I decided to attack him.

He wasn't ready for my sudden assault, snapping his jaws at me as he turned around, but I slid onto the ground, bring the blade over my head and slicing through his neck. I felt the blood hit my face and neck as I stood back up, the Alpha's body collapsing onto the ground, his head rolling onto the grass before stopping a couple of feet away from me. His blood dripped down from my chin, hitting the ground as it was quickly followed by very soft, light raindrops. The night sky had darkened further with the storm clouds that had crept in above us, my eyes lifting to meet the rest of the wolf pack that lingered near the house.

Eris...

I dropped my weapons onto the forest floor, running to where she had fallen from the two-story window, glass littering the ground around her. The male who was kneeling beside her had blood on his hands, trying to keep pressure on the wound as the glass that had gotten lodged insider of her lower stomach had shifted. When she had moved, it had sliced open more of her flesh, the blood trickling ever so slowly.

"Thank you," I nodded at the Beta who stood on the other side of her, but fell to my own knees, signaling for the male to let go.

He shook his head, bewilderment on his face as he looked up at the Beta, "Hendrix?"

"Canstany," Hendrix signaled for him to move, "If he wants you to move, do so. Tristan needs help."

I lifted Eris' upper body, wrapping my right arm under her, my left hand gently cupping the side of her face. Her beautiful emerald eyes were revealed, her eyelids opening slowly as she groaned in pain. Tears came from the corners of her eyes, sliding down her cheeks as she whispered, "You're late."

"Better late than never," I replied as her face lit up with a small smile but was quickly replaced with a grimace. She was freezing and with the drops of water turning into a light rain, it didn't make it any better.

"Eris," I drew her attention back, her eyelids fluttering shut and then reopening to stare into my eyes, "I'm going to take the glass out."

I could hear her heart rate increase, her head shaking with a 'no' response, afraid of what would happen. Her muscles tensed and I knew she was going further into shock.

"You are going to drink my blood," my voice was soothing, creeping into the depths of her mind and taking control. She began to relax, the sound of my voice clouding her ability to think, to become afraid of what she didn't need to be. "Trust me, sweetheart."

My hand left her cheek, wrapping it around the glass shard where it touched into her skin. Her breathing was still as normal as it could get, focusing on keeping her at ease, ignoring the pain. Clutching the glass firmly, in one swift motion, I pulled it from her body, tossed it onto the grass. A small cry came from her, my hold on her slipping for a moment, before bringing my fangs to my inner wrist, biting into my flesh and moving my wrist to her parted lips. I heard her and felt the exhale of air against my wrist as she breathed deeply.

It didn't take all that long, her wounds had quickly closed from the inside out, the blood stopped flowing from the no longer open wound.

It's alright, just sleep.

I removed my wrist from her lips as they slid shut, her eyes closed tightly, falling into a deep sleep.

"Incredible..." Hendrix murmured, observing vampiric blood working on that of another being.

Moving my arm beneath of Eris' knees, I stood with her in my arms, holding her against my chest. I'm sorry I let this happen to you...I'll stop this or at least die trying...

"So," I met Hendrix's brown eyes, "I guess you're the new Alpha? I'm not quite sure how that whole hierarchy works within your pack."

Hendrix didn't say a word, looking at me hard and then glancing down at Eris, "Yes. Do me a favor...thank her for me."

I wasn't quite sure what he meant, "For what?"

"She knows," Hendrix chuckled to himself. Still confused, I guess she had a secret between the two of them.

"Are we good?" I asked, unsure of exactly what I expected to happen next. After all, I just killed their Alpha and they weren't moving, waiting and watching.

"If you mean, am I going to call the hunters?" Hendrix questioned and replied, "No, I'm not. I'm not going to make the same mistake. Just stay out of Forest Park, do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

Published on Amazon as an ebook and paperback.

To Seduce a Succubus by K. A. Young.

If you don't have a Kindle and can't purchase the book off Amazon, you are more than welcome to join my Patreon page and receive downloadable PDFs under the Pack Tracker Tier.

Please click on the link on my bio.

https://www.patreon.com/SerenityR0se