Blood Moon's Tears
Chapter 25

As the cold, damp air enveloped the underground torture chamber hidden within the wine cellar, tension hung in the atmosphere like a thick, suffocating fog. Eriena, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow, took a step forward, trying to reason with the man she was bound to by fate. “Sama’el, please, this doesn’t have to end like this. We can replace another way.”

But her words only seemed to fuel his rage. He clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fury. “Another way? You dare to speak of alternatives after what you’ve done? You disregarded my orders and took advantage of my trust and you want to tell me that we can replace another way? Who the fuck gave you permission to be here anyway?” Sama’el’s voice was like thunder in the confined space as he revealed a piece of information that sent shivers down Eriena’s spine. “You know, as I was out searching for Drake, I overheard whispers about you, Eriena. They said you’re the one who handed Drake over to the Bounty Hunter Association. That you’re the best of the best amongst all bounty hunters. Is that true?”

Eriena’s inner wolf interjected, its voice filled with jest, “Well your cover’s blown, isn’t this a delightful turn of events?”

Eriena swallowed hard, her resolve unwavering. “Yes, I did. And I’d do it again, Sama’el. I’m also the one who orchestrated the capture of most of your pack members though you’re so self-absorbed in your love for torture you came to see about your little package first. I highly doubt you even checked on your pack before you came here. You know, I was starting to get tired of pretending to care about you when all I want is for you to suffer like you’ve made me suffer.”

His face twisted with confusion and betrayal. “What have I done to you, Eriena? I’ve treated you so well. You could have gotten anything you wanted but you went and fucked it up by poking your nose in something you had no business being in! So tell me, just how did I make you suffer?”

Eriena’s eyes bore into his, her voice trembling with emotion. “You killed my pack, our family.” She stated while gesturing to Lele. “You didn’t even recognise me as the wolf that attacked you that night, the one you left for dead!”

Sama’el’s retort was sharp and cold. “There were many wolves I left for dead that night. Besides it was years ago, why would you still be holding on to that? What’s done is done and there is no coming back from that. So get over it.”

The turning point came when Lele interjected. Her voice was laced with bitterness and disdain. “My sister made the right choice coming home and leaving you. I would have never accepted you as part of my family anyway.”

Eriena nodded in agreement, her eyes now filled with defiance. “Since there’s no more hiding, I formally reject you, Sama’el Seth, as my mate.”

The Alpha’s control snapped. He roared, his voice echoing off the chamber’s concrete walls. “You can’t reject me, Eriena! You’re my second-chance mate!”

Eriena’s lip curled in contempt. “Second chance? That’s insulting. You never had a first mate. You’re a different type of delulu, Sama’el. What was the Goddess thinking for even assigning you a mate? Maybe that’s why Kirsi, had half a mind to leave you for someone better. At least her true mate had more integrity than you, you’re nothing more than a low-life succumb who thinks he can get anything he wants because of his Aloha title. You arrogant prick!” She spat.

The atmosphere was charged with tension, and a storm of emotions raged within the chamber. In that moment, words could no longer contain the anger, resentment, and betrayal that had festered for so long. With a low growl, Sama’el lunged at Eriena, and a fierce, brutal fight erupted.

In the dimly lit chamber, the clash between Eriena and Sama’el was as fierce as it was inevitable. Their fists and teeth became weapons in the brutal dance of two werewolves bound by twisted destiny.

Eriena’s agile form dodged Sama’el’s first lunge, her training as a bounty hunter and past warrior giving her a deadly edge. She counterattacked with a swift kick to his side, the impact echoing through the chamber. But Sama’el was no slouch, his strength unmatched among their kind. With a savage swipe, he sent Eriena sprawling across the uneven stone floor.

Lele watched with a mix of fear and fury as the two beings fought for their lives. She knew the stakes were high. Her pack, her family, and her niece Vel depended on their escape. “Oh Goddess, what happened to Veleena?” The thought made Lele’s heart sound louder than it actually was as it raced.

Eriena’s determination blazed in her eyes as she regained her footing. She fought with every ounce of strength in her body, every memory of pain and loss fueling her blows. The anger that had simmered beneath the surface for so long was now unleashed.

Sama’el, in his arrogance, believed himself to be the superior fighter, but Eriena’s relentless spirit refused to waver. Blow after blow, they exchanged strikes, neither willing to yield. Their confrontation had become more than just a physical battle; it was a clash of wills, emotions, and of destinies intertwined in bloodshed.

Lele, no longer content to be a spectator, joined the fray, launching herself at Sama’el’s back. Her teeth bared, and she sank them into his shoulder. Sama’el howled in pain and rage, releasing Eriena.

The three of them tumbled and snarled in the confined space, a cacophony of growls and curses. The scent of blood filled the air and as the fight raged on, none of them could have predicted the outcome.

The chaotic brawl in the underground chamber reached its zenith, a maelstrom of rage and agony. Amidst the tumult, Lele was flung into a wall adorned with an assortment of items. Among them was a glass container, its contents a corrosive acid that spilt onto her, causing excruciating burns and torment. Her agonized screams joined the symphony of violence echoing through the cellar.

“Lele!” Eriena screamed before landing a strong right hook to Sama’el’s jaw.

Sama’el, towering over Eriena, unleashed a powerful blow that sent her hurtling across the chamber. Her body collided with a chain-linked fence that separated her from the door, the impact leaving her dazed.

Sama’el, seizing the opportunity, noticed a glint amidst the fallen items—a dagger infused with wolfsbane. With a sinister grin, he retrieved the deadly weapon, its malevolent aura amplifying his menace.

But it wasn’t the weapon that caught Eriena’s attention; it was the sound of chains jingling against the chain-linked fence that paralyzed her. Chains along with the scent of acid—the instruments of her past suffering—had come back to haunt her in this dire moment.

Sama’el, dagger in hand, approached Eriena once more, his expression betraying a twisted mix of anger and longing. He confessed that, despite everything, he was willing to overlook her past actions and betrayals. But her rejection had shattered the last vestiges of his restraint. “If I can’t have you,” he murmured, “then no one can.”

Lele, still in immense pain, cried out for Eriena to move, to fight, to do something. She knew the danger they were in. As Sama’el drew closer, it became evident that Eriena was paralyzed by fear. Lele, drawing upon her inner wolf and every ounce of strength left within her, used her abilities to make herself lighter, launching herself across the room in a desperate attempt to shield Eriena. In an instant, Lele took the dagger meant for Eriena, the searing pain tearing through her.

“Eriena! For love of all things holy, pull yourself together!” Ereina’s inner wolf scolded.

Eriena’s petrified state was shattered by Lele’s cries of agony and her inner wolf’s relentless urging, which forced her to return to the grim reality of their predicament. Lele, despite her pain, managed to give Eriena a weak smile, her voice barely above a whisper. “Do you think Kirsi would be proud of me for doing my Alpha duties and protecting a pack member?”

Eriena, her heart aching, stammered out a tearful “Yes.” But her gaze shifted towards Sama’el, whose face was now devoid of all emotion. In horror, she watched as he removed the dagger from Lele’s back, the young she-wolf coughing up blood before her eyes closed.

Eriena’s shriek of anguish reverberated throughout the entire cellar, a wail of grief for the loss of her friend. As her tear-blurred eyes drifted to the door behind Sama’el, she saw a figure in the shadows. Lucian, the infamous Golden Alpha, now the head of the Wolfen Council and Lele’s mate, stood there, his golden eyes reflecting flecks of purple.