Chapter 102

Her tone was as sharp as a blade. She seemed to glide towards him and swung at him, barely missing his shoulder. She was much faster than he remembered. He felt the force of her swing as it missed him and knew she’d gotten stronger too.

“Daphne! Stop. I don’t know what they’ve done to you, but this isn’t like you–”

“You don’t know anything, murderer!”

His gut clenched and for a moment he heard the furious chants of the Brown Valley pack at the back of his mind. He pushed those thoughts away and dodged another attack.

“You killed my son!” Daphne screeched.

Her words struck him. His blood ran cold, “What?”

Daphne growled at her, “Don’t play dumb, werewolf. You were happy to sleep with me but you couldn’t bear the thought of half-vampire son, could you?”

The bubbling joy of hearing that she was pregnant died as the rest of her words came to mind.

“Dead?” He managed to breathe as she stormed towards him, lunging and slashing at him.

He heard her words as if far away.

She’d lost the baby. The baby he hadn’t known about until now. She had gone into shock when he’d killed Mamie’s reanimated body.

He’d killed his unborn child by trying to protect her.

The thought shook him free of his stupor. No, he hadn’t been in the wrong. It hadn’t been his fault that they’d been turned. He had been trying to save her. Mamie would have killed her. She may have been unable to kill Blade, but she had only known Daphne a few months.

“Daphne, wait—”

“Shut up and die!” She screeched, as her sword barely nicked him. He winced. She was getting faster.

He didn’t know if that was because she was pissed or if she was getting stronger, but she was furious.

“I didn’t—”

“All of you will pay! Every single one of—”

“Daphne, please!” Arthur cried, catching her by the wrist and restraining her. “Those werewolves had been turned. She would have killed you—Ow!”

Daphne leaned forward and drove her knee into his stomach. He grunted at the sharp pain but didn’t release her.

“Daphne,” he grunted, “Stop it.”

She drove her knee into his stomach again. He pushed forward so they fell to the ground.

“Daphne, please, just listen to me--!”

Pain exploded in his face as she drove her head into his face. He winced at the crack of cartilage, but he didn’t release her hands, careful to keep an eye on the blade in her hand.

He had to get it out of her hands and talk some sense into her if he could. He lifted off her and yelped as she thrust up, flipping them over in a flurry of movement. He threw her off before she could get her bearing and got to his feet. As he lunged for her, she got to her feet and dove out of the way, taking her sword with her. He cursed, feeling ridiculous as he shifted into his wolf form and faced her.

Daphne crouched nearby, barely holding onto her sword as she glared at him and aimed her blade at him.

He huffed, “Daphne if you would just wait and hear me out--”

A burst of light shot out towards him, blowing him back. The pain of it shocked him out of his wolf form as he landed with a thud and grimaced.

Magic. He’d forgotten about the magic. It seemed that Daphne had been learning a lot while with the vampires. He shook his head as she came running toward him. She’d gotten even faster than before. He was finding it hard to concentrate on dodging her and looking for an opening.

She didn’t fight like the other vampires. If anything, she fought like someone in Nicole’s command and that sent a shiver of fear down his spine. Had he been wrong to trust Nicole’s words? Maybe there wasn’t a way to get Daphne to listen to him.

“Die, damn you!”

Arthur dodged her blade, but a burst of light slammed him to the ground. Then, she was over him. Her eyes wide narrowed in fury, flashing in her face. Tears slipped down her face as she lifted her sword, aiming for his neck.

He could throw her off in time, but she was so sad. He could feel and taste her sorrow and anger in the air.

“Daphne, no!”

Daphne screamed and he closed his eyes, relaxing. It was fine. He would never strike Daphne, so he couldn’t really stop her even if he’d tried to subdue her. She wanted to kill him and there was nothing he could do to get through to her.

He was so tired.

Of all the ways he’d nearly died, this was the best option.

He relaxed, closing his eyes seeming to almost welcome his pending death.

She froze. Her gaze no longer focused on his face, and she stared at the little pouch around his neck. Pain tore through her head. She tried to fight it back, but it was blinding her, pounding her head. She slumped forward, trying to drive the sword into him, but there was no cry of pain.

The blade cut into the Earth as her vision swam from the agony cutting through her head.

She saw her own fingers sewing a little pouch together and stringing it on a long cord. She didn’t know what the pouch was for, but she knew it was important.

Her heart clenched and her eyes burned as she stared at it. Her chest felt tight.

You can have all the points!

“I… I…” She growled, “Why can’t I kill you?”

Arthur opened his eyes as Daphne slumped over him. Her eyes were trained on his chest where the pouch lay against his bare chest.

“What…” She hissed, “What is that?”

Arthur’s heart swelled with hope as he looked up at her, but he couldn’t answer her. Her face was contorted in pain and his wolf growled.

Something is wrong. She’s hurt. We should leave.

Arthur agreed, “I’ll tell you, Daphne… We’ll fix it. Whatever is wrong, we’ll fix it… Just come with me.”

He reached out to her tentatively. She didn’t flinch away as he cupped her cheek. His stomach churned with nervousness when he found her a bit too cool to touch. He could barely hear her heart beating in her chest as he met her gaze.

“Please, Daphne?” Arthur pleaded, “Please.”

“Tell me what this pouch is for,” she growled. “Tell me what you are to me! Tell me!”

Arthur sat up slowly, cupping her face in his hands.

“You gave it to me,” Arthur whispered. “Back before we were married.”

“Married?” She gasped in horror.

“You’re my mate, Daphne. You’re my everything.” He shuddered, pressing his forehead to hers, “Please, Daphne. Please, tell me you remember something. Anything?”

His voice was soft and pleading. It made no sense. This man who was pleading with her didn’t seem to be the type to kill their child. He didn’t seem to be a terrible man.

“I’m so sorry,” Arthur whispered. “I didn’t know. I would have never let you go if I’d known. War or not. I would have never let you go. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the baby. About Mamie and everything else…”

Nicole shoved a werewolf off Kayley and huffed, pulling her off the ground. The werewolf’s body tumbled away from them and remained still and lifeless where it had fallen. She hoped it was no one of importance to Arthur, but she didn’t recognize the wolf from the clearing where they’d met for peace.

“I need to feed, “Kayley said, panting. “I’m exhausted.”

Nicole pulled out a potion and turned to look over to where Daphne was, kneeling over Arthur with her sword plunged into the ground beside his head. A bit of hope bloomed in her chest as she gestured through the air to signal her forces to pull back.

“Regroup!”

“What’s the plan?” Kayley asked.

“We cut a path out of her so that Arthur and daphne can get out of here.”

Kayley nodded, “Towards the werewolf lands?”

“That would be best. We’ll cover their escape and leave the rest of them to figure out this nonsense.”

Nicole led them closer to where Daphne and Arthur were, cutting the paths between them and the battlefield.

“They’re surrounding the king!” Tom growled, “Quickly!”

A howl broke through the air as a group of madly dashing werewolves rushed towards them. Nicole grit her teeth.

“Quickly!” Kayley ordered.

“We’re outflanked,” Nicole said, “The objective doesn’t change. Neutralize this group first!”

A cackle floated over the battlefield, “How precious! Thinking any of you will be escaping here in one piece!”

Nicole turned and spat, recognizing the voice. She should have been surprised that he was still alive, but something in her had always thought that he was too insane to die. There had always been something off about him.

She backpedaled until she got closer to Daphne and Arthur.

“You two need to get out of here. Whatever happens now is no longer your concern.”

Arthur turned and looked at Nicole’s back. Daphne tore away from him, pulling her sword out of the ground.

“I’m not leaving without you, Nicole,” Daphne said. “Who is he?”

Nicole glared across the distance, “General Osborn.”