>>Clio
It was almost five in the evening, time for everyone to pack up and leave.
But all eyes were stuck on live TV
My heart was ready to drum out of my chest but at the same time it felt like it had stopped.
I had no idea what I could do. What could I do when I was so far away from her? City D was hours away and Chris was going to kill my mother at any moment.
The anticipation, the tension, and the dread in the room was palpable. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I stared at the screen, my lips sewn together.
I never would have thought something so bizarre like this would happen. I shook my head in denial and I kept shaking it when I felt a hand come to my shoulder
!!!
It scared me initially and I shot my head around but a sense of calm came over when I saw it was Matthew.
He had a grim expression on but he didn't look like he was worried. He had his eyes on the screen and it looked like he was waiting for something.
"Look," But Chris's voice made me turn to the TV again, "I'm not going to waste any time." She let out a chuckle, "Since I'm live, it's not like I have any either." She looked down at my mother, "You have a very nice daughter."
My mother whimpered, I could see the tears in the corners of her eyes. She didn't say anything, just closed her eyes to accept her fate as Chris raised her sickle.
"NO!!" I yelled out, unconsciously walking towards the screen, letting Matthew's hand slip away as my tears came rushing out, "Please no!!!"
"Clio," Matthew came after me, grabbing my shoulders, "Wait," He told me
"Wait?" I shot my head at him when something happened.
In the midst of the ominous confrontation happening on TV, the atmosphere shifted as a primal force interjected itself into the unfolding drama. A sudden, ferocious growl reverberated through the air, sending shivers down my spine.
I shot my head back at the screen and noticed Chris had her eyes on someone else who wasn't on screen, her sickle didn't stop but her action was halted when the source of the growl materialized in a blur of fur and fangs—a wolf entered the scene.
!!??
Loud gasps filled with disbelief reverberated in the room
The wolf lunged at the serial killer with speed that defied the bounds of the human world. It felt like it came out of nowhere but then I remembered that there was a window at that side and it must have jumped in from there. Its teeth sank into the assailant's arm, causing a visceral reaction. The grip on my mother momentarily loosened, which allowed her a desperate escape.
In the chaotic moment Chris was contended with the unpredictable force of the wild and found herself momentarily incapacitated. The wolf's intervention became a supernatural catalyst, disrupting the malevolent design that had sought to claim another victim.
But, I frowned.
How the hell did the wolf make it to that floor? There was something awfully familiar about that wolf. The color of his fur resembled someone's hair.
But I had no time to focus on other things as I watched mom stagger away, a mix of fear and relief etched across her face, followed by a sigh of relief escaping my lips.
Oh! Thank God!!
"You!" Chris's arm bled but the wolf didn't allow her to say anything further as it didn't stop his actions. With a sudden burst of speed, the wolf lunged at the serial killer, teeth bared and claws unsheathed. A symphony of growls and snarls filled the air as the predator engaged its prey. Chris, caught off guard by the swift and savage assault, struggled to defend against the relentless onslaught.
We all stared at the screen with complete silence and stillness.
The wolf's attacks were of lethal precision. The constant attacks were forcing Chris back but she didn't just take them. She kept trying to attack the wolf with her sickle but it wasn't working much.
Even for a wild wolf, the wolf seemed a little too skilled with how it attacked her. Fangs found purchase on the killer's vulnerable flesh, and claws raked across skin with primal efficiency.
I gulped, my heart pounding but now a little lower.
The whole nation watched as Chris yelled and screamed while taking those attacks. My mother was out of view and though I couldn't see her, I knew she was safe now that she was away.
Chris let out a yell, "AZEF!!!" And she finally managed to hit him, the impact caused him to collide with the camera and it fell down, giving us an awkward view but we could still see them, but most of the view was of the floor now.
!!!
Azef?!?!? My eyes went wide.
"Azef?"
"The director?"
"What is she saying?"
"Why would she name him?"
"How would I know?"
"He doesn't have anything to do with her, does he?"
I'm sure the people couldn't understand what was happening or why Chris was call that name. But I knew.
No wonder that fur color was familiar.
It was the director who was on screen.
As the battle reached its crescendo, the wolf's ferocity intensified, he seemed to have been ticked off by Chris calling his name and so he decided to end this. He had already damaged her enough.
With a final, decisive move, it lunged towards her, aiming at her neck.
!!!
It was a brutal sight. It was violent to begin with but it happened so suddenly that no one could look away when he was damaging her.
But the final attack traumatized everyone.
Azef bared his fangs while Chris was trying to access her damage and he pushed her body down as he landed on her, immediately piercing her neck.
Blood sprayed out as he bit her down, dying his fur red, especially around the mouth.
Loud gaps, full of fear escaped everyone's lips including mine when the wolf ripped Chris's throat out.
It sent shivers down my spine and my skin stood up.
"My God…"
"Oh hell…"
Everyone started saying something and looked away but I couldn't. To everyone else it was a wolf who did that.
To me, it was someone I knew.
It wasn't an animal.
I gulped as I watched Chris reach for her missing throat, blood spraying out pooling on her own body when a hand finally reached me, covering my eyes and then turning me away.
The wolf howled, and I then heard him run away which was followed by someone coming into the room and turning the camera off.
***
"The director…" Matthew and I sat in his office across from each other on the couches, "Is brutal…"
I'm saying that not because I felt bad for how he killed Chris. There is no way I would ever feel bad for her but Azef killed her without a moment's hesitation.
Almost as if he's used to this brutality.
"Yes," Matthew replied, "He is like that," His statement made my heart skip a beat but then I remembered what this all was.
Right, they're the mafia. They've killed people before.
…
I thought about things and there was silence for a few seconds. Then I looked at my mate, "You knew?" I asked and he looked back at me, "That Azef would stop this?"
"Yes," He smiled at me, erasing the tense atmosphere, "I told you I'd protect you," He folded his arms, "That means I have to protect what's precious to you as well."
I pursed my lips softly as my heart finally managed to warm a little. And I was able to think a little more clearly as my gaze dropped down.
"But a bus doesn't just crash that easily." I said, "It's weird," I know anything can happen but it all seems so well timed."
"It doesn't," Matthew was suspicious as well, "It's because it was planned."
!!!
I shot my head at him again, "What?" I was in disbelief, "It was planned?" I shook my head, "By who?!?" I felt so restless all of the sudden I stood up from my seat, "WHY!??"
"Who else? It was Somas." He sighed, "The people who have been haunting you for years."
My heart trembled and I just froze. Matthew stood up from his seat and walked over to me,
"It's alright," He smiled, trying to reassure me, "Nothing can harm you as long as I'm here."
I looked at his face and I knew he meant his words. He had shown it to me many times. I clasped his hands back and looked down
But so much had happened so fast in the last couple of days that I felt exhausted. Matthew stepped closer to me and held my hands, "I'll make sure your mom is fine, I'll have my people guard her so the Soma's can't pull anything."
"Wouldn't that put you in danger?" I asked, "They will recognize your people, won't they?"
"It's fine," He replied, "It's bound to happen," His black eyes held no fear or hesitation,
"I see…" I felt so powerless. I was completely dependent on Matthew for this, unable to do anything on my own.
I felt ashamed and because of that, I couldn't even ask him how he was going to handle the whole situation. Or maybe it was because I was tired. I felt like I wanted to sleep for days.
That's just how much energy this whole ordeal pulled away from me.
"Clio," I looked at him, "There is a place I would like to take you," He looked a bit sterner than before, "I think it would help you relax."
"Hmm?" I shook my head to clear my mind, "Where?"
"My pack,"