Innocent Little Runt
Chapter 74

Lycer’s POV

I look around from the roof of the pack house. I can’t tell who is winning this battle. They have more casualties than we do but they have so many people. No, they’re not people. They’re not even werewolves anymore. They’re just experiments. In the end, no one is truly going to win I think.

A bright blue light starts to come from one side of the yard and I quickly turn around to see what it is. Kaleshia is on the ground, a blue barrier seeming to surround her as she holds something in her arms. No, someone. I squint my eyes and anger surges through me when I see that it’s Zay’s non-moving form.

I quickly go back to doing what I was doing before, looking for Malum. I spot Xavier who I knew was doing the same thing. He shakes his head, telling me he hasn’t seen him either. I described what he looks like so Xavier can at least guess, not to mention he’d be one of the only ones to look normal who isn’t from his pack. There might be a few experiments who look kind of normal but not completely.

I jump down onto Celestial’s and Xavier’s balcony and walk into the room. I couldn’t help but worry about her. I was her protector. The guard nods in greeting and points towards the bed. I smile when I see Celestial laying down. I sit down next to her and she smiles up at me. “Hey Lycer.”

“You didn’t get hurt, did you?” I look her up and down to see if there are any injuries. She shakes her head and after confirming it for myself I nod.

“Did you see where Zay ran off to?” My breath hitches and I nod.

“She went to help Kaleshia,” I say honestly but preparing to lie if it comes to it. “That’s why I came here. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I hold out my hand to hold hers and squeeze it tightly.

“I’m okay so get back out there and replace Malum. End this please. I’ve seen my pack member die. My pack members Lycer. I want this to end before I lose anymore of them.” I nod and lean down to k**s the top of her head. “Stay safe please.” I nod.

“You too. Why don’t you take a small nap? It will help you get your energy back faster. And drink some water when you wake up.” She smiles as her eyes slip close. “Make sure she doesn’t exhaust herself again please,” I tell the guards but I could tell they heard the annoyance in my voice. I don’t want her getting hurt in anyway and if she would have kept going she could have been hurt. Someone should have stopped her sooner.

I jump up to where I can grasp the roof and pull myself over. I look over the pack, trying to replace the man who is ruining this pack’s life. I sigh when I notice the experiments are thinning out. It’s not by a lot but it’s something. I guess the experiments aren’t always as strong as Malum would like them to be. I jump off of the roof and crouch, landing safely on my feet. I’ve done this multiple times so it’s gotten easier than it originally was. I almost broke my leg when I first tried.

“Xavier!” I look around, seeing if there was anyone I could help while Xavier made his way over here. I quickly spot someone who is injured. Their leg was bent in the wrong direction and b***d was staining the pants they are wearing around the injury. I run over to her, noticing she’s unconscious. I put one arm under her legs and the other under her shoulders, trying not to hurt her further. I quickly run inside the pack house and lay her next to the other injured people and wolves. Everyone in wolf form in conscious. If they were to fall unconscious they would most likely shift back.

“We need Zay!” I look up to the person who said that. He and a few other teens are rushing to help the injured. They must be students. “She could easily get this done.” I sigh, knowing Zay won’t be returning.

“You will all have to make do,” I announce. They don’t stop what they’re doing but I can tell they are listening to me. I hesitate, wondering if I should tell them. In the end, I decide that they should know. We aren’t relying on hope right now. We’re relying on what can actually happen and Zay coming back. . . That’s just not going to happen. “Zay won’t be returning.” They all stop. One girl looks at me with wide eyes. “I’m sorry,” I say to everyone while I’m looking at the girl.

I leave the pack house just in time to see Xavier running towards me in wolf form. He picks up a pair of shorts, that was laying with a bunch of other spare clothes within the barrier surrounding the pack house, in his mouth. He puts them down, shifts back, and puts the shorts on.

“Have you checked on her?” I nod. Of course his first question will be about her.

“Yeah, just a few minutes ago. She’s okay. She exhausted herself so she’s resting but besides that she’s okay. I told the guards to make sure she doesn’t do it again.”

“What about Zay? I saw her up there when I came back.” He brushes his hair out of his face and looks around, making sure no experiments are near. They were mainly all on the other side of the house now.

“You didn’t see it?” He looks back to me, confused. “I’m sorry Xavier but she’s uh. . . She’s gone.” His eyes turn black and he runs at me, pinning me to the pack house by my throat.

“What,” he hissed. His eyes had darkened to a color that from far away could look like black. That happens to all werewolves when they got angry or some other strong, negative emotion. It was their wolf surfacing. It doesn’t happen to me.

“Xavier,” I said calmly, knowing he could snap any minute. “I didn’t see it happen. I didn’t see it in time to stop it. All I saw was her mate holding her body. What’s done is done. I’m sorry but right now we need to focus on replaceing Malum and ending this.” His eyes went back to normal as a look of sadness came over his whole form.

“I’m sorry.” He let me go as a blank look settled in his eyes. “She was just. . . She is really important to me.” I nodded knowingly. In the time I had been at this pack I had noticed he shared a close bond with her, his beta, and his third in commands.

“Then let’s replace the man who was responsible for her death.” He nodded, a determined look in his eyes. We wandered around the pack for over an hour, killing experiments when we came across them, before I caught his scent. I nodded towards the woods and Xavier nodded in understanding.

“You took longer than I thought.” I could feel my skin crawling as that familiar voice surrounded Xavier and I. We both paused, looking for where he may be but his scent was everywhere here. “Although, I did expect you alone. Maybe if you got here before the Alpha arrived.” He laughed at the word Alpha, as if it was some joke.

“What’s so funny?” I ask, still trying to replace him.

“Well, in my opinion a true Alpha wouldn’t let so many of his people die.” Xavier growled, obviously not liking what Malum was saying.

“Don’t,” I whispered to Xavier. “If you let him get to you, he’ll win.”

“The point isn’t to win!” s**t. I was hoping he wouldn’t hear me. “At least not with this pack. The pack is just in the way. The point is that little secret of yours.” I rolled my eyes. “So give yourself up and this will end.”

“Bull s**t,” I spat. “You’ll still try to get rid of this pack.” I could tell Xavier was ready to lose it now, fed up with Malum.

“You know me so well, don’t you?”

“Maybe it’s because you tortured me for multiple years. Perhaps with every scar you gave me I got to know you a little better.” He chuckled, still not showing himself.

“Shut up and let me finish boy. You may know me but you didn’t know me enough to see what is to come.”

“And what is that?” This time it was Xavier. I turned to him. His eyes were dark again as he frantically looked around, a worried look in his eyes. I smelled the air and realized why he was this way. Celestial. Her scent was near.

“Bring her out!” I heard the crunching of leaves and quickly turned to see a woman with long black hair, tan skin, and a smirk etched onto her face. In front of her was Celestial, duct tape on her mouth and her hands tied together. The woman had a hand in Celestial’s hair and the other on a knife that she held against Celestial’s neck.

“Celeste,” Xavier whispered. Her eyes glossed over as she mind linked him, making Xavier nod. The woman quickly tugged on Celestial’s hair, bringing her attention back to what is going on.

“Malum, you bastard! Stop hiding and let her go!” I could see Xavier resisting the urge to run to her. I was doing the same thing. Slowly, Malum walked out from a few trees away. His unnaturally black hair was fitting his soulless personality right now. He has brought too many innocent people into this.

“Now why would I let her go? She seems to be perfect leverage for the both of you.” Xavier growled, his hands clenching.

“How did you even get to her? She had high protection!” Xavier seemed pissed that they got through his security measures. I was too. That was one of the highest security measures I had ever seen.

“Easy,” the woman said. I turned to her, still watching Malum out of the corner of my eye. “A little seduction of a few pack members, three silent deaths of guards, and the b***d of one of your dead pack members coursing through my b***d. Nasty process that last part but it worked for the barrier to allow me in. I killed the two on the inside from the roof. They didn’t even see it coming.” Xavier growled.

“What about the fourth guard?”

“Who do you think one of the people I seduced were?” I looked to Xavier just in time to see a smirk come to his face.

“And the fifth?” Shock came across the woman’s face before she shook her head and laughed a little.

“You’re lying, there was no fifth guard.” Xavier’s smirk widened. I looked at Celestial. She seemed less scared but still scared nonetheless. What did Xavier tell her?

“Maybe there wasn’t. You could always turn around and check.” Her eyes widened just in time for me to see a wolf run out of the trees behind the woman and tackle her to the ground. My eyes widened, worrying about the knife against Celestial’s throat. Xavier ran to her as the woman screamed, trying desperately to fight off the wolf. He held Celestial in his arms and looked to me, nodding to tell me she is okay.

I quickly turned to Malum who stared at the wolf, anger in his eyes. The woman screamed again and it abruptly stopped. “Suka,” Malum whispered.

“Your experiments aren’t as strong as you would think Malum,” I told him as his attention came back to me. “What leverage do you have now?” Xavier came back to my side and I turned to see the wolf guarding Celestial who was sitting against a tree, the duct tape gone and her hands no longer held together. I noticed how she held her hands against her stomach protectively. I smiled a little.

Malum looked around him, most likely trying to replace a way out like the coward that he is. “Don’t even think about running Malum. You’re through,” I simply stated.

“You will rot in hell for all you’ve done,” Xavier growled out. “You kidnapped my mate, tortured her, tortured Lycer, and it is your fault that I’ve lost members of my pack. Thanks to you, I lost someone who was like a sister to me.” Celestial gasped and I looked at her with sad eyes as the puzzle came together in her head and tears came to her eyes.

“Not to mention,” I turned back to Malum. “All of the people you have basically killed when you turned them into your experiments.” I walked closer to him as Xavier did too. “Say goodbye Malum.”

“Close your eyes Celeste,” Xavier whispered. He looked back and when he looked back to Malum I knew she had done as he said. Xavier walked behind Malum, a smirk on his face. Malum froze. I wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to replace a way out of this or accepting it.

As if we were both on a count of three, Xavier and I reached out at the same time. As he wrapped his arms around Malum’s neck I punched my hand through his chest. Malum stiffened as he started to cough up b***d. Once again, on a nonexistent count of three we both did what needs to happen. As he harshly yanked his arms in opposite directions just as I ripped out his heart. I threw his heart on the ground and Xavier let Malum’s body fall to the ground. I crouched down and wiped Malum’s b***d on his shirt.

After all these years, Malum was gone.