The Lycan King (Book 1)
Chapter 88. Avenging Angel

Avalyn

The first walk that I had with Papa seemed ages ago. All of us had been very busy after that. Wehardly saw each other. Especially Nik and I. But we had developed a schedule.

He would wake me up early in the morning with either breakfast in bed and then a we would go fora short run around the pack or engage in early morning sex and and then a quick breakfast beforewe parted ways.

The first task that the entire pack did was break down the wall on which the heads of wolves hung.Those heads were hung on Emilio's orders as a reminder to the pack about what would happen tothem if they upset him in any way. The heads were removed and were lit on pyres by their friendsand family so that the wolves would finally attain peace on the other side of the moon.

Max had been given the task of searching the houses of the wolves for black money and checkingtheir accounts for any sort of discrepancies. Most of the wolves from the Rogue pack had split intogroups to search the houses because they would be unbiased. Max's friend Daniel was great withnumbers and knew trustworthy people who could help us out with scanning through all theaccounts discretely.

Dimitri and Natalia were given the task of training the wolves everyday. It was difficult for them forthe first couple of days because they were not used to getting up so early in the morning andtraining for such long hours. But Dimitri and Nat were ruthless in handing out punishments toslackers and late comers in form of laps around the entire pack or having to spar either one ofthem. And having their ass handed back to them by a female was something these men weren'tused to. Training the females was a slow process because none of them knew how to fight buthaving an attractive, mateless and flirty male as their trainer was working wonders.

Nik owned a telecommunications company and had them come up for three days straight to set uptowers and network lines and things of those sort which increased the internet speed to 4G. Theteenagers in the pack were very happy. Symon was the one who looked over the workings of thisand made sure the humans never strayed to far or get suspicious. Phasing into your wolf wasbanned for the time the humans came in.

Papa and I were given the task of mending the relations with the other packs. They were a bit sorebecause Montana had become a recluse pack for the last ten years, denying help or trade ortransfers or a passage. But having Papa helped because most of the Alphas knew and respectedhim. Once the relations were smoothened, trade was opened again. Those packs had been takingrefugees from Montana pack too so we were hoping from them to apply to come back too. Tradewith Mystic Lupus Pack was closed. A small part of our border touched theirs and there was strictsecurity especially in that area. It might have something to do with the fact that it was Nik's father'spack.

We also looked over the storing and allocation of all the goods. The rationing of food was banned.Each wolf could now have as much food as they wished. The taxes from food items were lifted. Thepeople were happy.

All of these expenditures were made out of the money Max had collected from the pack. And wehad a lot more money to spare. A lot of people were delirious but a lot more people were delighted.I had asked if he would like to start building the Pack House again but he said he had different plansand that he needed to think them through before he tells me or anyone else about it.

The group of young males and females that had volunteered had been very helpful and showed apromise of greater potential for when they grow older. Nik had mentioned that he needed youngerpeople in the council. They are the future of their pack and their opinions are always welcome.

The elders of the pack were sour about the fact that they had been removed from the council butNik shut them up with the question that where were they when the pack was attacked and wherewere their opinions when Emilio was dragging the pack into the mud.

Most of the work for the day would be over by eight and everyone would retire to their homes torest. All of us would have dinner together but then Nik would retreat back to a cottage at the edgeof the town where he had been keeping Emilio and Emmanuel or Vermin and Maggot as he likes tocall them. He did not come back to small cottage we share with Tessa until almost one or two in themorning. But he always makes sure that he has had a bath before he comes back. He didn't actuallysay it to me, but I knew. I also knew that he did it because he didn't want me to see him coated inblood and goddess knows what else.

Today was the the eighth day. And following through our deal, Nik had promised me that he wouldkill them today. He hadn't come back to the cottage for dinner, he had went to them late in theafternoon and had been at it all day.

But my wolf was restless. I?needed?to see them before he killed them. And I was scared to seethem. Of what I will achieve by doing that. I was scared of seeing what their condition would benow. I know that all of my family members had been taking turns throughout the day to go torturethem. I was the only one who stayed away. I was scared to see what extent Nik would go to. For me.For his mother. For people whom he loved. I was scared to see Papa like that too. I couldn't imaginehim as anything other than the kind, loving and generous father and Alpha he had always been.Making up my mind, I rose from the couch and made my way out of the cottage. Nik had vaguelytold me where the cottage was. So I went in that direction and after about a twenty minute walk, Isaw a lone cottage in the distance and a yellow lamp was lit outside the door, like the rest of thecottages. My heart was slamming in my chest. The air around the cottage was... thick somehow,harsher. And I did not miss the pungent smell of blood either.

A terrifying scream met my ears and I paused.

Do I really want to do in there? Do I want to see Nik be the monster he used to claim he was?

I have always seen his sweet, gentle and loving side. Yes, I've seen him pissed off. At me. More thanonce. But love and care and worry was always present. This would be different. This will be ruthlessNik. Unforgiving and unyielding. Am I really ready?

Yes.

There is no other answer. I love Nik, irrecoverably and unconditionally. All of him. And this is a partof him.

Without overthinking anymore, I walked up to the cottage and opened the door.

Nikolai swung around and his dark, wild eyes met mine. The ripped jeans he was wearing was snugon him. He was shirtless and there was hardly a spot spot on his torso that didn't have drops ofblood on it. There was a streak of blood that extended from the left end of his hairline down to theright end of his neck, making him look deadly.

His tongue darted out and licked his bottom lip and the blood on it along with it and I saw histhroat move as he gulped it. A pleased look crossed his eye. Like he liked drinking the blood he hadshed. Or he liked me seeing him drink the blood he had shed. Like he was proud of it.

My eyes darted around the room and four pair of shocked eyes met mine. Dimitri. Max. Natalia. AndPapa. All of them were covered in blood. Papa and Nikolai more that the rest. The whip that was inPapa's hand fell on the wooden floor with a thud.

And the floor... oh goddess the floor. Blood. The entirety of it was filled with it. I wasn't sure it was ofjust today or the last week too.

"What are you doing here?" Papa asked the same time Nik said, "I was waiting for you."

I took a deep breath but then when the smell of blood, piss and vomit assaulted my senses, I almosthurled.

Nik extended his hand. His bloodied hand. And for some reason, without hesitation, maybe becauseof habit or because I wanted to, I stepped forward and took it.

Without having any control over my body, without even knowing, I walked inside.

I felt like I was dancing on a dangerous line. The line between good and bad. Light and dark.Heaven and hell. Angel and devil.

But when was it ever bad when Nik was holding my hand?

Nik moved and so did Papa.

And then I saw them. All the air escaped my body.

Both of their heads had no hair, only angry red, burnt mass of tangled skin. Their nose and mouthwere bleeding and most of their teeth were missing along with their ears. Emilio had one eyemissing, like it had been scooped out if his skull. Their entire torso had wound in the shapes of linesand holes from knives, whips and goddess knows what else. And when my eyes fell near the areabetween their legs, there was nothing. It was?all?gone.

"Kneel, slaves.” Nik growled and both of them jumped to their knees in front of us. Their heads werelowered and their hands were on their thighs. That's when I noticed that their finger's were missingtoo.

Besides them, I saw dildos. Of various sizes and shapes. There were many more things that even Idid not recognise. And I knew quite a lot of them.

"Why did you do it?" My tongue felt thick but I managed to put the words together.

Emilio raised his eyes to look at me before lowering them again. I waited for him to respond. It feltlike forever but I knew it hadn't even been a minute. My breaths were harsh and my heart wasslamming in my chest. I felt like I couldn't breath.

All my life I had wondered why. Why everything that was happening to me was truly happening tome. And now, I was about to replace out.

Nik's leg raised and met his chest, making him fall on his back and his head thudded on the floor."You answer when you are asked a question.” He growled and then yanked his leash, pulling himupright again.

"I -1 loved you." I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming. "But you were always surrounded byboys. And Algebrus.” He was my best friend growing up. "And I hated you. Because you were thebest at everything, despite being younger than me and being a?girl." He spat.”l hated the thoughtof being the Beta to an female Alpha. Females can't be Alphas.?I?wanted to become the Alpha. AndI hated you because I knew you would have been a better Alpha than me. So I hated myself forloving you. And ended up hating you more for it."

My breaths became shallow. And harsh. I had trouble breathing. And comprehending what he wassaying. And then a memory flashed across my mind. An old one. One I had had buried deep insidemy brain.

"Ava, wakeup. We are under attack,” my eyes flew open to see Papa looming over my bed. It tookme a second to comprehend what he said. But when I did, I shot out of bed and ran to my closet totake out my gun. Papa had gifted it to me when I first hit the bullseye of the target.

"No, ?Firefly. I need you to hide this time, let me do all the work, yeah?" He grabbed my hand andthen led me inside the closet. "Close your eyes. Put your fingers over your ears. Don't come out till Icome to get you, okay?"

I heard a couple of bangs and then screams and then I quickly nodded and did as Papa asked me,terrified to know what was on the other side of the door. Papa shut the closet door and left. For thenext few minutes that felt like hours, I heard nothing. The occasional sound of bullets flyingpenetrated my ears even though I hadn't taken my fingers away. My heart was racing. I wanted tohelp Papa. I wanted to save my pack. I am going to be?the?Alpha.?And?Alphas are strong, theydon't hide.

Sorry Papa.

I opened my eyes and ears and?pulled?out my gun and crept out.

I walked out of my bedroom and I saw a dead body for the first time. It smelt dirty. Like rogues. Hiseyes were open and his jaw was slackened. There was a hole on his forehead from where he wasbleeding. I covered my mouth to muffle my scream, controlled my tears and ran towards our livingroom. In the hallway, I saw two more bodies. Breathless and unable to replace anyone, I?continuedrunning?towards our living room. I knew I should have been calm and collected. But I couldn't. Ican't loose Papa. He's all I have. I began hyperventilating. I couldn't breathe.

The entire pack house was silent. Just little murmurs of adults.?Not Papa though.?There was bloodon the walls. I saw dead pack members. I gagged and then covered my mouth.

And then I saw Uncle Emmanuel talking to people in low voices. He whirled around and his eyeswidened when he saw me. "Avalyn.”

The gun in my hand fell on the floor with a clang. "Uncle. Where's Papa?”

He shifted a little to face me. And that's when I saw Papa, lying on the floor, unmoving. A knifeimpaled in his stomach and a pool of blood around him.

My head spun.

And just like that, I lost the person I loved the most in the world and became an orphan. The floorbeneath my feet shifted. Black dots danced across my vision, and then my legs stopped holding meup and the last thing I remembered was the pounding headache before I blacked out.

"But none of it was my fault.” A tear splashed down my cheek and I took an involuntary step back. Iblamed myself for everything that was happening to me. Not knowing any better, I thought that Imust have done something to deserve this.

And now I just came to know that none of it was. It was all because of his greed for power and selfloathing.

Mrs. Maria gave me an apron and I wore it. Tears rose up my eyes and I lowered them so shewouldn't notice. Today was the first day in six months I had gathered the energy to get out of bedand talk to anyone. I had cut off from everyone. I was mad at the world, at myself. But today wasPapa's birthday. And I wanted to bake him a cake, even if he wasn't here.

"I have?taken out?all the ingredients. Do you want to try and crack the eggs, sweetie?" She asked.She instinctively knew something was wrong and she tipped my head up.

"Oh, dear," she pulled me in a hug. "Your Papa wouldn't want you to cry, he would want you to behappy.”

"That's what Uncle Emmanuel says too," I bit my lip, trying hard to not sob and break down. It hurt.So much. It felt like my heart would burst into little pieces. Two people who were made to love mewere dead. Maybe I'm cursed. Maybe loving me was the end of them.

Tears rose in Mrs. Maria's eyes and she looked around before she grabbed my hands. "I'm going totell you something, honey. Listen to me carefully, okay?" She whispered so low that even I barelyheard it. "Promise me you will not act any differently. Your safety is of utmost importance. They willkill both of us if they know that we know." She looked scared but determined.

"What is it, Mrs. Maria?" I asked, wiping my tears, curious now.

"We weren't attacked my rogues, Avalyn. It was Emmanuel's plan.” She told me. From the glint inher eye, I knew she was speaking the truth. But it can't be, can it? Uncle Emmanuel took care of melike Papa did. He loves me. He has ever since I can remember. I rubbed my chest, right over myheart. It hurts. He wouldn't do that. He can't. He's Papa's Beta. He's Papa's best friend!

"You're lying!" I accuse.

"It's the truth. Look, you can't tell anyone. They'll kill us. But I can’t see you love him like that. Hekilled your father. I can't see you replace your father with him," she was in tears too. "I think hewanted to become the Alpha. That's why he planned this.” And somewhere, deep down, I knew thatit was the truth, Mrs. Maria would never lie to me. She was Papa's closest friend, more than UncleEmmanuel’s too.

I ran to my bedroom and collapsed on my bed and wept. Mrs. Maria came in, "Avalyn,” her voiceshook.

"Maria." I heard a voice and stilled. I turned around to see Uncle Emmanuel standing on the doorwith a smile. He turned to look at me, "I see you finally know the truth.” And then he turned to lookat Mrs. Maria, "you sneaky little human. Thank goddess I found out,” and then he pulled his gun,aimed at Mrs. Maria. "Now I'll have to kill you before you tell more people.”

I heard the sound of the bullet go off. And then I heard a heartbreaking scream. And then blood. Itwas everywhere. All over my room. I was screaming. I was crying and thrashing.

"I was going to be kind and let you love your life. Not anymore.”

Anger filled me. Hot, red, uncontrollable anger. Unlike I have ever felt before.

I took another step back before I would lash out but my back met a chest. A very warm and broadchest.

"My son has finally come back to me,” Emmanuel opened his arms to hug his son.

Emilio hugged his father back, "yeah well, Mom found her mate. He isn't too fond of me.”

"Mates are useless.” Emmanuel rolled his eyes. "Slaves??now those are useful. And it's about timeyou have one of your own. Consider it my gift to you, you've just turned eighteen anyways, right?"Slaves? What the hell are they talking about.

"Yup." Emilio nodded, his eyes going around the living room, searching for someone. But there wasno one here but me.

"Hello Avalyn." He smiled and then his eyes raked down my body, making me feel uncomfortable."Hi." I whispered.

"Very well. She's your new slave, you better get acquainted with her. I know you like her. Have fun,son.” Emmanuel patted his son's back. My eyes widened. What the hell?

"I'm not a slave!?And?l don't belong to anybody!" I hissed. He may be treating me like a maid in myown house, forbidding me from going outside but this was it. I can't take it anymore!

The small smile on Emilio’ face grew into a larger, scary one, “for real,?Dad? She's mine?"

"Yes. Yours. Train her good, will you??This bad mouth won't do.”

"You're?the one who's?bad, you asshole!" I screamed and pulled the lamp?that was in the sidetable?and just as I was about to throw it at him, Emilio was in front of me and he had alreadysnatched the lamp from my hand. Damn him and him being older than me!?He had shifted into hiswolf years ago and considerably stronger and faster than me.

He was taller too. I had to look up to meet his eye. I glared at him. He cupped my face and lookedat me with hunger, making me shudder in disgust. "You're mine, pet.”

"He's yours,?Moya Lyubov."?Nik whispered from behind me. "To torture, to maim, to kill."

I felt a power surge in me. It was the strength Nikolai had been offering me since the day he boughtme. The strength to stand on my own feet. The strength to fight for those I love. The strength tolove myself.

And I do now. I finally love myself.

I love myself enough to fight for myself.

And kill the man of my nightmares.

I felt his tip at my entrance and my eyes slid shut in fear and disgust. I bit down hard on my lip tostop myself from crying out loud when he slammed himself in me, burying himself to the hilt.

Pain, unimaginable pain filled me. It was the same. Day after day. Month after month. Year afteryear. He fucked me. Mercilessly. Painfully. Ruthlessly.

And all the while his men were watching. I could hear their groans of pleasure as they touchedthemselves while watching me. I felt Master cum with a groan and then his liquid drip down mylegs.

"She's a beautiful whore, isn't she?" He asked his friends. He always humiliated me like this. In theworst ways. It was his hobby to explore new ways to do it.

"Yes, Alpha.” One of them replied. "The most beautiful.”

"Do you want a turn?" He asked. No. Please no. Please say no. I cried out in complaint and then Iheard laughter. My head spun. No. I can't take it anymore.

"Only if you are okay with it, Alpha.” The voice replied, I could hear the lust and hunger in it.

And then I heard footsteps near me. Tears streamed down my face as I readied myself for what wasto come. I wanted to move, oh I wanted to move so desperately. But I couldn't, I hadn't beenordered to. And I didn't think I could handle a punishment after this.

I heard rustling before I felt him squeeze my ass. "So pretty.” My heart dropped to the bottom ofmy stomach when I felt him at my entrance. My whole body was shaking violently before I wentnumb.

I closed my eyes and went into my head, where there was peace and nothing else. Where I dreamtof a different world. Where I met a prince who saves me, who wakes me up from this never endingnightmare. Someone who loves me, takes care of me, respects me and makes me happy. I saw aman. With sun-like gold hair and thunderstorm grey eyes that calmed the raging ocean in me.

A scream escaped my lips when I felt someone slammed into me. Over and over. My heart crackedinto a million pieces. It hurt, everything hurt. With each thrust, I lost a piece of myself, of my soul.Go to your happy place, Avalyn. I imagined a beach. Palm trees. Waves of the ocean hitting my toes.I didn't know what a beach looked like. I had only seen pictures. I imagined me smiling, melaughing. I imagined my saviour. Him smiling at me. Him laughing with me.

The man came with a roar. I felt dirty. Used. Filthy. Empty. I felt nothing. I felt like I was floating. Likenothing was real. Like I wasn't real. I wanted me to not be real. How peaceful it would be to notexist?

"You took it like such a good slut, pet." Master cooed. My eyes flew open and through my tears, Isaw him point he gun at me.

I closed my eyes and smiled. Finally. I'll finally be free. I wanted for the pain to end. I waited. I hearthe click of the safety. I waited. I heard the bullet go off. I waited.

Death never came. And then I felt it. Blood. All over me. My eyes flew open and I saw that Masterhad killed the man. As always. He killed most of the people who touched me. I screamed. Blood. Itwas all over me. I cried. Sobbed. My cries were filled with pain and fear.

Blinding, uncontrollable anger filled my entire being. Years of anger that I had stuffed in a bottlewas now boiling, fighting to get out. And I opened the bottle. It was like a thread had just snapped.let the anger consume me. I let the red rage take over.

I just, let go.

The floor I was standing on quaked. The wooden walls began trembling. The entire cottage shook.The lights began flickering and everything started rattling and crashing down on the floor. Thelamps hanging from the ceiling swing to and fro.

It felt good to let go. It felt good to not have to control all this power inside me.

"Ava..." I heard Papa say in the background. I turned to look at him. In his eyes, I saw shock and fearmixed with awe and pride. I didn't care. I saw the cart on which weapons laid. A gun vibrated on thesurface before it fell down on the floor with a clang.

I raised my hand in it's direction and the gun flew into my hand.

"No. No. Please. Forgive me!" Emilio's eyes were wide as he looked at me with bewilderment. Hejumped to his feet and clutched his hands together, begging me. "Please, no!"

"You are a pet! An animal! You will not stand up! Kneel!"

I took my shots. Both the bangs rung in my ears before his roaring screams did. He fell down on thefloor, crying and sobbing and clutching both of his wounded knees.

A breath I didn't know I was holding escaped my mouth. It felt good.

"You are a pet! An animal! You will not use your hands to eat. Eat directly from the dog bowl."

I took my shots and blew out of his wrists. An ear shattering scream engulfed my ears. Anotherbreath swooshed out of my mouth. My heart was pounding in my chest. Blood rushed through myveins. A veil of hot, red anger covered my eyes. I wanted blood. More. More. More.

"You belong to me."

I lost another fraction of control. The cottage began shaking harder. The glass of the windowsshattered and strong winds started blowing, making my hair fly around like crazy. The wind beganhowling loudly through the forest around the cottage, matching my temper. The lights in thecottage burst, shattering into a million pieces. Everything started going haywire.

I pointed the gun towards Emilio’s chest. My hand trembled. I held the gun with both my hands tostabilise it.

"You're such a slut, always hungry for my cock.”

"Take it like the whore you are.”

"These are my?friends, pet. Show yourself off. Impress them."

My chest contracted and expanded. My heart raced. Blood gushed to my head.

"Open that mouth and suck my cock.”

"Look at me while my friend takes you."

"Try to escape and you'll beg me to kill you."

Emilio's terrified blue eyes snapped to mine. It was the last look. He knew he was going to die.Tonight. By my hands.

"Shoot." Nik's voice whispered in my ear and my fingers pulled the trigger.

I saw the bullet fly out of the nozzle of the gun and lodge itself in the centre of his chest. With hiseyes locked to mine, he fell back, collapsing on the floor on the spot.

The gun slipped out of my hand and fell on the floor with a clank.

Another breath escaped me. My body started quivering. It's done. 1 did it. I killed him. My eyessnapped up to look at the people around me. All of them were holding on to a big piece offurniture to stand upright. Their shocked eyes were fixated on me. No one said a word. Silenceensued in the cottage. All I could hear was my frantic heartbeat and my harsh breaths.

But then I heard it. The faint beat of his heart. He was still alive.

I whirled around to face him, my anger resurfacing again.

Emilio lied flat on the wooden floor, his eyes open, staring blankly up at the ceiling. A drop of bloodhad escaped his parted lips. But he wasn't dead. Yet.

Pain. All I could feel was pain. I don't now how long it had been since I had been lying on theground?and looking at the ceiling. Hours probably. I know I should get up. But I can't. My bodycouldn't move. I couldn't take it anymore. Memories of the brutal punishment I suffered a few hoursago resurfaced. More tears streamed down my cheeks. I wanted to die.? But I couldn't. Masterhadn't commanded me to die, I didn't have the permission to kill myself. I could feel my heartbeating. It was a small, fragile little sound. I wished it would stop on it's own. I wished I wouldn't bealive.

My hand raised again and a spiral silver knife flew into my hand.

"You belong to me."

I felt like I was floating as I neared him and fell down to my knees for him for the last time. And thenI plunged it in his heart.

"Your worthless little life is mine to take."

And then raised it over my head and plunged it in again. His body jerked and blood splattered inmy face, on my clothes. But I didn't care.

"You are alive only because of my generosity. Be grateful, slut."

I yanked the knife out and rammed it down again. Over and over.

"You can't help yourself but attract men! You filthy whore!"

And than some more. I felt more blood spatter on my face but instead of being disgusted, Isavoured in it.

"Ah. This red blood on this red ass. Tasty."

When I thrusted the knife in his body for the last time, I felt all the energy drain out of me.

And then a face appeared in front of me. The prince with sun-like gold hair and thunderstorm greyeyes. Nikolai. When I touched his hair, they turned shiny blond. It was Nikolai. It was always Nikolai.My saviour.

All my anger left my body, leaving me empty. The red haze disappeared from in front my eyes andthat's when I truly saw the mess I had made. Blood gurgled out of his mouth and the hole I hadcreated in his chest??a hole the size of my fist. I could see the insides of his body?? his mangledheart, his muscles, his gaping ribs which were broken and totally shattered.

The knife slipped from my hand and a sob escaped my throat.

My head spun and I was about to fall but a pair of hands caught me. And then those strong armspicked me up. My blurry eyes met thunderstorm grey ones.

"Moy angel-mstitel'."” My avenging angel.