People Like Us (bxb)
Chapter 22

-3rd person POV-

Jasmine clutched her hands nervously. Jake was missing. Her son had suddenly disappeared, and it seemed like her mate didn’t care. Nicholas was barking out orders from his office ever since the sky turned dark and ice started falling from nowhere, mercilessly killing everything that it deemed as a threat. Jasmine wasn’t dumb or ignorant. She knew that this was magic. Advanced magic. Someone was attacking them, but her mate was too egoistic to listen to her.

While Nicholas was too busy trying to get his panicked warriors to listen to him, Jasmine was already scurrying into an escape tunnel. Being in a warring pack had left her paranoid for her safety. So, she had decided to get some of the other mothers to build escape tunnels with her. It was well hidden deep in the ground with bare minimal lighting. Those that do not know of the tunnels wouldn’t be able to navigate quickly as she did. She was certain that anyone from any other pack would not be able to catch up with her.

Except, she had underestimated her opponents.

Philip was a Librarian. He had done his research via the World’s Library. He already knew about the tunnels and predicted that a few of them, including Jasmine, would try to escape from those tunnels. Waiting for them at the exit was none other than the twins with a few mages.

Nicholas had noticed that his own mate was gone. He didn’t care about that woman who had given birth to two useless sons. If it wasn’t the fact that she had given birth first, he would have never gone through the mating ceremony with her in the first. Right now, he was busy trying to keep his pack alive. The attack happened right after Southwind and Crescent moon declared war, so that means that they have been colluding for some time now. Cowards!

His plan was to get his warriors to search out the wizard and get rid of him or her. The wizard needs to be gone before they can launch a full attack on his enemies.

“Alpha, what… do you think we should do?” A warrior timidly asked, fearing the worst.

“Idiots! I told you. GET OUT AND FIND WHOEVER IS CASTING THIS SPELL!” Nicholas roared at his quivering warriors. They are warriors of the Darkvale pack! Yet here they are, quivering here like some newborn fowl? “All of you are such a disgrace to the Darkvale Pack!”

“But…”

“But what!” Nicholas bellowed.

“Sir…With all due respect.” The head warrior spoke up. “If we go out there, we will die immediately. It is a warrior’s duty to fight a battle, not die disgracefully.”

“Warrior? You dare to call yourselves warriors!” Nicholas screamed. “You are just a bunch of girls who can’t even get rid of one measly wizard! And don’t think that I have no idea what you have been doing my dear head warrior. Did you think I wasn’t aware of the girls and boys that you ‘took custody’ under you? If you have time to take their ass, you better have time to take the responsibility that comes with it as well!”

The head warrior paled. He never knew that the Alpha knew what had done to all those omegas and normal wolves. Don’t tell me he also? No, he can’t have.

“Oh, don’t give me that look.” Nicholas sneered at his head warrior. “Thanks to you, I just had to extend my hand and showed a little bit of sympathy and they’ll come running over to me. Thanks to you, I don’t have to deal with virgins. Nice and loosened, just as I like it.”

“What…” The head warrior gulped. “What do you mean to say, sir?”

“We are a warring pack. Power is everything. If we win, whatever we say is right, whatever we do is right. Don’t you think so too?” Nicholas laughed. A roar of approval erupted from the warriors in front of him. That’s right, Nicholas thought. Sacrifice yourself for me.

“I thought that I would be able to spare a few of them, but it looks like there is no need to.” A deep voice full of spite. Alpha Nicholas turned to face the figure crouched on the window frame. In one strong movement, Raphael leapt into the room and extended his claws. He dug his claws into the chest nearest to him. With one swift movement, he ripped the head warrior’s heart out and crushed it mercilessly. There was no need for mercy for any of them. One down, fourteen more. Each movement was refined. Each strike was designed to kill. Raphael quickly ripped his enemies apart with no hesitation.

Raphael turned to face Nicholas. The tiger in him was ready to rip the man in front of him into shreds. Although not biological, the tiger had already deemed Nathan to be his son and the man in front of him was the cause of all his pain and suffering. Nicholas seemed to feel it too. The instant he locked eyes with the stranger in front of him, his knees buckled. An unseen pressure forced him onto his knees. It was the first time, in a long time, since he felt such emotion.

Fear.

He knew the instant their eyes met. He was no longer Alpha of Darkvale Pack. He was no longer the strong and powerful person. He was no longer the hunter.

He was the prey. And there was no escaping from the weretiger in front of him.

“Don’t worry,” Raphael growled out, “I’ll make sure the devil doesn’t get to you until I’m done with you.”

Possibly from all aura, Raphael was giving off or the fear of being hunted down, Nicholas collapsed on his knees and was out cold. Raphael smirked and dragged Nicholas out of the house by the collar. His job was done.

At the exit of the tunnel, Jasmine had locked eyes with the crew that was going to bring her in.

Shit, Jasmine thought.

Hastie knew instantly what kind of woman she is the moment she laid her eyes on the poor excuse of the Luna. When their eyes met, both of them reflected a look of shock. Neither of them expected the other to REALLY be at the tunnel’s exit.

“Come in, I’ll guide you into the pack. SHE must have told you about this entrance, right?” Jasmine quickly recovered and attempted to pick herself up. Hastie and Hallie looked at each other.

Did she just? Hastie thought in her mind. Hallie must have picked up on her thoughts as well because a scowl started making its way on Hallie’s face.

And she was right. Knowing that she would lose in a frontal assault, Jasmine had decided to sacrifice her mate and pack by leading the attackers directly to them. She didn’t know who they are, but she knew they’re together with the attackers. She will survive, one way or another. She flashed a million-dollar smile and turned her back against them. It was a sure-fire method to get them to trust her, in her experience.

Hastie took the chance and tackled Jasmine down. The both of them tumbled into the darkness of the tunnel, even though Jasmine know how to navigate through the tunnel, there was no way to figure out where she was facing after tumbling in several directions.

“Hastie!” Hallie screamed in horror, seeing her disappear. A wizard quickly started a Glow Spell but Hallie was off into the darkness. Jasmine’s eyes, having been in the tunnel for a while, had quickly readjusted to the darkness. Hastie was still blinded. Jasmine swung her fist but Hastie was quick on her feet, she heard the swish in the air and the slight movement in the dark on her right. She immediately folded her right arm and just in time, guarded against the incoming blow.

Jasmine wasn’t a pushover, she was the luna of the Darkvale Pack. She too ruled with an iron fist. Hastie wasn’t prepared for such a heavy blow. Crack. Hastie screamed in pain as she felt her bone snap from the blow. Her back hit against the rough stone wall of the tunnel and it scrapped her clothes, along with her skin. Hastie could barely feel anything else asides from the pain, but she knew that she need to move or else Jasmine would be able to find her. She struggled on her feet and threw herself further into the tunnel, just in time before a loud ‘thump’ resonated through the tunnel.

Jasmine knew she didn’t hit anything when her fist collided with the dirt floor. She strained her eyes in search of any movement, but Hastie had fled deeper into the tunnel. The deeper you are the harder it is to see.

Don’t run, Hastie thought to herself. At least my bone didn’t shatter from the impact.

Stay far enough, let yourself heal before you fight back. The enemy is a Luna, it wouldn’t be easy. She huffed as quietly as she could and forced herself up. This is for Nathan; I can’t stop here.

Her thoughts were running at a hundred miles per second, but the pain was constantly at her side, reminding her of the consequences if she were to fail. She might die in this tunnel. But no matter how painful things get, mentally or physically, she knows that Nathan has been through worse and that was enough to keep her going. This woman made Nathan’s life miserable, of course, she wouldn’t be easy to deal with. But she will pay for it, Hastie convinced herself. If she didn’t end this now, it would only make her dear friend suffer more.

Hastie was trying her best to push through the pain that she failed to notice something so obvious. A change was happening to her, and the goddess took notice of the gallant soul with a kind heart. This had been the first time the goddess had made any decisions after the losses she had experienced in the hands of her own creation. After watching for so long, she knew that she can no longer stay silent. But she would not allow herself to give her blessing to someone who would betray her again. Her own child, bestowed with great powers, holds a special place in her heart. As such, she will place her trust in this girl. Not completely, as she had done so before, but enough to get her through this ordeal. With a wave of the Moon Goddess’s hand, she had blessed the wounded Hastie. Now it’s all up to her to overcome this ordeal.

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