The Sooner the Better

“We’ll meet at the bank. I promise. Wait for me there, I had Aulus wait for you there.”

“Then I’ll wait for you, don’t you dare die on me.”

My father just smiled, “I promise.”

My mother carried me to the forest and started to run in the opposite direction.

He started to mind link his members, preparing to fight and form in defense against the upcoming enemies. They fought claws to claws and canines to canines, yet both seemed to not back down from each other. Both are equal in strength and the leaders faced each other eventually.

“Leo, long time no see, my friend.”The familiar face of Dyrroth appeared, along with his left eye having a cloth covering it.  A patch.

“Why are you here? I had killed you! Why are you destroying my peace?”

“oh, I rose to form the dead, bastard. all because of your jealousy. Remember this? I keep this as a souvenir.” He said as he pulled the cloth to reveal an empty eyeball.

I almost gagged at the sight. My father stood his ground, not backing down.

“Leave my territory, Dyrroth, or I’ll be taking your right eye too.”

“An eye for an eye, Leo. I’ll be taking back my eye.” He said, pointing at my father’s eyes. “And Peace? You don’t deserve that ever since you kidnapped Yve.”

“I returned her.” My father yelled back.

“Not before you damaged her. She was betrothed to me. My marked and claimed luna. My legal mate was assigned by the moon goddess yet you stole her from me for years.”

“No, she was the mate the moon goddess chose for me too.” My father replied.

“Liar. you just wanted her all along.” There was a sinister smile on his face,  “Don’t worry, I’ll return the favor too. I’ll be getting your hidden rogue lover.”

My father gritted his teeth, “Don’t kill Lilly.”

“Oh, I won’t. I’ll just kill all your loved ones. Lilly, your daughter, and your pack members. Everyone except you so you will live in remorse all your life.”

They fought on for more, and I couldn’t bear all the killing to watch anymore. I wanted to find out what happened to Lilly so I went to her quickly. I followed her scent and spotted her in a river. She was carrying me in her basket as she was beside a man.

“Beta Aulus, can we check up on him? He might need a backup.” My mother asked my guardian.

I felt like tearing up again, seeing the man who took care of me for all the years.

“No, we just stay put until he says so.”

“If only I could mind link him…” She mumbled, and I understood as she wasn’t the official mate of my father so she don’t have a connection with him.

Just then, Aulus’s expression dropped, ed and he grabbed my mother,s hands, “Let’s go. The enemies are getting us.”

“But Leo-”

“He lost. And they are going after you and Arya.” Aulus remained expressionless, but I knew that deep down, he wanted ot burst into tears, knowing that the alpha he serves was dying. He has to serve him still.

My mother was busting into tears now. She seemed to be thinking.

"Are you using your gift now? Try to view the past and future."

My mother shook her head, "I can't. He's blocking me."

I raised my eyebrows, curious about her gift.

She suddenly looked like in a trance and after a few minutes, she dropped to the ground.

"What? Did you see something?"

"Leo...he lost...my dear Leo...."

Aulus sighed, "Then we need to go now. He planned, in case something happens to him. He wants you to continue, with Arya. Keep her from harm. Stay low."

My mother was shaking her head, still not believing it but then she stood up and looked back one last time before walking ahead with Aulus.

At this point, I couldn’t even see my path anymore. I went back to my father, wanting to check up on him when he was closing his eyes. there was a sound of a child in the background, and my father, all blooded, grabbed the baby.  He had dark hair and wide gray eyes. His chubby cheeks were looking cute, and my father, out of breath, managed to hold the baby.

“My lily…my Arya..” He mumbled, coughing up blood on the ground. There was a huge bite on his shoulders and a slash of claws on his chest shaped like an X.

I dropped to the ground, screaming and crying for help, even though knowing that I couldn't do anything to change the past, I wanted to at least save my father.

It seems that my prayers were heard as I felt some casual steps from a distance. I stood up and saw a familiar figure passing by.

As soon as I could see the person, I gasped in shock, recognizing him.

Pale white skin, dark long hair, and fangs on his teeth, He was licking his fingers which were blood all over, and he frowned when he saw my father on the ground on a pile of bodies.

There’s no other creature I know with pale skin than Gusev.

The vampire I met last time with Kira.

Why the hell is he here?

I keep forgetting he is a vampire who had lived many generations.

He then kneeled to be at eye level with my father. He then grabbed my father’s hair and tilted his head to the side, “Hmmm.. didn't expect to see you losing, Leomourd.”

He smirked, “Want to make a bet with me?”

My father was trying to catch his breath, “I am… not up… for any games, vampire.”

“Oh, I am not playing here…seems that any minute now you’re dead. why not play with the devil?” Gusve looks so deadly and different here. He looks much more intimidating…

My father closed his eyes, “Protect my child and my love.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Help me…get my revenge on… Dyrroth.” My father said in between breaths.

“Alright then, just wait a few minutes, I’ll be right back. Their price would be great to pay.”

Silence came and I cried myself to death, stopping from running and feeling the scene change.

I felt cold hands pulling me from cold water when I woke up.

“Arya! I thought you were dead! What were you doing so long in the water?” Rem’s shocked face greeted me.

I blinked, feeling like I was dreaming still. It felt too long. It all felt too real.

It was still dark. And the same when I left this...

“Huh? Where am I?” I asked in confusion, closing my eyes and breathing normally to catch my breath.

“You took me here to take a bath, I left you for a bit, and now you forgot what you came here for?” Rem was confused at my sudden strange behavior.

"Arya? What happened? You can tell me anything." He asked, deadly serious and too worried for me.

“Rem, I think I just traveled back in past.” I suddenly blurted out.

“What? Are you alright? Did you hit your head on the rock or something?"

I shook my head, “I saw my father, his childhood, and Dyrroth and Lilly and Yve..everything, what happened in the past...and I couldn't do anything but watch there. It was too painful to watch!" I was hyperventilating, somehow finding it hard to stomach everything in one piece. all the monitors I encountered suddenly returned to me and a tear escape my eyes and slowly fell like a waterfall.

He gasped then nodded, “There’s only one explanation for this. I may have an idea what happened to you, Arya."

"What? Tell me!  Because I feel like I am going crazy!"

“You have the gift, your mom’s gift. To view the past." At that, I shook my head, denying it.

"No, I can't." This is not true.

“Denying it won’t make you lose the gift, Arya, the sooner you accept it, tbe sooner it will become your strength.” He advices me,”We need to go now.”