Chapter 76 - The Hostage

LUNA ASTERBELLE'S POV

On the night of the same day, the six of us headed over to the Crimson Moon Pack, together with some of the clan members who had survived earlier. The security wasn't that tight, but Jerome and I still chose the path we took from where we left off. My mother stuck with Yve and Joseph, while Jazpher accompanied us a few meters away from our position so that he could warn us of any incoming ambush.

"Luna, stay in the dormitories' safe zone," Jerome told me, which I instantly refused.

Yuki wasn't able to arrive at the Dark Shadow Clan, so we had no other option but to invade their pack instead. Everything in our surroundings made my shoulders stiff, as if there was someone or something sitting on them. Jerome must've also sensed it, since he kept on placing his hands above his shoulders.

A few minutes after a long and tiring journey, we finally reached the dormitories, which were still in the middle of reconstruction from the bombing attack. The students who assisted me last time all glanced my way. I just smiled at them, but they seemed awkward with me.

"Did you have an argument with those people? They're glaring at you so intently," Jerome whispered in a query to me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "They were probably influenced and threatened by Yuki to treat me like that," I replied with a short laugh.

Jerome held my wrist, stopping me from my tracks. "Someone's coming," he murmured.

I let myself focus as I closed my eyes, trying to determine who among the Holmes' siblings found us first. The leaves rustled when a strong wind passed by at the same time that a figure showed up, approaching us closer, and it was Yuki Holmes.

"You shouldn't have come here," Yuki anxiously said.

We were only apart for a short period of time, but I can't help noticing how Yuki's skin got much paler than before, and even her weight seemingly deteriorated, making her skinnier.

"Why?" Jerome asked her without letting me go. "Are your brothers up to no good?"

Yuki bit her lower lip until blood was seen. "The lighting ceremony that Luna has done didn't work out; the virus was still continuously spreading in our pack; we're all going to die here," she explained, which made my forehead wrinkle in confusion.

"The route that we used wasn't blocked. Do you want to get out of here?" I invited her as I stretched out my right arm, hoping that she'd take and hold my hand.

"There's no use," Yuki shortly refused.

Jazpher sent us a signal from above through a red flare that he carried, indicating that we were in danger.

I had a bad feeling about what was about to happen. "We have to get out quickly!" I yelled as I turned around to run away, but Jerome's grip on me was too firm. "What's your problem? Don't you remember what Jazpher told us? That we should be wary once he lifts up the red flare?"

Jerome clenched his jaw, hissing. "You weren't paying attention during the last part of our discussion, were you?" he infuriatingly asked. "Jazpher changed his plan. He would send us the red flare whenever he was the one in danger, not the other way around," he added.

If what Jerome said was true, then that just means that either the Alpha or the Beta saw Jazpher lurking around.

"I-is he... dead?" I pressed my lips together, afraid of what he would say.

"I don't think so; I can still smell his blood." Jerome released his grip on my wrist as he marched towards Yuki. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not," he coldly said.

"Are you sure about this? My brothers aren't the type of people you can easily defeat, even if all of you faced them head-on," Yuki voiced out her frustrations.

Jerome and I just nodded our heads at the same time before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, forcing her to walk together with us to the exit, where the Alpha was.

Shin leaned on the giant wall as he lifted his vision to our spot. "You're late," he said, snapping his fingers, which he used to call Nero. "Bring him out."

The beta made his entrance. He was holding a man, and when he raised his head, it was the only moment when I realized it was Jazpher. Nero was harshly carrying him around; both of Jazpher's legs were fractured, and even his head was filled with his blood.

It made me wonder why he wasn't able to regenerate, though I doubt that a pureblood like him would lose his life that easily. Although the gaze in Jazpher's eyes was telling me that he was seriously tormented.

"What's the meaning of this?" Nero inquired. "Why did you go back here after a desperate attempt to escape from us?"

Nero's eyes twitched, which made me think that he was genuinely concerned for our sake, knowing the capabilities of his brother.

"Y-you know him?" Yuki suddenly spoke, and she didn't sound like she was delighted by the sight of Jazpher suffering.

"I'm more surprised that the two of you seem to have a past," Nero said just as I was about to speak. He went near Jazpher just to pull his hair up, which made the keeper wince in pain. "Don't tell me you used to be friends? Lovers, perhaps?"

Nero burst out laughing, almost letting go of Jazpher's collar. "Our little sister knew a vampire?" He bent his knee to lean his head closer to Yuki. "Don't tell me you were planning to make love behind our backs so that you could get impregnated and bear a hybrid?"

Yuki shook her head repetitively. "I-it's not like that…" she continued to stutter.

"Ah, really?" Shin uttered, stealing Jazpher away from Nero. "So you won't mind if I kill this vampire in front of you, right?"

I saw the strong bloodlust in Nero's aura, but it wasn't just his. It was the same with Yuki, and only Nero had a calm one.

Yuki aggressively removed Jerome's arm away from her, closing the distance between her and the Alpha, but Jerome pulled her back.

"I'm taking her with us, Shin. You won't see her again unless you agree to our condition," Jerome threatened.

Shin smirked, moving back to his spot. "You're taking her hostage? That's absolutely fine with us; it's not like we'd lose something the very second she steps out of this pack."

My eyebrows furrowed in irritation that Shin wouldn't back down. I'm sure that he would do the same with Jazpher; it's like we're trading Jazpher for Yuki. However, we were at a disadvantage since they would gain something from Jazpher, and that won't be the same case with us.

"You still think of me so lowly, Shin…"

I almost shrieked when thunder roared out of nowhere. Yuki's hands began to change until her entire body was shifted over to her wolf. She grew larger than the usual wolves that I've encountered.

"Uh-oh, now she's gone mad," Nero mumbled.

The Beta glanced at me with a hint hidden in the expression of his eyes, as if he were planning to help us out.

An uneasy feeling kept on disturbing me. As much as I don't want to believe my guts—the idea that Nero would only act like he would betray Shin—I just can't get it out of my mind.

I just can't get this uneasy feeling out of my mind that keeps disturbing me. As much as I didn't want to believe my guts that Nero would only act like he would betray Shin, I can't do anything about it.

All of us need to be cautious of one another.

I had high hopes that Yuki would be able to make her brothers surrender the moment she shifted, but it only made the situation worse. Shin kicked Jazpher away from Nero's hold, which made him cough his own blood at the same time that his back hit the giant wall.

"You think that we'd let him go just because of your damn tantrums? I could have shown mercy if only you told us about your relationship with this vampire," Shin said, spitting out saliva directly on Yuki's large claws. "You're no match for either of us, Yuki Holmes."

I was kind of expecting that Shin wouldn't be this rude to his younger sister, since I saw how much he cared for her the very first time that I arrived here. Though I also understand that Shin was disappointed by the way she kept it a secret from them.

Things would have turned downhill if they had ever formed a pact that no one should be permitted to hide any sort of matter within their bloodline.

"If I see you harming Yuki with even a single slash, I would be your enemy, Shin," Jerome grunted, clenching both of his fists tightly. "We didn't come here to fight any of you in the first place," he added.

Nero stepped in between, extending one of his arms to block Shin from launching an attack, then asked us, "If you were here to tell us something or simply visit, why did you use the pathway from the dormitories?"

I gulped, realizing that our answer here would be crucial to our survival rate.

"We knew that you wouldn't listen to us if we chose to pass through the main entrance," I replied to him, not removing our eye contact.

The alpha laughed at my response, making a fool out of me. "You can't be serious right now, my dear Luna. Your face clearly says that you wanted to take Yuki as hostage so that we'd consider cooperating with whatever you have in mind," he blurted out the words that I didn't want to hear.