Inner demon

Ashlyn's POV

It was already getting dark and the moon was about to rise fully in the grey sky. I had stayed with Rage and Ripper watching the horses being trained for the Games and they looked like they were born for this.

"Here comes Kill," Ripper said suddenly and I looked in the direction his eyes were upon.

"And here comes your task." Rage said and snickered.

I swallowed. What difficult task would he set for me? It was not going to be as bad as Lucifer's. After all, he was only a mini caricature of himself. Not the vicious alpha.

"I've been told to assign you to a task young Miss. Come with me." Kill said as soon as he approached me and turned away without waiting for an answer.

I duly followed him and he took me to the weapon room.

"This is your task. Take down all the weapons and armor. Clean them thoroughly, they shall be used in the events." He said and walked away.

Alright, that was rude but I could not do anything but pick up the duster I found at the edge of the wall and I began fulfilling my task. Cleaning up all the heavy armor, I scoffed. Why so many weapons when it was barely used?

I picked up a sword that was sheathed in its scabbard and drew it out. I saw the initial L.S and I narrowed my brows wondering what it meant until the name registered in my head and it came almost like a whisper. Lucifer Saunron.

I stared at the sword as I unsheathed it completely from the scabbard. I looked at it left and right observing the sharpness of the sword. As sharp as its owner I thought and just when I touched the blunt side, it cut my finger.

I hissed in pain as I stared at the black blood gushing out from the cut. I placed the sword down on the mahogany shelf and tripped on my dress falling on the metallic statue close to the shelf with my hand pulling on the arm of the statue.

I hissed in annoyance at my clumsiness and looked up at the shelf and found out it was no longer in its position. It was moved aside and there seemed to be a door right there.

I stared at the statue and then at the shelf. Was this a secret passageway? I wondered. Forgetting the mild pain on my finger and my recent anger to my clumsiness, I curiously went to the door, pushed it gently and it gave way.

My thoughts raced. I was curious to know where the secret passageway led to. Are some secrets untold? Rotten animals or humans? A lot of thoughts went through my mind as I stepped into the dark passage. What if this would be the death of me?

What if it was my death beckoning me to come forward? I was scared and curious too.

I held my breath as I lifted the hem of my skirt to avoid another disastrous fall as I walked down the stairs.

After a few flights of stairs, the passageway was dimly lit with fire torches hanging up on the wall. I walked down the straight path that the light reflected on and I was a bit perplexed.

The more I walked the more the passageway became wider and farther. I knew the Nightwing pack house to be very huge, accommodating more than a hundred members on feasts if necessary but I never knew that beneath it was another place entirely that could hold a lot of people.

I soon became tired of walking down this secret place and was about to go back when I heard sounds just a few earshot away. Being too inquisitive, I tiptoed down the hall and was shocked at what I saw.

In a large and spacious area with a round pool of water at the edge and a fireplace at the left side, was Lucifer naked to his waist and on his knees looking at the fire?

He looked so vulnerable at this point with his hair in a tangled mess. This was not the same man who had yelled fear into me a few hours ago. I stared at his slumped position and I heard the faintest sob from his lips.

I could not believe it. It was impossible. This was not Lucifer! Lucifer was too stone-hearted to have this kind of emotion!

He sensed my presence and turned around with angry bloodshot eyes.

"How did you get in here?" He snarled. He was furious beyond my understanding as his bloodshot eyes were spitting venom. His whole body was soaked with sweat and it made the hairs around his face curl.

I stumbled backward. "I..I... I." I stuttered unable to utter any comprehensible word.

"Out!!!!!" He yelled at me with so much viciousness that I fell in my attempt to run.

I've never seen him like this. Wild and raw anger arousing from within his very core mixed with a streak of emotion he did not want visible.

In his wild state, he charged at me and I struggled to get on my feet. I was panicking.

He wanted to attack me, brutally hurt me and that was something I was convinced before that as cold-hearted as Lucifer was, he would not physically hurt me but I was wrong.

Yet again I was proved wrong. He was just too unpredictable. I managed to move out in a flash before he attacked me but he was right behind me clawing and snarling and gnashing his now-sprouting canines at me. I was screaming in fright as I ran. I turned behind me to see that he was changing. Changed from a human to his Lycan form and it was not Steel he was transforming into. It was someone different.

Instead of transforming into Steel's dark reddish body, he was shifting into a Lycan with black fur.

I slammed the door hard before he could get me, but he broke it. I was screaming my head out.

Alas! Tonight is the night the witless vampire shall cease to exist in this world. I knew my death was going to take place as soon as I walked into that passageway but I did not know that it will be in the hands of Lucifer.

I fell suddenly on a body and I looked up at Ripper.

"What is it?" He asked in perplexity. I did not get to answer his question when Lucifer emerged from the weapon room. I immediately went behind Ripper who yelled. "It's happening again! Hell dog this is not you!" He yelled and I could see Lucifer fighting for control as he let out a deep roar that threatened to shake the whole foundation of the pack house.

Almost immediately, Rage, Kill, Stealth, and Vino showed up.

"Get the ropes and the shots!" Kill barked at Vino who disappeared immediately.

"Call for backup!" Rage yelled after Vino's running figure.

Lucifer was groaning and growling at the same time as he clenched his hair tightly. He made an attempt to attack me again and suddenly was shot with a syringe and I turned around to see Kill. Vino had returned with five others. He fired yet another one and Lucifer growled and made an attempt to escape and more shots were fired to weaken him. I saw the pain in his eyes as he staggered refusing to drop down and ropes were immediately thrown already him to hold him down tightly.

In his comrades' eyes were unexplainable feelings. They were worried about their alpha. I remember Ripper yelling it's happening again. Was this not the first time? I wondered in perplexity.

They were finally able to subdue Lucifer despite his relentlessness, and he was dragged into the weapon room.

I stood by the door watching them as my heart thumped and tears filled my eyes. I could not explain why I felt so sorry for him and also very worried.

"What's happening to him?" I asked Ripper who was suddenly standing beside me.

"You know when they say everyone has their demons to battle with?" He asked and I looked at him. He turned to look at me also with a blank expression on his face.

"Lucifer is battling with his demons which is himself." He said and I stared at him in confusion unable to understand what has been said to me.