A Wolf's Cry

by Serenity Angel14

A perilous Immortal War. The sake of all mankind. The burdened waning soul of an Immortal warrior Lycaon prince. Everything rests in the hands of one mortal girl who wants only to live a normal life.

13. Chapter 11 Fall of the Wolfmate

Hi everyone, I know I told you that this would be the last chapter, but after completing it I realised that it was way too long – 66 pages by my computer which is one looooong chapter – so I've split it into 2 small chapters. Chapter 11 is the Fall of the Wolfmate and Chapter 12 is the Rise of the Wolfmate. Not very clever of me, but it's what I could do with the time I had to meet my deadline.

Please Note: Repetitiveness is something I am known for and it's something I'm aware of and have been working on – with slow improvement but I'm getting there – however you'll notice a lot of repetitiveness in this chapter – this has been done intentionally. It's meant to portray the character's inner conflict, chaotic emotions and desperation – whether I have succeeded or not I will leave to you to decide. If I have overdone it – which would not be a surprise – please feel free to let me know.

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Chapter 11 – Fall of the Wolfmate

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Mina knew something was seriously wrong, that Serena was in serious trouble. It had only been twenty minutes since Serena's frantic call to her cell phone had abruptly ended but they'd already travelled what normally would've been a thirty minute drive. By all rights Mina should've been pulled over and her licence cut up due to the speeds she'd been using in following Serena's cryptic and mysterious instructions.

The three of them – Amy and Lita had been with her when Serena had called and had insisted on coming – were now seated in her mother's small but economical silver car driving through dark thick woods on an even paved road but it looked like something out of that road in Disney's Beauty and the Beast that Belle's father had taken thinking it was a shortcut.

At any moment Mina expected a pack of savage blood-thirsty wolves to jump out at them and eat them whole.

Okay, so Mina knew she was freaking out and letting her imagination run away with her, letting Disney guide her way, but she couldn't blame herself; things had been weird for weeks, ever since Serena had mysteriously vanished at the nightclub on their girl's night out.

First, Serena had disappeared into thin air at the nightclub without so much as a goodbye – before which she'd been acting weird, distracted – and then after they'd reported her missing, they'd been told that Serena was staying with her boyfriend for a while – that information had come from the police.

To the police that had been a reasonable and acceptable explanation, regardless of their insisting that Serena hadn't had a boyfriend. In fact, as far as the girls knew, Serena had never had a serious relationship. She had been so focused on getting to a point that she had what she referred to as 'the perfect normal life.' And she had believed that finishing her studies and getting a degree was the way to achieve that.

Not long after the police had assured them that Serena was alright – which it seemed that Serena hadn't been able to tell them herself – had deferred her studies, moved out of the dorm and had disappeared without even showing her face.

They had given up their vacation and had instead started searching for Serena; all three of them had shared the intuitive feeling that Serena was involved in something, something bad, maybe even dangerous. They must've combed the entire city before Serena had finally bothered to call them herself but she'd been so secretive and mysterious that all she'd said was that she was okay and that she'd had to go away all of a sudden.

Serena's behaviour was cryptic, mysterious and secretive, and that was not at all like Serena. The Serena they all knew and loved trusted them with even her most deepest and embarrassing secrets – they had never kept anything from each other as they were closer than any blood sisters could ever be.

And so they were beyond worried about her but at least after the first brief phone call they'd known that Serena was alive and at least somewhat alright; on the phone she'd sounded healthy and calm.

And now Serena had them driving out of the city to some mysterious isolated location for help, for what they hadn't the faintest idea, at night.

When they finally did see her face to face again Serena was going to have A LOT of explaining to do – after they killed her for all the fretting and worrying she'd put the three of them through.

They all loved Serena as a sister and they'd do anything for her – which was why they were driving along some spooky back road, at night, looking for some "huge house" where they would find someone named Andrew who could help her with the serious trouble she was in.

"This can't be the right way!" Lita objected from the passenger seat, looking around and sounding a little anxious.

In the backseat, Amy double checked the directions from Serena that Mina had written down against the map she had spread across her lap and then she checked it against the laptop open on the seat beside her. "Well, we've followed the directions perfectly." Any put down the small notepad and picked up the electronic GPS system sitting next to the laptop, forsaking the map she'd pulled out when the road had failed to show up on the GPS system. "This road isn't on any map, but we're definitely in the right place. There's nowhere else she could've meant. There's nothing else in this area for forty-two point six miles."

They had long ago given up being surprised at Amy's need to be accurate and technical.

"So, what? This is just one long freaky driveway?" Mina asked without looking away from the road ahead.

"Must be." Amy concluded simply.

"Brake!" Lita suddenly screamed frantically, instinctively throwing her arms out to brace herself in case of an impact.

Mina squealed, startled, and slammed her foot on the brake – with no idea why, only on Lita's trusted – and uncharacteristically shrill – word.

In the backseat, Amy desperately clutched her seatbelt as she was thrown forward against it and then fell back against the seat again when the car abruptly came to an abrupt stop in a cloud of dark brown dirt and dust. Her laptop, the map and the GPS all went flying into the back to the front seat before falling to the floor.

Inside the tiny silver vehicle three sets of lungs worked overtime to draw in enough oxygen to satisfy their wildly pounding hearts.

When she could think – and see – again, Mina turned sharply on Lita. There had been nothing in their path that she'd seen which would have warranted Lita's startling high-pitched order to hit the brakes. "What the hell, Lita?!"

But Lita was too busy staring out into the night ahead of them, as if she was looking for something she knew should be there, but could not find. But there was nothing inside what the light from the headlights touched and beyond was only spooky deep shadows and even spookier woods.

"Didn't you see that?" Lita asked visibly spooked. She was oblivious to Mina's exasperation as she scanned the night around them, obviously searching for something.

Mina and Amy followed her gaze, staring into the darkness for sign of anything, and seeing nothing but the road ahead of them and the spooky woods around them that a location scout for any horror movie would've sold their soul to find.

"See what?" Mina couldn't see anything but what they'd been seeing for the past five minutes since they'd left the highway.

"Could it have been some kind of animal or nocturnal bird?" Amy suggested, wanting more than ever to get to wherever the uncharted road led them, make sure Serena was safe and then get home. Three girls lost in the deep creepy woods was the plot of many a horror story.

Lita was certain that she'd seen something but it hadn't looked like any animal she'd ever seen – it had been moving so fast, heading straight at them – and it hadn't been an owl.

She couldn't have imagined it, could she? Lita was certain that she'd seen something; if she didn't know any better she would've said it had almost looked human. But it couldn't have been; it had been moving way too fast.

"Maybe this isn't the road." Amy whispered softly, her tone uneasy and more than a little fearful.

"You said it yourself," Mina reminded her, still searching the darkness ahead of them, feeling just as spooked as Amy was. "There aren't any other roads or anything around here. This has to be it. This road is exactly where Serena said it was."

"Could she have been off in her directions?" Lita suggested, the words sounding more like a plea than a question.

"No," Mina closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath in attempt to calm her racing heart and raw nerves. She was uneasy and more scared than she wanted to admit, but Serena was in trouble and somewhere on this spooky road there was someone that could somehow help her. They had to go on, Serena had made it clear that this was extremely important, maybe even a matter of life and death.

They had no choice. This was for Serena, and there was nothing they wouldn't do to keep her from getting hurt. Serena had asked this of them, and each one of them knew that Serena wouldn't have asked this of them if it wasn't important, and there was no way in heaven or earth that they were ever going to let Serena down. The four of them loved each other as sisters and there was nothing they would not do for each other, especially Serena.

Besides, there were just letting their imaginations get away from them. It was dark and they were in some spooky woods seeing monsters that weren't there. There were no monsters in the shadows, just normal animals the worst of which were wolves and bears. Wolves and bears were dangerous but neither could outrun a car; as long as they stayed in the car they were safe.

"We have to go on." Mina told them, forcing her voice to remain steady and determined.

Mina took only a moment more to compose herself and she hesitantly put her hands back on the steering wheel. They would go on but she wouldn't completely dismiss the possibility that Lita really had seen something; she'd just have to be more alert and cautious as they went on; she didn't want to hit something big and end up stranded here in the middle of nowhere.

Certain that she was feeling as brave as she ever was going to be tonight, Mina exhaled in a rush and raised hr eyes back to the dark deserted road ahead of them.

And she froze like a rabbit caught in a spotlight.

"What?" Lita immediately tensed in response to Mina's motionless stance and wide eyes. Lita had always been the protective one – sometimes a little overprotective – but it was easy to be the tough one when you were built like an Amazon and knew two kinds of martial arts. "What is it?"

Mina didn't so much as twitch.

Very slowly, dread filling both Lita and Amy, the two girls followed Mina's gaze to the road ahead of them.

The road that was no longer deserted.

Standing on the very edge of the circle of light from the vehicles headlights, barely visible in their dark clothing with the darkness of night behind them were four dark figures, three tall men and one woman who nearly stood just as tall in her high high-heeled black boots that ended at her thighs. They all wore long coats that almost touched the ground which only made them look more dangerous and mysterious and all of them were stunning in their pale perfection. They looked and dressed like something off of one of those really dramatic modern vampire flicks that had come out before Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series that had made good vampires popular – and sparkly.

All that was missing from these vampire-wannabes was the overdone thick black make-up. As it was, three of them had midnight black hair, while the third man had pale golden blond hair, only a few tones from her own shade.

Mina couldn't take her eyes from the breath-taking beautiful people, all dressed in dark colours that would've made them invisible in the black of night had their skin not been so pale. They weren't moving at all; they stood as perfectly still as statues as they just kept staring hauntingly at them with their dazzling soulful eyes.

"What do we do?" Mina asked the other two frozen occupants of the vehicle that was suddenly feeling as small as a matchbox. Mina had officially moved from feeling spooked to downright creeped-out scared.

"What can we do?" Lita asked whispered, now she was severely freaked out. "These could be the people Serena sent us to find."

At the mention of Serena's name, Amy noticed the attractive blond man standing a step in front of the others react as if he knew the name – as if he'd been able to hear them whispering inside the car.

Which was impossible! They were inside a closed-up vehicle. Maybe the blond man could read lips?

No, that didn't make sense. It was too dark inside the car for him to see them clearly enough to distinguish the movement of their lips. Not to mention that with the headlights shining at them, they shouldn't have been able to see anything inside the car but what was outlined by the taillights.

"You know Serena?"

The three of them gasped and jumped startled in their seats as a male's soft ghostly voice echoed around them as if he were in the car with them.

"I say we get out of here." Lita suggested in a low strained whisper, not taking her eyes from the people standing in front of the car.

Mina studied the blond man in front, her eyes glued to him. She couldn't explain it but there was something about him that drew her eye. He was handsome – hands down the most handsome man she'd ever seen – but it was something more than that. She couldn't describe it – not even to herself – but it was compelling, pulling her with an unseen but unshakable force towards him.

He had pale golden hair and green eyes that were so deep and expressive that Mina felt great secrets were concealed within. It was the kind of wise sad look elderly people sometimes had in their eyes from a lifetime of seeing things that she couldn't even begin to imagine.

The blond man carried sadness around him the way Serena carried joy around her, Mina could read it in his eyes. It was a soul-burdening heart-shattering sadness that he carried around him like armour. It was a sadness that came from loneliness and sins long since passed; she didn't know how she knew, she just did.

Who was this man and why did she have the overwhelming urge to go to him and soothe all his pain, sadness and loneliness away?

Unable to even spare the time to think about what she was doing, Mina opened her door and slowly stepped out of the safety and warmth of the car, ignoring Lita and Amy's hushed protests.

Apart from the fact that Serena would never send them into danger, Mina somehow knew with certainty that she couldn't explain that this blond god of a man wouldn't hurt her, or her friends. She could see it in his eyes. Despite her instincts telling her that he was far more dangerous than he seemed, Mina could see a gentle kindness in his deep clover green eyes.

Lita was now positive that one of her best friends had just severely lost it. Here they were in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night surrounded by . . . people that her instincts screamed at her were not normal and were very dangerous despite their calm appearance. She wanted nothing more than to get as far away from there as possible, but she was not one to leave a friend behind. She protected and took care of her friends; the three of them meant the entire world to her.

Forgetting all about herself, Lita slowly opened her door and rose up out of the car, Amy following her example a moment later. Amy knew she wasn't as confident and enthusiastic like Mina, or a combative Amazon like Lita, but she wasn't one bit less willing to do what she could to protect and take care of her friends than the two of them were.

While Mina continued to stare transfixed at the blond as if he had her held in a trance, the two girls circled around the car and took place beside Mina.

Staying together – as close to each other as possible – seemed the safest and smartest thing to do in the current situation.

Amy had never been more aware of her petite figure in her life. She was nervous and fearful – and she stayed as close to Lita and Mina as she could – but she refused to remain in the car while Mina and Lita faced off with those they had possibly been sent to find.

Andrew couldn't move; he could barely think. He was so enthralled, so disbelieving that this radiant beautiful woman standing before him staring back at him with adorable wonder-filled sparkling sky blue eyes was his mate. His mortal mate.

It had happened just as Andrew had been told it would – although before this moment he had always found it difficult to believe that it was as those mated had said it too be. It had happened without warning or logical reason, just as Darien had said it had been with his own mate. The moment he had seen her he had been taken by her, but the moment her scent had hit his senses he had fallen irrevocably – it had taken everything in his being not to fall to his knees – and something between them had clicked into place between them, something eternal and unbreakable.

Less than ten minutes ago, Andrew – along with the rest of his coven present at the mansion – had heard a motor vehicle leave the highway and turn down the road that what was essentially their driveway. One which they kept in disrepair for just reasons, the primary that to the mortals the road appeared nothing more than a dirt track that was hardly ever used which lead to the assumption that there was nothing at it's end therefore there was no reason to venture down it.

Unwilling to let mortals reach the mansion – for their own safety and for the preservation of their secret – Andrew had called a small number to him and had left the grounds of the mansion on foot, reaching the slow moving vehicle in heartbeats.

It had happened a few times before in their time there; a few mortals had taken the road by happenstance. In the past decade one mortal had gotten lost and had taken the road by mistake, another had suffered a vehicle malfunction and the mortal within had needed a telephone – they had provided a cell phone before the mortal had made it a hundred yards down the driveway – and two others had been exploring the area and for some reason the beaten path had appealed to them.

Each mortal had been escorted back to the highway with the explanation that they were on private property and would be charged with trespassing if they did not vacate the area immediately, however when aid had been needed they had given it freely.

Tonight, Andrew had expected no different; although he had wanted to get the mortals off his lands quickly in case there were Damned near. The Damned would not hesitate to kill mortals on Anami lands knowing the sorrow it would cause them.

Instead, Andrew had arrived to find three young female mortals insisting that this was the path they were looking for. It had been bothersome until he had heard in their conversation the name of Darien's mortal mate.

Serena had sent them. If this was indeed so then they would know no harm, from his own nor others. If they had come for protection then he would grant it, swearing protection within his walls by and from his coven with his life. He did not question Serena's loyalty to him and his own; if Serena had sent these young women, if she had risked bringing them into the Immortal World knowing how dangerous it was for mortals then she had done so for good reason. Serena had won his trust the moment he had met her. He knew people and he was an excellent judge of character, and Serena's character was one of selflessness, love and a modern form of honour. Serena did not break promises and she did not put anyone innocent or close to her at risk, Andrew suspected that she would not even do so for her own sake.

Which called to question, what could have happened that had forced Serena's hand into drawing other mortals into the dangerous Immortal World when they were neck deep in war with the Damned?

Then Andrew had taken a moment to study each of the young women in turn and his eyes had become captivated by the golden beauty that resembled Serena quite strongly.

Maybe a relative or sibling?

And then she – her name Mina, the tall brunette who somewhat resembled the Amazons of old had called out her name when she had stepped out of the vehicle – had stepped out of the mortal vehicle and her scent had hit him, carried on the gentle breeze of the night.

Never had Andrew known a scent as sweet or intoxicating as hers and he had known with all certainty of the approaching rising sun. It had hit him like a tonne of bricks as the mortals were fond of saying.

This mortal woman, Mina, was his Bondmate.

Discreetly, without breaking eye contract with her, Andrew drew her intoxicating scent deep into his lungs where it branded itself into his memory and on his soul.

His Mina smelt of lilacs, sunlight and there was the faint scent that Andrew recognised as Serena's scent, but it was not carried in her blood or flesh.

His mate was around Serena often, but she was not of direct relation.

There was no mistake, Darien had explained his experience of meeting his mortal mate to him and in truth, deep down, at the time Andrew had believed it exaggerated, but now he knew better. Darien had underestimated the experience.

A near violent surge of fierce will, to protect and claim as his own, exploded through him and he had to lock his body in place to prevent from acting rashly. While inside he raged with fierce and intolerable conflict and desire, outside he was poised and calm. But at the same time, the Darkness he had been battling within him for so long was sill and silent. It was calm, no longer demanding blood of the innocent. Instead it demanded only Mina, his mate, to claim and protect her at any cost.

But Andrew refused to alarm or frighten her. As strong as his compulsion to take her in his arms and never let go of her was, he would not do anything to cause her to come to fear him. Darien had hesitated and withheld himself the night he had found his delicate mortal mate, and as so would he as in the end it had been the right thing that had brought his mate willingly into his arms.

But never again would Mina be far from his sight, never again would she be without Immortal protection and never again would she know fear or sadness; he would shield her from it all for as long her natural life lasted.

And as hard as it was for him, Andrew knew he had to bring his thoughts away from the carnal desire to claim this mortal woman, Mina, as his mate. They had been sent to him for a reason and he owed Serena everything he was and had for sending his mate to him. Whatever Serena desired of him for the rest of eternity he would be her serve, just as he was now and evermore was Mina's to command. Only Mina's word and welfare would overrule Serena's will of him. He owed the two women his life and his soul, and both were theirs to take.

It took more strength then he knew he possessed, but Andrew forced his focus back to the reason for them being there.

"You know Serena?" Andrew repeated to the lovely goddess that was his born mate. She did not know it yet, but her hold on him was eternal and indestructible.

Mina blinked, realising that she'd been staring at him like a brain-dead nitwit without saying anything. He must think she was mentally handicapped.

"She's our best friend." Mina replied nervously as she stood unmoving, trapped by his intense penetrating gaze. There was something about him that was urging her to go to him and kiss him and stay with him forever. To take away all his loneliness and sadness and pain just so she could see him smile down at her.

And Mina had no idea why she was fighting it.

Lita was still and tall beside her, but was unaware of what Mina's mesmerized state. "Serena's in trouble. She sent us here for your help."

Andrew's gaze became serious but did not stray from Mina. So that was why Serena had sent them; she had used them to deliver her distress message to him. Maybe she had also sent them there so that they would be safe; if that was the case then the mate of the Lycaon prince would be heeded with everything at his disposal. "She has it. We will go now."

With a discrete wave of his hand that the mortal women's eyes would be unable to see, one of his Anami men at his back, turned and disappeared into the night with the unspoken order to gather as many as were able to be taken away from the mansion. As it should have been, the messenger had moved at mortal pace until he had been out of their sight.

"We don't know where she is." Amy told him shyly from her place behind Mina.

Andrew smiled just a little, reassuring the smaller mortal female that all was well. "We do."

Lita, who was as ready to fight as any, was looking forward to a fight with the one who was putting Serena in danger. She stepped forward with purposeful intent. "Then let's go."

Andrew took a single moment to cast an all-seeing glance over the tall brunette, relatively amused. Truly, she must be descended from the mortal legendary Amazons that he himself had come face to face with long ago. The mortal female was just as they had been, strong and fierce and protective. Unhesitant and unafraid in the face of battle.

This one was clearly the protector of the group and for that Andrew was fondly appreciative for her devotion and her readiness to face any battle in name of that devotion, but the mortal descendant of an Amazon had no idea just what her friend Serena was involved in – what they all were involved in now – and even though the other two had no ties to him or his people, he would protect them just as he intended to guard his mate. Not just because they were precious and loved by Serena and his own mortal mate, but because they were mortal females who were now involved in the war; their association to Serena and Mina made them targets and would remain to do so.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand." Andrew told her politely, but with authority. "We will go; you will go with Elena here-" Andrew indicated with is hand towards the female at his back, "-to my household where you will be safe."

Mina placed her hands on her hips and glared at him with all her might – which considering that he was a good head taller than she was was in itself impressive.

"We're going. Serena is our friend; if she's in trouble then we're going to help."

Behind him, Andrew heard the numbers he had summoned gather in the darkness behind him, out of the mortal female's sight. They made no sound that mortal ears could hear but to Andrew their approach had been unmistakable. There were several dozen behind him and there was no doubt that there were more on the way with word spreading to those who had left the Anami grounds to feed or hunt the Damned.

It must have taken his mate at least half an hour to reach them. Whatever danger Darien and Serena were in was either over with or lingering on by the pack's sheer force of immovable will; either way they had no time to waste, they had to offer their immediate aid. They could delay no longer. He had already wasted too much time already; a friend had called for his aid and for Serena to have carried the call through her friends they had to be under imminent attack.

"Then we need not waste a moment more." Andrew said as he turned to his second in command and his most trusted in his coven. "Travel with them by the roads. Let no harm come to them or you will face my wrath."

His second bowed low to him and Andrew knew his true meaning was clear; do not arrive until the battle was over. By road it would take them at least forty minutes to reach the Lycaon manor, whereas it will only take them at most a matter of minutes to arrive. If the Lycaon manor was being attacked by Damned then the battle would be over – one way or the other – by the time they arrived.

Andrew only hoped that they arrived in time to do some good.

Andrew turned back to his love, drinking in the sight and scent of her. "Allow mine to accompany you, you will be safe."

Mina couldn't breathe beneath the weight of his piercing commanding – but still somehow gentle – gaze, but whatever was happening between them – and something was happening, she just didn't know what it was yet, but she intended to find out – Mina still worried for her friends, her sisters. She loved all three of them so much and had never hesitated to put them before herself.

"And Serena?"

"I will do all that I can," Andrew promised, knowing that too much time had passed, the battle may already be over, but if Serena was alive, no matter where she was, Andrew would find her, for Darien and for his mate if nothing else. "But I cannot change what has already come to pass."

And Andrew stepped back into the darkness and disappeared, followed by all others but the one he had left with the three young mortal women.

Mina brought her hand to her heart as the feeling of loneliness and fearful dread that his parting brought to her. She had known him only minutes, but already she wanted him to come back so they would never had to be apart again.

The way he had looked at her . . . he had touched something within her, and something had happened between them that felt . . . cemented. Life-altering. Eternal. There just wasn't one word to give what she was feeling its due justice.

There was something about him . . . something warm and . . . .

Familiar.

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Serena could do nothing as the two Damned Anami half dragged half carried her down the stairs and into Darien's ball/throne room with Sapphire leading the way, but she struggled against them the whole way regardless of their superior strength. She was NOT going to submit to them, not for anything.

Serena wouldn't have thought it possible, but the room was filled to the point of being crowded with both Damned and defeated Lycaon and Anami kind. The Damned stood tall with dark triumphant expressions on their twisted faces around the exterior of the room while the Immortals were hunched over on their knees or lying wounded on the floor; all were filled with dismal despair and pain, both emotional and physical.

The two proud races had been defeated, and they all knew that the price of their defeat would be death.

The smell of blood was so thick in the air that Serena nearly gagged, and as much as she wished she didn't know otherwise, she knew it was the blood of both the Damned and defeated Lycaon and Anami kind.

The battle had been fought long and hard but they had been defeated, overrun by their enemy's superior numbers and inability to show mercy.

Serena's heart swelled with sorrow and trepidation; the Lycaon kind were a noble and proud race that only wanted to live life, to know a mate's love and a child's laughter. She had learned much about the Lycaon kind in her short time here but one thing she had witnessed time and time again was the Lycaon appreciation for life; they did not wish for war and death. They did not want to fight every night, to watch more and more of their own kind fall and become what they hunted.

After knowing war for so long, more war and bloody battles were the last things both the Immortal Races wanted. Now all they wanted was peace and family. They wanted to run free across their territory with a loving mate by their side.

Why was that simple wish beyond the reach of most Immortals? It wasn't fair! It wasn't right!

Serena knew where the Damned were taking her – to the thrown that was and always would rightfully belong to Darien. At first Serena had thought the throne and ballroom ridiculous, out-dated and unnecessary – even though she'd been awed by its grandeur – but now she knew better. It was part of the Lycaon culture and it was very necessary; the civility of the customs and traditions of their royalty gave the Lycaon kind reason to hope and the strength to carry on even when their Beasts savagely demanded life's blood and their souls were heavily burdened with the scars of their past and bleak looking future.

It was a small solace but at least most of the woman and all of the children had fled to safety; they would know what happened here today but they would be spared from witnessing it.

On the great golden thrown on the one step dais sat the unjust sadistic King of the Damned, grinning wickedly at her with lustful anticipation and gleaming triumph in his cruel black eyes.

Diamond believed that he had won and he was anticipating basking in his seized spoils of war.

Serena was not naïve, she knew well what Diamond wanted from her and she would die first.

The two Damned bowed to their King as they approached and unceremoniously dropped her on her hands and knees at their feet, while Sapphire took his place beside Diamond, standing beside the throne looking just as haughtily superior Diamond, but somehow Sapphire failed to be anywhere near as commanding or intimidating as the self-proclaimed King of the Damned.

Raising her head, Serena refused to look at Diamond, instead she looked around at her people, and they were her people now. She'd been foolish, wilful and stubborn in the beginning, trying to run from this life that she'd always been destined for. This is where she belonged and she would never regret her decision to remain in the Immortal World, even though she wasn't immortal.

Behind her Rei knelt on the hard cold floor. She had blood running down her face from the deep gash that stretched along her entire cheek which had narrowly missed her eye. Her long black hair was a bloody tangled mess and her eyes were heavy with tears as she clung to Jadeite's pale motionless form on the floor beside her.

Serena could see that Jadeite was breathing, but he was unconscious and wounded. Badly wounded judging by way he wasn't kneeling protectively over his mate, keeping her safe from harm even in the face of the defeat of his pack and surrounded by a merciless enemy.

And behind the wolf-mated couple Nephlite and Zoicite lay pale and still, either unconscious or dead.

All three Beta's were unconscious or dead. Things were not boding well for them at all.

Rei raised her head and Serena caught Rei's gaze and stared helplessly, despairingly, into the fearful eyes of the Lycaon Princess. Her eyes spoke volumes of her fear and sorrow, her helplessness and despair. She was the Princess of her people; it wasn't in her nature to sit defeated, nor was it in her blood to give up or surrender.

It was evident in her eyes that the Lycaon Princess not only feared for her people, but was unjustly taking the blame for their defeat upon herself.

A long moment passed between them – and a fleeting strained awkward smile – and then Rei pointedly looked passed her at what Serena knew was lying at Sapphire's feet.

Serena followed her gaze, tears already filling her eyes and ice cold dread in her racing heart.

Darien, the proud and mighty crown Prince of the Lycaon race, lay defeated, broken and naked on the floor before his own throne which his enemy now occupied. Darien was bleeding from more than a dozen wounds that Serena could see and knew there were more that she could not see.

Serena couldn't breathe. Darien was broken, wounded and weak. He obviously didn't even have the strength to change in order to heal his wounds.

The shattered broke her heart. This broken man was the proud warrior prince who had risked, and now scarified, everything and he had done it all for her. He had sacrificed his people, his kingdom, his territory, his throne and before long even his very life. All for her. He had raged in a war for her. He had fought for her and he was going to die for her.

He had risked and lost it all. For her.

And there was nothing she could do about it. All of this, all of this fighting and death had been over her.

Serena thought of everything this pack had done for her, everything this pack had been through for her, everything they had endured and suffered for her; the danger, the fighting and the long hours of guarding or searching for her. Darien and the Beta's had risked their lives to protect her so many times. Even Rei had been badly hurt when she and Rei had been taken.

Rei. The Lycaon princess who was so strong and stubborn and had a fury like no other, but at the same time Rei was a princess. A hope her people cherished. Serena knew that Rei had fallen with child many times but the princess had never been able to carry to term and with each loss it broken Rei's heart, but still she had lived on to try again. For her mate and for her people. The strength that alone took was beyond measure.

And Darien. So long he'd been alone in the darkness. So long he'd been fighting the madness within, the madness that came from his human side fighting against his wild untamed animal side – his Beast. For so long he had endured without complaint and without fault for the sake of his family and his people who he'd been protecting since the moment he'd been able.

Darien had never been able to tell her that he loved her but he'd strived so fiercely to show her, to prove his love to her. He had argued against her for her own good, he had dragged her back to the manor when she'd run away, and he'd fought countless times to protect her. She must've driven him beyond madness in her relentless efforts to escape him, but despite the fact that he was half animal, he'd never lashed out at her; he had never done more than yell at her or lock her away in their room. Every day he had assured that her every need and desire was met. He had fed, clothed, sheltered and protected her. No matter how fatigued he was, or how she had fought him, he had only done what was best for her.

Darien was a warrior prince, the greatest there was, his people were what had driven him for so long, but now she was his first priority. He had put her above all else, even his people, his pack, and his family, but he had still protected them all unwaveringly, pushing himself beyond his limits. It was only ever himself that he ever put last.

Serena closed her eyes in true realisation. She was the only thing he'd ever taken for himself, but still he'd let her go after all of this if she asked it of him, just as he'd promised, even though it would destroy him.

He did love her. More than anything else. He was dominant and stubborn and so accustomed to having his own way like the proud warrior prince that he was, but he was also selfless and protective and there was truly nothing he wouldn't do for her.

Darien, who had fallen in his efforts to protect her, had become her life as she had become his.

Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw Diamond glare hatefully down at Darien from Darien's own throne. "You really thought you could keep her for yourself prince?"

Serena forced herself to remain still as Diamond rose to his feet and strutted over to her, and then he knelt down and stroked her face with the back of his cold hard hand though he continued to taunt Darien, "The only female capable of breeding with Immortals. What makes you worthy of such a precious and extraordinary jewel?"

Darien's head snapped up and he glared furiously at Diamond through his raven black hair. "Don't touch her!" He snarled, but then he tightly clinched his teeth tightly in pain.

Before she knew what she was doing, Serena found herself on her feet, completely ignoring Diamond as he too rose, and stepped forward to go to her prince, her love. Darien was weak, injured and in pain; she'd never seen him so helpless before and it didn't sit right with her at all. Darien had always been so commanding and indomitable; a force of will that could put Mother Nature herself to the test. He did not belong on the floor at another's feet.

Not this proud strong selfless warrior prince who had given so much for his people and his pack. Not to mention his wolfmate. Testament to that – not that it was needed – was that he was gravely wounded from the brutal battle he'd just fought to keep her safe and here she stood without a mark on her.

But before Serena could take more than a single step towards Darien, the two Damned soldiers who'd dragged her to their king grabbed hold of her forearms with an unshakable bruising grip. Serena immediately fought against the Immortal superhuman hands holding her, her heart urging her to go to Darien and do what she could for him. But she wasn't an Immortal. She didn't have healing saliva; she couldn't help him by licking his wounds to accelerate the healing process.

But oh, how she wished for it now! Serena shook her head in anguish, she was wishing for a lot of things. If she were an Immortal Lycaon, she could transform into a wolf the size of a car and fight for Darien the way he'd fought so many times for her. Just once she wanted to save his life, to do something for her mate other than just being.

But she may as well wish for the sun, the moon and the stars. No matter how much she wanted it to be different, she wasn't one of them. She wasn't immortal, she couldn't leap buildings in a single bound and she couldn't do anything against the Damned!

How drastically her life had changed in so short a time. Before Darien had come into her life all Serena had wanted was her friends and family to be safe and to have a normal happy life. Now everything had changed. She wanted so much more than before but what she really wanted now that Darien was hers she could never have. She could never truly be with him even if they all miraculously survived because Darien was immortal. The years she had left that had once seemed like a lifetime to her were suddenly as fleeting as the last moments of night in the face of dawn.

All too soon – whether this day or a hundred years from now – their time together would come to a tragic end but the tragedy would not be hers, but that of Darien and his people. In his world Darien was still young, but when he lost her, his wolfmate, to old age or sickness, he would take his own life and the Lycaon kind would be left without their next true king whom the Lycaon people so desperately needed.

And despite Diamond's belief that she could give birth to an Immortal child, Serena had no way of knowing if that was so or not. She was Darien's mate but there was no telling if that meant that they were compatible – biologically wise – as it had been explained to her that no mortal had ever bared an Immortal child.

It was certain that Darien would follow her into death well before his own time, but it was almost impossible that they would leave Darien's heir behind.

Hard hurting hands shook her free of her thoughts and with a gasp of pain Serena was pulled from her thoughts. All this time she had been staring at Darien, focused only on him, but Serena could see Diamond glaring darkly at her out of the corner of her eye. She could feel his chilling gaze focused on her but all she had eyes for was her Darien. She didn't want to look at Diamond, didn't want to be near him unless it was to wipe that triumphant smirk from his vile lips with physical violence.

Enraged that the mortal had the nerve to dare to ignore him in favour of the pathetic defeated Lycaon prince, Diamond saw blood red. Without pause, Diamond stalked across the dais to where the Lycaon Prince lay sprawled weakly and pathetically on the floor as the defeated whimpering dog he was, and kicked him with careless strength in the stomach.

To his overwhelming satisfaction, the pathetic weak prince was sent flying backwards through the air for several feet with enough force to kill a mortal five times over, until he collided with the legs of his own throne which toppled over down onto him.

Darien cried out in pain as the heavy solid gold throne impacted with his beaten and battered body, landing on his chest where he was certain that he had several broken ribs; at least one of which was pressing dangerously and painfully against his lung. A guttural groan escaped his bruised and bloodied lips and with no strength left to even lift his head Darien remained where he landed, in too much internal agony to move.

Even as the Immortal Darien was with a superhuman healing ability, it would be a full day at least before his lungs would be free of all pressure from the rib and a day longer for his broken ribs to heal – unless of course he received care from another Lycaon. The healing saliva his people possessed could cut his healing process down to a day. Of course shifting into his wolf form would accelerate his healing even more but shifting required more strength than he had left.

Unfortunately Darien doubted he would live long enough to see any of his wounds healed, let alone to have the chance to receive aid from one of his pack.

Serena struggled wildly against her captors at the sight of Darien flying helplessly across the dais, crying out in her distress, "NO! Darien!"

She fought feebly against the iron hands holding her, wanting to go to him so desperately it was agony at being stopped from going to him.

"Don't hurt him! Please!"

The words of his cherished love echoed through him and just like that Darien forgot all about his pain and despair at what was awaiting him in his defeat. Darien forced his exhausted battered muscles into action enough to angle his head so that he could look at her. Serena was so beautiful, even now in her distress with shimmering tears in her flawless sky blue eyes. He had fought his hardest for her but it hadn't been enough; in truth he had never been worthy of her, mortal or not. She was so beautiful and kind and strong and gentle and pure. She was spirited and wilful, just as his sister and mother were. Her strength, pure heart and love of life would have carried his people far into a future bright with hope and joy.

A fate his people well deserved even though he did not.

He had failed his mate, his Serena, his love. She would suffer a terrible fate at Diamond's hands and there was nothing he could do about it. He was beaten and broken, but at least Serena would live. She would at least have a chance of escaping from Diamond and live a happy life; she had escaped Diamond once before so there was hope for her.

Darien knew he should never have brought the bright flower that Serena was into his dark and dangerous world; that had been his gravest mistake. All he should have done after first finding her was protect her until his scent had faded from her skin after he'd healed her that first night and then left her in peace to live her mortal life. She would have been safe in her world; she had been so all her life before he had messed everything up for her by entering her life.

But selfishly he hadn't and now selfless gentle loving Serena would pay dearly for his selfishness. He had done what he had because he had loved her from the first time he'd laid eyes upon her, from the moment she'd looked at him with her heart and her soul in her radiant depthless eyes beneath a halo of golden light. She had called out to him like a beacon in the darkness and like a mythological siren had tempted him with everything he desired, had made him realise that he didn't have to be alone, didn't have to bare an Immortal life of burdens alone for all of his existence. But most of all she had taught him that there were things worth living for, worth having. Things worth fighting and dying for.

Darien had not just fought for her life; he had fought so he could give her everything she deserved. A life filled with love and laughter, a life without burden or sadness. He wanted to give her the world, to lay his kill at her feet because she would always have before he did. She would eat before he did, she would rest before he did, and everything else. He wanted to spend the rest of his life keeping her safe and protected, making sure she knew just how much he cherished and loved her, how much he wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh.

And he wanted so desperately to protect the childlike innocence Serena possessed that made everyone around her love her and want to protect her.

He had been born the crown prince of the Lycaon Kind, but in truth he was nothing, had been nothing, without her. Before her there had only been desolate darkness, but now for the first time since he'd been a pup – except for that brief moment in which his sister had been born – Darien had hope for future, not just for his people but for himself.

But now all of that was slipping away, like sand through a sieve, in Diamond's wake and there was nothing Darien could do about it, he was done and very soon he would be dead, leaving Serena helpless and alone to face everything Diamond had planned for her.

Never, not in all the long centuries of his life, had Darien felt so impotent and anguished as he did now; Serena was his mate, his to protect, and there was nothing left that he could do to help her.

Darien had nothing left to give and there was nothing to save them this time. There was no hope in him left.

Serena wanted to weep at the devastating torment that was boring into her through Darien's pain-stricken eyes. Never had she witnessed such suffering, such soul-destroying anguish and she was the cause of it all.

But still, even in the face of the demise of her love and quite possible all of the Lycaon Kind, Serena couldn't find it within her to regret meeting him. The only regret she had was that she couldn't help him. If they'd never met, Darien still would've died, only his would have been a much slower tortuous death. And she would have lived out the rest of her life without ever knowing how empty she was inside, without realising that there was something crucial missing from her life. Somehow, some way, she'd always subconsciously known that there had been something greater for her than the life she had been living, a destiny she hadn't yet found.

Serena felt a strange sense of peace deep inside of her and she realised that she truly would rather life a brief moment in this world with Darien and this tragic ending than to have lived out her entire life with her eyes and her heart closed in the mortal world. For a brief moment she had known a love that would have lasted a thousand lifetimes, and she was grateful for that, even if they didn't even get one lifetime together. She had known Darien and she had known love and that was enough.

Serena only wished that she could Darien that to give him some comfort before the moment came when Diamond had enough of toying with him and killed him before her eyes.

"Darien." Serena whimpered heart-brokenly before she tore her eyes from Darien and turned them on Diamond. "Please," she begged shamelessly. "Please don't hurt him anymore."

From where he stood, towering over everyone else, Diamond seemed amused by Serena's distress and desperate plea that he not hurt Darien. How pitiful the pair of them were. "So the female does know how to beg. That you will do plenty under my rule."

Fury flared inside Serena such as she had never known at his cavalier attitude at her distress. She glared furiously into his evil triumphant eyes and hissed from between her teeth, "This female can do more than that!"

Serena wanted so much to tell him truthfully that she would never beg him again for anything, but she knew that wasn't true; if begging would spare even a single Lycaon life, then she would beg until she was hoarse.

Diamond laughed boisterously, clearly amused and delighted by her show of defiance. "What strength, what force of will! The offspring you will breed for me!"

Serena growled furiously, so loudly that doing so actually hurt her throat. "You will get nothing from me, Diamond! Ever!"

Diamond gave a dismissive wave of his hand as if she hadn't just sworn with every ounce of her being that she'd never give him anything he wanted of her. "You will do whatever I tell you to do. You belong to me now, as was always meant to be."

Serena growled again, far more wrathfully this time – she really had been spending too much time around the Lycaon kind but she would never trade a single moment she had spent in the Immortal World for anything as it was all part of the path that had led her to fall in love with Darien – and ignored the sharp protest from her now sore throat. "I will never be yours! I am his! For life! I am Darien's wolfmate, now and always! And there's nothing you can do to change that! We are mated!"

Darien's head snapped up and he found himself staring into her depthless eyes, unable to believe his ears as joy swept through him like a bomb of liquid sunlight had just detonated deep in his chest. She had never said it before. She had never acknowledged that she was his mate. He could see it in her eyes that she knew it to be true now, that she would stay with him for always.

For as long as she lived.

It was not just his brand upon Serena's flesh that bound them together now; for weeks Serena had been bound to him for eternity, but now he could feel it deep within him, so deep a place that only a mate could reach it. It was more than that she knew she was his; she wanted to be his, to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. She wanted to be his mate and be with him in heart, soul and flesh. She wanted to take away the darkness and the loneliness within him. She wanted to be his light, his love and give hope to him and his people.

Serena smiled sadly but hearteningly at her love who was staring at her with stunned joy and she knew she could never be without him again. She had found a home here, and she had found pure everlasting love in him. And if he asked it, she would marry him and she would stay with him for the rest of her life.

It had felt so right to finally say the words. For so long she'd been fighting him, fighting so hard for her freedom when in truth, this was where she belonged. She would always be free with him, always be safe and protected and loved. Darien hid it well, but he had so much love within him to give and he had given it all to her.

With her gaze so completely captured by her wolfmate, Serena had no warning when the large hard hand came from nowhere and – not for the first time – connected painfully, cruelly, with her cheek. Pain exploded through her face and head as her teeth rattled and stars exploded before her eyes.

This time though, Serena knew what had happened. Diamond had slapped her across the face, again.

And again, the two iron hard hands released her and once more Serena found herself on her hands and knees on the hard cold floor, momentarily knocked senseless and fighting back the pain and vertigo.

"SERENA!" Serena heard Darien roar with absolute fury. "Touch her again Diamond and I'll eat your beating heart!"

Serena knew it wasn't apt for their current predicament, but regardless she found herself smiling with love and reverence for her love; the throbbing on the left side of her face seemed to vanish in the wake of her Prince's valour. Even at his lowest point, Darien was still the proud overprotective warrior and prince she loved so much.

Between one moment and the next, Serena found herself once again able to see as the world returned to its proper place around her and she lifted her head to find that Darien was on his knees, although his stance was very unsteady and his entire body was shacking with the effort it took even though was being held tightly by the two largest Immortals – Damned or otherwise – that Serena had ever laid eyes upon – seriously, they looked as if they ate boulders for breakfast!

Darien was weak, exhausted and his body had taken a terrible beating, but still he fought against the enormous Damned hands that held him back in his effort to get to her, or maybe Darien intended to avenge the blow Diamond had just delivered down upon her.

Darien had believed that he had nothing left to give, that his body was done, but his rage at Diamond's offence against his mate had given him the strength and will to rise up onto his knees despite how pushed beyond his limits his battered body was.

Diamond could not believe the audacity of the pathetic Lycaon Prince. He was victorious this day; his was King of the Damned and now that the Lycaon Prince had fallen there was no one left to stand in his way of conquering the entire world. No doubt the Anami Prince would put up some form of a fight but it would be a fruitless endeavour; the Anami Prince was of no threat to him.

Now that the Lycaon Prince had fallen before him there was no one left capable of stopping him as the Lycaon whelp had been the only one even close to his warrior skill and cunning. With the defeat of the greatest warrior the Immortals had any and all lingering rogue Damned would flock to him now to join him as the Lycaon warrior most Damned seemed to fear had fallen. Now those who had yet to join him would know that death awaited those who did not offer their loyalty to their now incontestable king.

And as for the Immortal Kings who ruled from the Old Country, Diamond would deal with them soon enough. They could try to convince themselves that cowering in their fortresses would keep them safe from him, but they were nothing but old fools who still lived too much in the old ways. The two Kings would fall before him as effortlessly as their son's had and with their defeat there would be no one left to challenge him.

For a moment Diamond considered striking the Lycaon Prince once again to punish him for his insolence, but a far more pleasing thought occurred to him, one that would punish the pathetic prince far worse than any harm he could cause him before his inevitable death.

Darien expected Diamond to shift his violent focus back to him and away from Serena, just as he had intended with his furious words, but Diamond remained standing where he was, seemingly unaffected by Darien's threat. Instead Diamond continued to stare at him with his black contemplating eyes and Darien felt a chill run down his spin.

Diamond was cunning and cruelly sadistic, and he was justly feared even by his own kind. He was completely without mercy or compassion and he was incredibly clever and patient, especially in his harm of others.

And then Diamond's fresh scent reached his nose and Darien froze in terror. Icy chills swept down Darien's spine at the evil, almost catlike, grin that spread across Diamond's lips as he turned his gaze from him back to Serena.

Diamond's arousal was as obvious in his scent as it was in his eyes and in his malicious grin. Diamond practically beamed with lustful anticipation.

Diamond took a step towards Serena and Darien saw red as sickening terror filled his stomach. He knew exactly what Diamond was going to do and he would do so knowing that there was nothing Darien could do to stop him.

Darien gathered all his strength, leapt to his feet and lurched against the two pairs of thick Damned arms restraining him but to his shocked horror they held him fast.

No! NO! He could not get free! He did not have the strength left to free himself from the Damned that held him, all he could do was watch as the vile, pure evil creature that had defeated him blatantly ignore him as he advanced on Serena with his intentions clear in his cruel black eyes.

NO! Darien could not let this happen! He could not let this be his love's fate! There had to be something he could do to distract Diamond but what could he do when Diamond knew him so well? Of course that ran both ways; Darien knew there was nothing he could do to stop Diamond. He had nothing left, no reinforcements or tricks to play. He did not even have the strength to remain on his feet without the two Damned holding him upright.

All he had was his tongue.

Darien forced the last few ounces of his strength into his words. "Touch her again, Diamond and I won't just kill you! I'll make your death last for days!"

Serena hadn't needed to hear her love's threats to know Diamond's intentions. She knew what Diamond was going to do and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Even if she had been free of the superhuman hands of the Damned that held her, there was still nothing she could've done against the strength of the Damned King.

As small a woman as she was, Serena knew she was virtually vulnerable against most mortal men, but at least she knew their strength and had a chance against them.

But against even the weakest Immortal she didn't stand a single chance.

Moving very deliberately, Diamond grasped hold of her chin and cheek in a grasp that consumed almost half her face with a grip that had his strong steel-hard fingers biting harshly into her soft flesh.

Serena had enough time to release a gasp in pain before his hard cold lips closed over hers in a brutally forced kiss that within moments brought tears of pain to her eyes even as she fought futilely against his greater strength. He was holding her face too tightly! He was kissing her too harshly with strength that she hadn't been made to withstand, strength forced upon her that would leave dark painful bruises behind that would leave a throbbing ache deep in her flesh.

It was all she could do to keep her lips and teeth together to keep his intrusion from entering her mouth.

Finally the tears that had been gathering in her eyes slipped free and ran down her face and onto Diamond's cold hand.

Serena closed her eyes and tried to retreat into herself, to go someplace – any place – else to escape what she was happening. She wanted to block it all out, but she couldn't. The pain was too sharp to ignore or hide from. All she could do was try to endure. Endure against not just the pain but also the shame and the sickening feeling Diamond's touch left in its wake. Diamond's taste and touch just felt wrong, so much so that it was revolting.

Darien was the only one Serena wanted to kiss, the only one who had the right to kiss her! She didn't want Diamond anywhere near her! What she wanted was to be safe in Darien's arms where she felt happy and safe. She wanted Darien to kiss her with his gentle but passionately insatiable hunger. Darien's kisses portrayed his love and his desire for her and his hands upon her were only ever gentle.

While Serena was helpless against Darien's kisses because they were so intoxicating and expressive, she was helpless against Diamond for completely different reasons. Diamond used his greater strength callously against her. His forced kisses were painful and selfish; he took what he wanted and gave nothing in return. All she felt for Diamond was revolution and hatred; she hatred him for forcing this on her and for doing so in front of Darien.

Diamond applied more pressure, digging his fingers into her cheeks and Serena's lips and teeth parted as she screamed out in pain into his mouth.

Diamond took the opportunity to thrust his unwelcome tongue into her mouth.

The taste of him filled her mouth and Serena nearly retched in utter revulsion; Diamond tasted like blood, rot and death. The taste was the most putrid thing Serena had ever known and she had to fight to keep from vomiting into his mouth.

Everything about Diamond repelled and repulsed her. His skin and his lips, even his tongue, were ice cold, his touch gave nothing but pain and his odour and taste reminded her only of blood and death.

A vicious enraged wordless roar filled her ears and seemed to vibrate in the very air around her and just like that Serena was free of Diamond's vile mouth and his bruising hold on her jaw.

As Diamond turned his attention back to Darien, Serena hung her head in shame as her tears continued to stream down her face, unable to even glance in Darien's direction. She was still able to feel Diamond's touch on her skin and his brutal kisses on her lips, and she could still smell him around her and taste him in her mouth.

Serena breathed air into her lungs, ignoring Diamond's foal stench, and continued to fight to keep whatever remained of what she'd eaten earlier in the day in her stomach. Her tears running down her face slipped into her mouth and Serena was grateful for the salty taste in her mouth to lessen the vile flavour Diamond had left behind.

"Such a sweet taste," Diamond purred with malicious glee, audibly savouring the taste of her as he moved away from her. "One I'll savour well this night and all those to come for the remainder of her short life."

The deafening enraged roar pierced the air around her once more and Serena knew it was Darien who was enraged beyond all words and reason; she didn't need to look up at him to know that he was consumed by hatred and rage that Diamond had dared to force a kiss upon her and then threaten more.

"I may even spare your sister," Diamond went on, his tone one of dark delight and elated provocative taunting. "She can join your mate in my bed. How does it feel to know that you will die leaving the two females you have been charged with protecting at the mercy of my whim?"

Rei! Serena's head snapped up and quickly found the wide fearful and repulsed eyes of the Lycaon Princess, her friend, her sister; the princess who had sacrificed herself to see Serena free when they had both been captured. Rei had fought for her, put her above her own self, even her own mate, and in the end she had been rewarded with the partaking of Serena's own fate.

Rei clutched Jadeite's head against her chest, tears in her own eyes and Serena's heart shattered. Rei, who had always been a force of nature, so strong and wilful, was terrified for her fate and the fate of her wolfmate, her true love, whom she would be forced to endure living without.

Was there a worse fate for an Immortal? For anyone?

Serena pulled her eyes from Rei and turned back to Darien.

As Rei would be forever more without her wolfmate, so too would she be forced to live without Darien, her own mate and love.

This couldn't be! How could fate or any divine entity above be so cruel as to give them so much and take with away such a brief time later?! Serena had just found Darien and Rei and this new life she had unknowingly been searching for her entire life. This couldn't be how it ended! Not like this, not so soon!

Not because of her!

Another wave of tears poured from her eyes. Serena closed her eyes against the excruciating torment that had wrapped its unyielding suffocating grip around her insides. If she had known this was where all of this had been heading, she would've instantly taken her life in order to prevent it, to save the lives of everyone she had come to love and care for in her new life. Darien. Rei. The Betas. Andrew and the entire pack.

They were all going to perish because of her!

No! No! NO! This couldn't be happening! It was too horrific! Too tragic! There had to be something she could do!

Where were Andrew and his coven? Surely they were coming! Yes, she hadn't called him directly – she would have if she had been able – but she trusted her friends, her sisters and they should have arrived at the mansion by now! Serena didn't doubt they would do as she asked even though she had given no explanation, but Andrew and his coven should have been there by now! They were rapidly running out of time.

But what if the girls hadn't been able to find the Anami mansion? What if the Anami hadn't listened to the girls, or what if something had happened to the girls before they'd reached Andrew? Any number of things could have gone wrong, and tonight fate was not on their side.

"Serena." Came a weak heart-wrenching whispered plea. "Serena, sweetheart, please look at me."

Serena didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to return to reality, but how could she refuse her love what could be his last request of her?

Reluctantly Serena opened her eyes and raised her gaze until she found Darien's. Despite that only moments before Darien had roared in sheer overwhelming fury and hatred, now his eyes were soft, loving and sorrowful, and for the first time since Serena had known him, tears shimmered in Darien's soulful deep blue eyes. Eyes that were loving and wise and gentle. In the beginning his eyes had been filled with such sorrow, loneliness and despair from being without her – his wolfmate – for so long, but since she'd come to the manor there had only been love and life in his eyes, and she had put it there.

At least for a short time Serena had been able to make him happy, to take away the loneliness and ease the suffering he had endured for far too long. And at least they both had known love, real true I'd-die-for-you love. They had found each other, they had loved each other and nothing and no one could ever take that away from them.

Serena loved Darien so much, more than she could ever put into words. And now they were going to lose each other.

"Darien." Serena sobbed wretchedly, the single word trembling with heavy despair and overwhelming fear.

"No matter what happens, my sweet Serena." Darien whispered as he held her gaze, only sounding tranquil for her sake, but none-the-less every word was sincere and truthful. "You will always have my love. I am eternally thankful to the Moon Goddess for every single moment of the time I have shared with you. I have lived more in these past few weeks than I have in all my many centuries without you."

Another sob escaped Serena's bruised lips. She was beyond despair and misery, there were no words she could form to respond to him even if she were able to speak. The agony and the sorrowful grief were choking her, squeezing her insides until she could hardly breathe.

Darien was consoling her and saying goodbye to her all at the same time. He was very well only moments from his own death and all he was concerned about was her. Was there a more selfless person on the planet?

It humbled Serena to her very core. She had always tried to be a good person, to do right by others and be there for her friends and family before herself, but what could she possibly have done, what good deed could have been so great, that she was worthy of such a man? Worth of his love and sacrifice?

Oh by the Goddess, she loved him! She wanted to be with him always and take care of him and take away his every pain and heartache. She wanted to wake up beside him every morning and run with him through the night and laugh and cry with him. She wanted to spend a lifetime with him but still that wouldn't be long enough; eternity wouldn't be long enough.

She wanted this life amongst the Immortals. Serena didn't care if it meant that she could never go back to her dull half-life in the mortal world. She didn't care that this life could be dangerous or that she would always have to have bodyguards and live a sheltered life here at the manor. Serena would do anything for Darien, be anything he needed her to be, even a Queen.

A strange sound suddenly pulled her attention from Darien to Diamond and only then did she realise that he now held a sword in his hand. The sound that had broken the spell between her and Darien had been Diamond pulling the sword he now held from its sheath that hung from the belt around Diamond's waist.

The sword Serena recognised instantly, but she was accustomed to seeing it in Darien's hand, not that of his enemy.

It was in that moment that Serena realised that Diamond was going to kill Darien; Diamond was going to kill him with Darien's own sword.

"NO! Enough of this!"

A startled grasp echoed around the room from both the surviving Immortal and Damned kind, mixed in with was the soft startled gasp from the only mortal in the room.

Serena turned her head in time to see Rei – who was now on her feet – explode out of her clothes – and her skin – as she shifted into her fiery red wolf form. In the enclosed space of the ballroom the female Lycaon wolf with her dark fiery red pelt seemed twice as big as she actually was and very out of place in the grand ballroom.

In Rei's red wolfish eyes, Serena saw fear and burning anger as the Lycaon Princes stared murderously at Diamond. Even though she no longer had human lips, Serena swore that Rei was smiling chillingly at the man who intended to kill her brother.

Maybe she was. Maybe Rei had been pushed beyond her limits, just as Serena herself was, but unlike her, Rei had the power and the strength to do something other than just watch.

Serena looked down at the floor to see that Jadeite's eyes were open, although the first Beta remained where he was lying on the floor. Like Darien, Jadeite was badly injured and his body had taken a beating. They were both exhausted and were too weak to rise. But at least they were both still alive.

Serena's gaze quickly flickered towards the other two Beta's. Both remained unmoving on the floor, presumably still unconscious.

"Rei, no!" Both Darien and Jadeite implored the Lycaon Princess, their voices weak and pleading, but loud enough that the words echoed around them.

But Rei did not listen – Serena doubted that the Lycaon Princess had ever really listened to them when she hadn't wanted too. Without another moment wasted Rei lunched into the air with her long razor sharp claws extended as she soared through the air straight towards Diamond.

It happened too fast for Serena to see, but one moment Rei was soaring through the air towards Diamond and the next with a sickening meaty thud and the crunch of bone, the great fiery red wolf was sent flying backwards through the air until she hit the wall on the right hand side of the room in a shower of plaster and white plaster dust.

With a cry of pain, the princess wolf fell to the floor along with chunks of plaster and wall where she remained unmoving. A moment later the wolf was gone and the Lycaon Princess lay still, limp and utterly naked on the floor where she had fallen.

Serena gritted her teeth against her raging fury and loathing towards Diamond; so easily Diamond had tossed the Lycaon Princess, who had always seemed so indomitable to Serena, aside with the ease and indifference of swatting a fly.

So many times in so brief a time period Darien or Rei or the Beta's had saved her life, had protected her from harm and this was their reward? To fall at the hands of their greatest enemy knowing that they were leaving her, and their people, in such sadistic hands?

No! This wasn't right! This couldn't be how things had been meant to turn out! This couldn't be the end! Otherwise what was the meaning of it all? Of her meeting Darien and the two of them coming together? There had to be more! This, and everything Darien and her had been through had to amount to more than the end of the Immortal races and then the end of the mortal race at Diamond's hand!

No! No, no, no, no, no! Serena couldn't let it happen. She couldn't let it all end this way! She couldn't let such a cruel fate come to those she loved! None of them deserved this Not Rei, not the Lycaon people and especially not Darien, the prince who'd fought for longer than she could understand for his people!

Serena WOULD NOT let it happen! Whatever it cost her, it was her turn to save Darien, even if it was only this once! If she was so important, so crucial to everything, then she had to be able to do something to turn the tides!

Serena had to believe that. She had to believe that fate had wanted more for her than this. If fate had brought her here to save the Immortal Races, then she had to be far more than what she believed herself to be! A saviour did not cower helplessly before the enemy! No, a saviour fought and even died to protect those who needed saving!

She was special; she was the mate of the Prince of the Lycaon kind, possibly even the destined mother of the next in line for the throne. There had to be more within her than her love for Darien and – if what Diamond believed was true however unlikely in her mind – a compatible womb! If she was Darien's destined mate, then she had to be special, she had to be worthy of the honour!

Serena closed her eyes and focused all her will, all her consciousness inward, and she reached deep down inside of herself, reaching for what she did not know, but she was compelled to reach further down than she ever had before. She had to find the strength and the courage inside of her to do something, to do anything to change the tide!

There had to be something there, anything! Even an idea to distract Diamond would do! This couldn't be how it ended, it couldn't be, Serena refused to accept that this was it, that this was all there was for all of them!

All at once, Serena could feel something powerful inside of her, something warm and vibrant and something she was instantly able to name.

Love. Her love for Darien. And for Rei and the entire Lycaon Pack. It was like a bright hot forced inside of her, rising at her summons to join the strength of her will. She wanted to save Darien, her love. She needed to save him. She would not survive losing him.

And then Serena felt everything within her change, become something else that she had never felt before until the sensation spread throughout her entire body. It was powerful and hot and . . . painful. It felt strange, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Her hands felt enflamed, different. Stressed, stretched and excruciatingly painful. It felt like her hand was on fire.

Serena's entire body was burning and in agony. It felt like she was suddenly way too big to fit inside of her skin – it felt like . . . stretching. Changing. It wasn't like anything she'd ever known before, it was inside and out, it was hot and strangely cold in place, it was agony and wondrously tingly all at the same time.

Serena bit down on her tongue, but even that felt strange, different than it should have felt like, different than it had ever since she could remember. But how was that possible? What was happening to her, and even though it hurt, Serena didn't want it to stop. Through the pain and the strange sensations happening to every part of her body, beneath it all it felt warm and . . . . .

Magical. That was the only word Serena could use to describe it.

Magic.

Serena could almost hear the audible "click" as it all fell into place. She knew. She knew what was happening. It was impossible, it shouldn't have even occurred to her it was so impossible, but Serena knew it was happening.

And she knew that it was magic.

Somehow, some way, Serena had gotten her wish; she could use what was happening to help Darien and she simply stopped fighting it. She feared it, but her fear was insignificant against the will within her to save Darien and the pack.

She could help! And with that thought Serena became serenely calm within. She wasn't afraid anymore, how could she fear something that would help save Darien and the pack?

Serena opened her eyes with a silent gasp and looked down at her hands and gasped aloud in wonder. Her fingernails were growing, becoming claws like those she had seen on the Anami, and then they kept growing and started to curve!

Serena knew what was happening but how was is possible?! She was mortal; she shouldn't have been able to do this! Even Darien and Andrew had agreed to the fact that she was a mere normal mortal.

Closing her eyes, Serena accepted that she was changing, shifting, and she handed herself over to it, whatever it was inside of her that was taking control, whatever magic was changing her it could have her.

Serena could feel her body change, transform. Her body was growing, expanding, she could feel it; it was painful, uncomfortable and disconcerting but she did not cry out. She was done crying, it was time she protected those she loved instead of the one always being protected.

By some miracle, by some will of the Moon Goddess, Serena had become part of the magic of the Immortal World, and she would use it to save her people, to save her family and her pack.

It was her time to fight now, to defend those she loved with her life, and if she failed then she would lose everything. Diamond had better watch out because when her transformation was done, Serena was going to lie Diamond's bleeding mangled body at Darien's feet.

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Chapter End Notes:

The last chapter - and it will be the last chapter - and the Epilogue will be up soon. I won't give an exact date because this last chapter needs A LOT of work. However, it will be well within a months time. Hopefully.