Suddenly, the creature withdraws its limbs from me. I drop to the ground, trembling. Klevon attacks and Theo kneels before me. He lightly touches the surrounding skin on the open wound on my neck. I can feel it. Something is in my veins. Something… ancient and… from the gods. The smell… it's so familiar as if I am at home.
"F*uck! Poison," the creature in front of us says. "What the heck, is that? A she-wolf? Why is a werewolf slave being protected?"
"She is no longer a slave," Klevon says. His massive broadsword is out and pointed at the creature, whose mouth is still dripping with my blood.
"Kaiya?" It's Theo. He lightly taps my cheeks. "What are you feeling?"
My vision blurs and Theo's face swims in front of me. Even in this state, I still find him so… so beautiful. Why does the mate bond act like this? It's painful, it's uncontrollable. I don't want to feel like this anymore.
My arms raise towards him, and suddenly, I want to bite him. I want to take his blood. I want to eat him up. I raise my body. I can feel movements within. Theo accepts my embrace and rubs my back.
"Kaiya, it will be okay. We'll have someone to look into your wound."
I can see the veins in his neck as he speaks. Human blood is flowing through it. It looks so, so appetizing. My mate's blood. There will be nothing more satisfying. My fangs grow out when I open my mouth. I am famished. I want him. I'm sure he won't mind if I take a little of his blood. Or more, until I drain him. At least, he won't be with Kissa anymore. He will be mine alone.
I am about to bite into him when suddenly a kick connects to my face. I skid along the rough ground and I growl at the source of it. Lorant. He is scowling at me. His sword is out, and he is pointing it at me. Theo, on the other hand, is angry at Lorant.
"Why the fuck did you kick her?! Did I give you the leave to-"
"Look closely, my King. That is no longer Kaiya. That is a she-wolf turned into a monster who craves your blood and wants to devour you."
Theo shifts his focus on me and then understanding crosses his features. I frown at him. I am about to say something, but another growl comes out instead. Why? I glance to my side. Human warriors seem afraid of me.
Then, I become aware of myself. I am crouching on the ground. Both my arms are stuck on the ground with claws out. A third of me turned into a werewolf, and the other third remains human, but the remaining third… it is the same features as the one hovering in the air and the one who bites on me earlier.
"Oh! My recruit has become a hybrid. Our leader will be so happy!" the creature who bit me says. His fangs are showing and there is glee in his expression. "Now that there are three of us, let's eat these all up!"
Like the creature in the air, I growl in agreement.
"Ha! You are a new one, so have a feast on your previous comrades!"
Then I move, in a grotesque way, and as I run towards my first victim. Everything is swaying as I try to keep a hold of myself. I stumble and black wings sprout on my back. I hear someone squeal and then I see that my supposed first victim is caught by the one in the air.
"Here you go, eat up," it says and throws the warrior on me.
In front of me, the warrior backs away. He is separated from his weapon. I can see all the veins in his body, at least those that are not covered by clothes.
I smirk. My wingspan is getting more and more wide. I make a jump and then trap him under my body–which is getting more and more attuned to the other two creatures.
"That's it! That's your nature now! Feed on these blasted humans who think they rule the world!"
I open my mouth. It has even become larger and elongated through my cheeks. Not as appetizing as my human mate, but still delicious. The human warrior screams and suddenly, I hear someone screams my name. Then the voice of someone asking someone to stop. I grin as I look at the feast under me. This human warrior… I will eat… until I drain him of his blood.
Suddenly, a broadsword comes towards me. I retreat from the attack and crouch a few meters away. I hiss at the attacker.
"Kaiya, you can't eat our warriors. Moreover, how about trying to fight your cravings?"
I shift my attention to the huge-looking man. Very tall and muscular, but my wingspan can fight against that. I shriek and open my wings. It's relaxing and calming. I stretch my body and as I do, the huge man in front of me is getting more and more tense.
I feel strong. So strong, in fact, that I believe I can kill this man. I can eat him. I can devour his blood. I cackle. It will be delicious.
"Oh damn, you don't even recognize me now? Are you so starved to look at me like that?" He shivers in delight. "I think I will have a fetish for you wanting to devour me."
The man laughs. I scowl at him. I don't know that food can be aggravating even if I am already so hungry. He stands up and opens his arms.
"Come here now, my dear. Devour me," he laughs again. "Why does it sound so sexual?" He makes another shiver and my nose automatically turns up.
I look away and search for another victim. There it is, another human warrior who is looking so scared.
"Hey! Kaiya! I am here! Devour me! Ravage me! Relish on my blood! Oh damn, I want you to feast on me and have your fangs buried deep within me!" the disgusting human screams.
I kick him and skid through my left. I take a hold of the human warrior and am about to bite him when he screams, "General Klevon, please help!"
"Oh damn, Kaiya! I said to feed on me. Not kick me!"
The disgusting human is automatically beside me. He shields the human warrior with his body and I growl at him. And then, he stands up while I prepare myself against him. There is a smile on his face.
Abruptly, he drops his sword and raises his arms. "There you go. No weapons."
"General Klevon, you will need your weapon against that!" the human warrior complains.
"Shut up," he says to the human warrior. He leans his head to the side so I can see the veins on his neck. "Come on, Kaiya. You can see my blood, right? Now, devour me."
My shoulders relax. I am so famished. So, even in this nasty being, I will partake. I swallow hard as my eyes focus on the veins on his neck. Blood is definitely pumping there. Not that delicious, but can be drunk.
I raise my hands toward his head. His grin widens when suddenly someone holds my wrist. I growl at the man. He's lovely. He smells so good as well. The opposite of this man who's offering his blood to me.
"General Klevon, join the others in cleaning up those two monsters."
Cleaning up the monsters? Did they kill them? I am about to look for them when the man closes our distance. He touches his body to mine and cups my cheeks. I shiver and I don't know from what.
"If you need blood, Kaiya. You can take mine."
His face moves closer to my ears and I can see his neck-pumping savory blood. Just a single, small move and I can sink my teeth into him.
"If you're a monster, I will be a monster with you. I can't live like those fifteen years without you again."
"King Theo!" I hear humans shout.
I open my mouth. If he's offering himself to me, this delicious-looking human, I will gladly take him up on his offer. I am so hungry… so, so… A massive pain suddenly appears on my head, then it quickly travels downward.
I push at him, and he hurtles a few meters away from me. I grunt, and my knees give way. Thankfully, my wings are still working. I flap my wings and I hover from the ground. Water closes around my ankles and keeps me stationed on the ground. The man I hit is using magic to trap me!
"Don't leave Kaiya," he says. He moves towards me and wraps his arms around me. "If it's painful, then drink from me. I don't mind."
I thrash around and grunts in pain. My body is aching. My muscles are sore. And it feels like my bones are realigning. However, I am covered by both his arms and cold ocean water. I can also smell lavender. It's calming and relaxing. Worse, it is warning me not to bite into this human no matter how delicious he looks. And so, I lash at him instead.
Another searing pain hits my head. I kneel and grab my head. It's too painful and I am seeing memories-unfamiliar memories. But the woman in it is me.
'I will give this back to you…' a voice in my head says.
"Bring back what?!" I scream at no one.
But before I can understand what the voice meant, images of a young man flood my mind. It's the same young man who's holding me now.