Chapter 330: _Remind Them Who The Monster Is
Marcellus’ POV
*****
After killing Caroline, he escaped his residence, walking through the night under the waning blood moon.
He would’ve teleported out of the pack altogether but found out someone had placed a magic protection ward around the freaking place.
Althea.
It didn’t take long for pack soldiers to begin searching the entire pack to find him, many yelling different things as he walked through the shadows.
"The Beta is an artificial hybrid." One said with a whisper when Marcellus stopped under the shadow of a shop, blending in with his magic.
"No way!" Another gasped.
"I’m telling you, dude. The guards who went to investigate his residence after that explosion saw traces of moonstone energy... As well as a dark green magic energy."
He should’ve cleared his tracks like he always does, but he knew the gig was up this time.
"The Luna Queen talked about personally wanting him." Another chimed, sounding rather pumped up. "Hybrid or not, I’d hate to be on her bad side. Not after the fucking blood rain earlier tonight."
"Do you think the Beta is responsible for all the atrocities in the pack? All those deaths that were blamed on the late Sir Alaric?"
He’d heard about enough.
His eyes flared with dark green light as he tilted his head, locking his gaze on the three pack soldiers.
They had their backs facing him, so they didn’t notice on time when he stepped out of the shadows, a thick white fog spreading underneath his feet like a bad omen.
He stretched his right hand forward, pointing it at them with a cold, detached expression.
If he was going down tonight... He might as well do that while taking a lot of these pathetic pack soldiers with him.
"As a parting gift..." He began with a loud enough voice for the three men to jerk with shock before turning to face him. They grabbed their weapons, taking steps back as he inched closer.
Cute.
"... I can confirm to you that I indeed killed all those people you’re talking about. Every last one of them, including Alaric himself." Marcellus continued, his lips curling into a crazed smile. "Tell them I said hi."
Without warning, dark green energy tendrils sprouted from his hand before wrapping around them like snakes within a split second.
Before they could scream, the tendrils coiled around their mouths, causing their eyes to widen as they were raised into the air.
The snapping of their bones, their muffled groans of pain and the way their bodies flinched as they struggled for survival, kicking and twisting... Ah, it was all so beautiful to Marcellus.
"I’ve done so many atrocious things for as long as I can remember. All to get me to the power I am today." He whispered, more to himself than them.
Slowly, the tendrils began sucking out the life force from the men, their skins paling and their eyes bulging until they seemed like they were going to pop out of their sockets.
"If anyone in this gods forsaken pack thinks that I, Marcellus Sterling, will fall so easily after getting this far," He added, clenching his outstretched hand into a fist.
When he did, a sickly snap like twigs echoed through the night, the bodies of the pack soldiers stiffening mid-air.
Their dried-up bodies plopped to the ground, almost reducing into ash upon contact as Marcellus smirked coldly. "Then I’ll paint this pack with more blood than all the days and nights I’ve killed combined. I’ll remind you all who the true monster you should flee from is."
.
.
Those words weren’t just for fancy.
Marcellus went on a rampage, bringing down any pack soldier who was unfortunate enough to cross his path as he headed for the eastern walls.
The dark green energy tendrils were just one method. Other times, he decapitated heads, drove his arm through chests or slashed stomachs until organs fell out.
And he did all this under the protection of the shadows until he finally reached the eastern walls, spreading out a thick white fog to cover him.
Any soldier who tried reaching him was instantly killed, their life force going to him and revitalising him.
’Marcellus...’ an all too familiar voice suddenly whispered in his head, causing his eyebrows to furrow into a deep frown.
’Lord Ryker.’ Marcellus’ mental voice was alive with glee, a high brought about from all the killing. ’You reaching out to witness my grand fall?’
There was a small pause, the only sound that he could hear now being his own beating heart and the yells of pack soldiers outside his fog, telling themselves to stay away from it.
’I’m reaching out to give you a warning.’ Ryker’s voice was as detached as it could get. ’Whatever you do... Do not harm the Vein Born.’
Marcellus blinked, almost unable to believe what he just heard.
This must be a joke.
’Odessa? Your hybrid pet?’ Marcellus sniggered, damning respect. ’You must think me an idiot if you think I wouldn’t use everything in me to bring her down.’
’Marcellus. My right hand.’ Ryker’s voice held just a little sentiment now. ’I know you’re in a tight situation right now, but killing Odessa, that’s if you can, will only incur my wrath.’
Marcellus’ jaw tightened, his fists clenching beside him.
For a while, he’s imagined taking Odessa for himself, simply for the reason of spawning powerful children with her.
When Ryker showed his interest in her, he naturally stepped back. Now when he was in a fight for his life, he couldn’t help but wonder if along the line... He’d actually grown to care for Odessa.
... Nah!
’Yes, I know your wrath is worse than death, Lord Ryker.’ Marcellus responded calmly, feeling a shift in the air.
Odessa was close, as well as Kaelos and... Janelle and Thorian.
What are those two still doing here?
’Good.’ Ryker echoed but before he could say anything else, Marcellus snorted.
’No, I’m not agreeing to listen to you. This is me telling you for the first time in my life to fuck off.’ Marcellus smiled, letting out a sigh.
’And if somehow, I die tonight and Odessa lives, I want you to know Ryker... Your fall will be far more brutal than mine. And swift too.’
With that, Marcellus cut off the mind link with the lord of the North.
What was he going to do? Complain to customer service?
.
.
When Marcellus walked out of the fog, creating a dark green energy dome that trapped himself and Odessa in it, he knew only one person was walking out of this alive.
"Let me show you what your precious Caroline saw in her last seconds." Was the last thing he said to Odessa before going all out.
He spread out his arms, causing the air around Odessa to ignite with a bright light that disoriented her, forcing her to cover her eyes in the air.
He cackled, launching himself at her... When the violet flames surrounding her suddenly surged with more power, forcing him to come to an abrupt halt.
Her eyes glowed with a bright violet light as she swiped her right hand at him, sending a diagonal wave of violet flames which burned the air in its path.
Marcellus managed to teleport out of its way with barely a second to spare, watching from a distance as it proceeded to hit a corner of his energy dome.
The energy dome barely held up, the explosion rocking it and sending a searing heat that probably went beyond it.
"Now THAT’S power." Marcellus grinned, whipping his head to Odessa. "Power that you were born with. But you see mine?"
A spiral of dark green energy began forming in his right palm, spinning like a death curse. It grew bigger and bigger, the air around it distorting as if reality itself was unravelling.
Odessa spread out her hands, clenching them into fists but he was already done with his spell and yelled out:
"My power was born from blood, sweat and tears. Most of it from others. You don’t know what it means to fight for control."
He released the spiralling energy disk, watching as it headed straight at Odessa, seeming like it could cleave existence itself.
Odessa’s face flickered with panic as a force bubble of violet energy wrapped around her, taking on the full force of the energy blade.
Marcellus watched the blade cut through each force shield Odessa made like a hot knife through butter, and grinned wider.
He might just be winning this after all.
Suddenly, a powerful voice boomed, sounding like a divine proclamation.
"You definitely don’t know me as much as I thought if you think I don’t know what it means to fight for control!"
Marcellus’ eyes widened with shock, a shiver running down his spine when the energy disk slowly began changing into a bright violet colour.
Odessa... She was hijacking his spell and making it her own!
"I’ve heard enough of your hypocrisy!" She continued, a multi-directional wave of violet flames spreading around her before pulsing with more power.
Marcellus acted quickly as the flames headed for him, raising his hands to prepare a spell.