Cole's POV
Approaching me were my father's soldiers. They surrounded me with all forms of sophisticated weapons.
"Look around you, Cole. You are outnumbered. Let the maid go or you'll be shot. It's not just a bullet; it's made with wolf bane. Of course, you know what that means?" One of them issued a warning to me.
At the mention of wolfsbane, my nostrils flared up. Surviving the wolf's bane bullet is synonymous with going to the stream with the basket, hoping to fill it with water.
The wolf's bane bullet will neutralize my healing process. I would probably not last 10 minutes after being shot.
My rage has been tampered with. I already lost the battle even before it started.
I narrowed my gaze at my father hoping he would speak in my favor. He glanced sideways and neglected me to my worries. It dawned on me that it was me against the world.
"Have you suddenly gone deaf? Let the girl go. She's mine." A voice commanded me from afar. It sounded familiar, yet I couldn't figure out the person behind it.
I combed everywhere hoping to find the mystery person. In the end, I end up chasing lost shadows.
Surprisingly, the soldiers who surrounded me started paving the way to welcome this mysterious being that planted fear in people's minds.
Behold, it was none other than Nolan, my half-brother.
"You son of a bitch?" I pointed at Nolan disdainfully. I felt nothing but hate toward him. I just wanted to fracture his neck to my satisfaction. That was the only thing on my mind. He was the last person I expected to confront me.
"Lila is mine. Let go of her this minute if you wish to stay alive," Nolan threatened me.
He unleashed the monster in me. I was gutted and humiliated that someone like Nolan would have the effrontery to confront me.
"I am not yours. Please let me be. I don't recall accepting to be your mate," Lila spoke in her defense.
I don't understand why she did that, but I'm glad she did. It was time that someone put Nolan in his place and that's precisely what Lila did.
"You bitch! You don't know what you're talking about. If I can't have you, no one else can," Nolan proclaimed.
The emergence of Nolan tightened my grip on Lila. I vowed not to let her go. I would rather forfeit her for my father than Nolan.
The plan was to frustrate Nolan to the point where he shamelessly walked away.
"I challenge you to a fight. Whoever wins takes her home," Nolan challenged me into a fight. He hasn't done that before. He didn't even acknowledge the presence of my Father.
"Do you want to do this? You can still walk away if it works for you," I told Nolan hoping he would change his mind.
"I'm not a coward. You want Lila, don't you? Then you must fight to have her," Nolan responds. That was when I knew he wasn't bluffing.
I was hoping my father would intercede again, but he didn't. He seemed to be loving every bit of the moment.
"Stay here. Don't go anywhere," I authorized Lila. Fear eluded her. I could hear her heart beating faster, like the drums of war. If she had some magical powers, she would have disappeared into thin air.
"Please don't," Lila gripped my arm tightly to stop me from fighting.
I was infuriated. The fact that I was fighting for her ownership didn't give her the impetus to decide what I wanted.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Stay back if you don't want my wrath that's like a consuming fire," I yelled at Lila and scared her away.
My eyes suddenly turned reddish. I could feel my inner wolf preparing to unleash itself.
I bent to the ground and transformed into my wolf form. With a move too fast, I pounced on Nolan and dislocated his arm. I couldn't wait for him to shift forms. The plan was to render him useless to the point where he would always be scared of me.
Nolan groaned in pain. He was defenseless against my attack. I wasn't impressed. I expected a much tougher challenge from Nolan. He was just a walk in the pack for me.
"Enough!" I heard a loud voice commanding me to stop. It was my Father. He finally decided to speak up. He's been quiet the whole time Nolan challenged me.
I quickly shifted into my human form while Nolan was struggling to survive. I had fun doing that. If given the chance, I would do that a thousand times.
I mumbled at my father, expressing my dissatisfaction with what he did. I want to be feared and respected by Nolan.
"I guess you've learned the hard way.
Do you still want more from me?" I got closer to Nolan. I was thirsty for his blood.
"That's enough.
Has the mood goddess suddenly struck you with deafness?" My father called me from afar and put me in order.
I halted my movement and ordered one of the soldiers to take Nolan away for urgent treatment. He was seriously injured. There's no guarantee that he would heal on his own.
Like a warlock returning from a successful battle, I marched to my father and bowed to him.
Rather than commending me on my triumph against Nolan, he landed a thunderous slap on my chin that left me flabbergasted.
"Father?" I screamed while caressing my chin. My greatest joy was that Nolan wasn't present to witness that.
"Is this the reward I get for defeating Nolan? I guess it would have been different if it were who defeated me." I lamented.
I was waiting for him to officially hand Lila over to me. Whichever way, I'm going to have Lila to myself, and no one would stop me, not even my Father. I came here for a purpose, and it must be fulfilled…