Page 42 of THE SOULBOND AND HER BELOVED (Beasts Of Wrath And Madness #4)

Chapter forty-two

THE ECLIPSE MOON NIGHT

The bluish-red moon glowed neon above the horizon. That was the beauty of an eclipse moon. It was mesmerizing, celestial… lethal.

Grand Lord Zaiper brought his mount to a halt atop the rise, staring boldly at the eerie sky as the moon cast its ominous light upon the towering gates of Ravenshadow.

“ Ready!? ” he bellowed.

A deafening chorus of hooves came to a halt behind him. Zaiper turned, eyes sweeping across the battalion amassed in the clearing. A grin stretched across his face.

What a deal he had struck.

Three hundred vampire warriors stood arrayed at his command. His reward for allying with the Vampire King of the South. Tonight, he would see his vengeance come to fruition.

“Tonight marks the beginning of a new era,” he shouted, raising his blade high. “An allegiance forged in blood and purpose. Vampires and Urekai, fighting together.”

A cheer rose before him.

“By the end of this night, many Urekai will fall, for the greater good! And though I cannot stand at the front lines, not beneath that cursed moon, I know you, my army, will bring victory to me!”

“Victory is ours!” they roared.

Zaiper’s sword sliced through the air. “Three hundred vampire soldiers will strike at the heart of Ravenshadow. Without their Grand Rulers, my people are newborns, vulnerable and disoriented. Tonight, we take what was denied to us!” He turned, pointing forward. “Now go! Storm the gates!”

Steel clashed as the army rushed forward. The grand gates of Ravenshadow were breached in moments. The courtyard was empty.

“Frederick, direct your men south!” Zaiper called to the vampire commander.

“Everyone, move south!” Frederick commanded.

The sound of hooves ricocheted along cobblestone as the army poured into the city’s heart, spreading like a flood. Soldiers took positions at intersections, flanking alleyways, prepared for ambushes.

“What’s going on?” Frederick slowed his mount. “Where are the civilians? Where is—”

A sharp whistling split the air.

Arrows.

Thousands of them.

“ Ambush! ” Frederick’s second, Kelvin, roared. “ Take cover! ”

The soldiers scattered, shields rising, but the arrows came thick and fast. Spears following.

Zaiper narrowed his eyes. “They’re putting up resistance, are they?” He kicked his horse forward. “Let them. I could use some sport.” He turned back. “Frederick! Send men underground. I want the Chalice now. If it's not in the vault, check the Vortex Hall. Send a strong unit, they may encounter a Grand Ruler.”

Frederick nodded, dispatching his scouts.

Zaiper rode calmly into the southern side. Still, not a soul. His lips curled. Where is everyone?

Shouting came.

Screams. Roars. The chaos of war.

Men came fleeing from the shadows, faces pale.

“Werewolves!” one soldier cried. “The four-legged beasts are here!”

Zaiper became still as a statue. No, that can’t be right.

“That’s impossible,” he muttered. “Daemonikai would never allow werewolves into our territory on a night like—”

But then he saw them.

Charging through the streets—massive, furred forms. Some in full beast-shape, others in half-shifted male form, unmistakable . They tore through the vampire lines like fire through dry leaves.

Blades clanged. Bodies fell. Blood soaked the cobblestones.

Zaiper’s soul felt as though it had fled his body. Werewolves? Here? How had they—

A flash of silver. A vampire warrior crumpled before his eyes.

More of his soldiers were being overrun. Their screeches of fury now coated with fear .

“There are too many of them!” Kelvin came galloping up, his face bloodied, eyes wild. “They’re not just in the Citadel—they’re everywhere. Spread across the kingdom. Every path is guarded!” He pointed a shaking finger at Zaiper. “You said it was just the Urekai. You lied. You led us into this death trap! My people are dying out there because of you!”

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me!” Zaiper snapped, teeth bared. “How was I supposed to know? This has never happened before! Daemonikai would never entrust our people’s secrets to another species—especially not to protect them on this night!”

“It’s a trap!” Frederick shouted, wheeling on his men. “Retreat! Retreat! We’re pulling out! There are too many of them!”

Frederick leaped down from his horse, face twisted in anger. Stalking to Zaiper, his fist smashed into Zaiper’s jaw, knocking him off his saddle.

Zaiper hit the ground with a grunt, dazed.

“You bastard,” Frederick seethed. “Our soldiers are being slaughtered like livestock—torn apart—because you ‘forgot’ to mention the four-legged beasts might be here! You’ve doomed us!” He punched him again—once, twice, a third time. “What are you going to do now, Lord Zaiper? How will you take responsibility?!”

Zaiper spat blood, trying to fight back, but the vampire was much stronger. Fucking eclipse moon.

“Get your filthy hands off me!” he snarled, trying to shove the vampire away.

“Kelvin!” Frederick barked, still breathing heavily. “Gather the rest of our men—we’re done here. Get them out—”

“You can’t leave!” Zaiper wheezed, struggling to rise. “We have a deal!”

Frederick turned, fangs flashing. “Deal. Is. Off,” he hissed, then turned toward Kelvin. “Move—before the First Ruler and the damn Werewolf King get here!”

But as he turned—

Zaiper roared, tearing his blade free with one fluid motion, driving it deep into Frederick’s back.

“Frederick!” Kelvin screamed, galloping toward them—but it was too late.

Zaiper stabbed again. And again.

Blood splattered across his face and hands, warm and wet. He leaned over the dying commander, eyes shining with a wild, savage light. “Let’s see how you retreat without a spine.” He licked the blood from his lips and spat. “Tastes like rotted meat.”

Kelvin dropped to his knees beside the corpse. “You... you bastard...”

Zaiper stepped over Frederick’s body, sword still dripping. “Listen closely,” he growled. “You will not abandon this fight. Even one Urekai life lost tonight is worth celebrating.” He leaned in. “And you’re going to get me out of here—without a scratch. Or I’ll have Kady rip your twin brother apart, piece by piece.”

Kelvin’s hands clenched into trembling fists. His fangs out, eyes red.

“I will kill you,” he said through gritted teeth.

Zaiper smiled coldly. “Get in line. Maybe in two centuries—if you live that long.” He licked a smear of blood from his wrist, just to drive the knife deeper. “What’s it going to be, Second Commander?”

Kelvin trembled, then spat on the ground. “Let’s go.” He turned on his heel and took off at a run.

Zaiper followed, smirking.

But the humor was fading. The streets were littered with bodies—many vampire bodies and a few werewolves, but not a single Urekai . How had my plan fallen apart so severely? Someone betrayed me.

They turned a corner, ducking into a narrow corridor, half-collapsed from skirmish.

“We’ll go through the North quarter,” Zaiper muttered. “There’s a tunnel entrance beyond the archives—”

“No,” Kelvin snapped. “This way. It’s clear. I just passed through.”

Zaiper narrowed his eyes. “And how exactly do you know it’s—”

“Trust me, or find your own damn way,” Kelvin snarled.

Zaiper bit down his response. I’m killing him the second I have my strength back.

He followed. The corridor narrowed.

Dead silence. Too much silence.

Then, a shadow detached from the wall.

A tall, dark figure stepped into view, cloaked in shadow. Zaiper’s stomach dropped.

Azrael.

Fuck. Fuck.

Zaiper bolted.

Azrael didn’t chase.

Zaiper took off to the wooded path, heart hammering, feet hammering harder. Ahead, Yaz appeared from behind a tree, sword drawn. Zaiper deviated sharply, cursing, veering in the other direction. He was running blind but he knew these woods like the back of his hands. He’d grown up in them.

Damn that vampire. He’d led him straight to slaughter. He should never have come tonight—not in his weakened state, not under an eclipse moon leeching the strength from his bones. But he just needed to stay hidden until morning. Then, he’d find a way to regroup and rise again.

He reached one of his old hiding spots, a small overhang in the forest, its hollow concealed by roots and stones. It was familiar and safe.

But the hairs on his arms lifted. His beast stirred—in fear. The feeling of prey.

You are being hunted.

Zaiper went rigid. “Who the fuck is there?!” he barked, voice rising. “I’m an Alpha! How dare you hunt me?!” His fangs bared. “Come out! Face me right now!”

Nothing. Just wind and birds. The rustle of trees.

That was the worst part of being prey: not seeing what hunts you. Not hearing it.

“Stop hiding, you coward!” he roared, spinning. “Face me!”

The woods fell silent. Even the crickets stopped.

Run! his instincts screamed. Run, right now!

He took off again, ducking, zig-zagging through the trees. He moved like a shadow, calling on every survival tactic he knew—ducking behind trunks, doubling back, crawling through roots. It didn’t help. That prickling sensation didn’t fade.

The presence behind him didn’t lessen, no matter what he did. In fact… it grew closer.

Daemonikai.

Only he could hunt him like this. As if Zaiper was filth. As if he didn’t even deserve to be captured honorably. Anger boiled—but fear won. Daemonikai would kill him. He’s going to kill me.

So, Zaiper ran. And ran.

His chest burned. Muscles shook. His body screamed in protest, but still, he ran. He found another hollow, a dense thicket of brush and dove in.

Seconds passed. Then a minute. Then three.

Unease returned.

Zaiper's lungs seized.

He crawled out and bolted again, unable to resist. He didn’t know how long the chase lasted. It felt infinite. By the time he reached the clearing, sweat dripped into his eyes. His limbs felt like stone and he stumbled.

A hand clamped around his neck.

He was yanked back. Slammed against a tree. Hard.

His vision spun. There, inches from his face—calm as the stars, deadly as a god—stood Daemonikai .

“There you are,” the Grand King said softly. “My prey.” He tilted his head slightly. “Did you enjoy the hunt? I did. But now I get to take home my prize. The best one yet.”

Zaiper gasped, trying to focus. “Werewolves… on Urekai land? I never thought you’d stoop—”

“When it comes to protecting our people from you and your bloodsucking allies,” Daemonikai said, circling him like a panther, “I’d have opened the gates to the witches of the Eastern Wilds if it meant keeping my people safe.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “In fact, inviting the werewolves was one of my finest decisions.”

“ It sure was, ” Azrael growled behind him.

“W–how?” Zaiper’s eyes widened.

“You see, I received the most detailed letter from Sinai—”

Zaiper’s eyes flared. “That’s not possible.”

Daemonikai smiled. “As I was saying, I received the most detailed letter from your accomplice. She told me to deliver you a message, Consider this revenge, for thinking it was acceptable to stab me in the back after I protected yours for so long.”

Zaiper staggered where he stood, punched in the gut.

“And she was very thorough, too.” Daemonikai gave a soft tsk. “Three parchments. Three different messenger birds. Sent from three different outposts. I wonder if that number was symbolic.”

“I can’t…” Zaiper croaked. “You mean to tell me… she… Sinai?”

“Yes.” Daemonikai nodded calmly. “And I’m grateful to her. Because now—finally—I have you within my grasp. By the time I’m done with you, Zaiper… you’ll wish I had killed you in court. You’ll wish your life had ended before today ever began.”

“Why don’t we start now?” Behind him, Azrael’s voice was low and hungry. “I wouldn’t mind catching in on the fun.”

“No. Not yet.” Daemonikai nodded toward the sky. “Not under that.”

The eclipse moon hung like a blazing wound—beautiful, cursed, and cruel.

“I want him alive,” Daemonikai said. “The toxins in his blood tonight make him fragile. I don’t want him dropping dead just yet. That’s not part of my plans.”

Daemonikai looked at him. Unblinking. Then swung.

The punch cracked against Zaiper’s face with such force, the echo snapped through the trees. His head jerked to the side, and the crack of bone—his nose—rang clear. He choked, blood flooding his throat. He gagged, swallowing it by reflex, then slumped down the bark of the tree.

The taste of iron filled his mouth. He tried to move, but couldn’t.

Daemonikai’s voice came again—distant, fading, like thunder behind a storm cloud. “ Wegai. Take him away. ”

Boots approached.

Zaiper’s vision blurred, and all he saw was the moon, glowing like an eye that had watched every sin he’d committed… now bearing witness to his fall.