Chapter 62: Chapter 62
They immediately turned to look at Vlad, who was now among them.
"Good job, Vlad. Have you already obtained your Mate?" Erebus asked, making Vlad look at him with a flat expression.
"Yes, I've found her, but I have no intention of eliminating her," Vlad replied, causing Erebus to gaze at him questioningly.
"Don't tell me you're tempted again by a face that resembles Luna's. You should have eliminated her because that woman is the one who hurt you," Erebus taunted, making Vlad visibly angry.
"Stop your nonsense. You only instructed me to keep her away from that wolf, and I've done just that. So, stop pressuring me because I owe you nothing, and I'm not your lackey," Vlad retorted, then turned his gaze towards Gray.
"And as for you, you're a pathetic mate who can't even protect your own partner," Vlad said, deliberately provoking Gray's emotions.
"You damn vampire really can only boast and say foolish things. Don't you know who you're dealing with?" Gray responded. Without further ado, Gray unleashed his power, transforming into a massive wolf, as did Brenda and the others who followed their leader's lead.
They reverted to their true forms as wolves and began to attack Vlad, while Erebus, who also transformed into a wolf, engaged in battle with them. Meanwhile, Lilit remained hidden behind a tree. She had no need to fight at the moment and could continue searching for Aurel. Stella noticed Lilit's departure but allowed it, as she suspected Lilit might have her own plan.
They battled fiercely, with Gray, Brenda, and Rex taking on Vlad, while Simon, Stella, and Thunder faced Erebus. They clashed, each side unleashing their powers. Vlad was pushed back several times, but Erebus seemed to dominate the fight, until Gray managed to sink his fangs into Vlad's arm.
"You damn vampire, do you think you're fighting just anyone? You're up against the heir of the Alpha King, and I'm not playing around because you've also kept me away from my Mate," Gray said as he bit into Vlad's neck. Brenda and Rex bit into his arm, too. Vlad roared as he felt his body heating up with the wolf's fangs piercing his skin. Finally, they pulled away, tearing Vlad apart.
Brenda returned to her human form and used her powers to incinerate Vlad's remains, ensuring he couldn't reincarnate or come back to life. This was the way to destroy a vampire for good. This time, Vlad was truly erased from the face of the earth.
Now, they had to deal with Erebus. Stella, who had been struggling against him, looked exhausted. It was then that Gray, with his Alpha-dominant wolf form, rushed forward to confront Erebus, leaving Simon and Thunder to rest.
Brenda and Rex, now back in their original forms, observed the battle between Gray and Erebus. It seemed Gray had learned to harness the power he had acquired. Erebus was pushed back several times, proving it wasn't easy to fight an Alpha, especially one descended from the Alpha King. Despite Erebus having lived longer than Gray, his power couldn't be underestimated.
Erebus was flung against a large rock, and Gray easily retaliated. He roared, intimidating Erebus, the wolf who should have bowed before him, whether he was his uncle or an exiled wolf.
"Right now, you just need to bow down and kneel before your Alpha, whether you're my uncle or an exiled wolf, you should still be a wolf who respects me," Gray said. He unleashed a flash of his silver eyes, causing Erebus to grimace in pain from the attack. Erebus eventually reverted to his human form, defeated.
"Give me a chance, I won't meddle in your affairs or Wentira anymore, but let me live," Erebus pleaded, clearly overwhelmed. But just as he was about to plead further, Gray extended his claws, slashing Erebus's face, and bit into his neck, rendering him helpless.
"I'll spare you for now, but if I hear of your mischief again, I will truly eliminate you, whether you're a wolf or my uncle. I don't care," Gray declared. He reverted to his human form, leaving Erebus lying there, seemingly on the brink of death.
"We need to continue to Vlad's castle. I have a feeling he might still be hiding Aurel there," Gray said, and they sped off.
"Where's the Siren?" Gray asked during their movement.
"I saw Lilit earlier; it seems she's searching for Aurel as well. We should follow her scent," Stella replied. They eventually traced Lilit's scent to a castle that they assumed belonged to Vlad. Although the scent was faint, Gray could still discern it as Aurel's, especially when he reached one of the rooms she had previously occupied. Gray was confident that this was where Aurel had been.
"Did you find anything?" Gray asked when he saw Lilit emerging from another hallway.
"Just some suspicions that Aurel was here before. I found some blood bags and many paintings of Aurel in one of the rooms filling the corridor," Lilit said. Gray raised an eyebrow.
"I think those paintings aren't of Aurel. They're of my mother. I didn't even know they looked so alike," Brenda explained.
"Why?" Gray inquired.
"Because it seems the deceased vampire admired the previous Luna Queen, who was my mother. I only recently realized they had the same face," Brenda said, making Gray look at her.
"Does that mean my mate looks like our mother?" Gray asked, and Brenda nodded.
"Yes, I can remember everything now," Brenda replied, feeling like she had regained the memory of her mother's face after breaking free from the spell her father had placed on her.
"Alright, then we need to find Aurel and the Siren because the only one we can suspect of taking Aurel from this castle is the Siren," Brenda said, making Gray nod in agreement.
"Okay, let's move. It seems they've already left Naighthell," Brenda said as she exited the castle. They ventured back into the dark forest, making their way out of Naighthell, just as Loma and Aurel had done before. It required their combined strength to escape. Eventually, they reached the border of Naighthell.
"Are you sure they would run here?" Gray asked, looking at Lilit.
"I'm certain they would head for the cliff. It's the only safe place for Loma, and I believe Loma has used up her power, making her weak. She'll need to return to her hiding place to recover her strength. I hope Aurel is still with her," Lilit explained. This prompted Gray and the others to make their way to the cliff where Loma's hideout was. For some reason, Gray's heart raced, anticipating that he would soon reunite with Aurel. He hoped fervently that his mate would be unharmed.
Gray wouldn't forgive any harm that had come to his soulmate. Eventually, they arrived at the cliff, as Lilit had described.
"Where are they?" Brenda asked, but before Lilit could respond, Gray swiftly followed the scent of Aurel, which became increasingly distinct. Gray leaped from one rock to another until he finally stopped at the edge of a steep cliff.
Gray immediately dashed to a spot where he sensed Aurel's strong scent and stopped when he saw her, tears streaming down her face. "Aurel," Gray uttered, causing Aurel to turn and look at him. She was holding a weakened woman in her arms.
"Gray," Aurel whispered before losing consciousness in his embrace. The others who had just arrived rushed over.
"Is she dead?" Simon asked, his concern evident. Lilit took charge and held Loma in her arms.
"It seems she expended a significant amount of power before recovering it in the middle," Lilit explained before turning her attention to the unconscious Aurel in Gray's embrace.
"Wow, she really looks just like the painting," Lilit commented. Gray observed Aurel's pale and thin appearance, unable to imagine what she had gone through while held captive in Vlad's castle.
"You take care of Aurel; I'll take care of Loma. I'll bring her to the ocean to rejuvenate her body, and then you can meet up with Loma. Maybe you can find out more about how Aurel ended up with her," Lilit suggested. Gray nodded, understanding that they needed to return to the human world to nurse Aurel back to health. He was sure that the news of his rampage in Plantea Territoria had already reached his father's ears, but for now, his priority was ensuring Aurel's recovery.