Chapter 103 The Heir

*Lucas*

Damn, I knew I should have intervened. Why didn't I just offer the Wolf Troop some money? Maybe ten percent of ten million dollars would have been enough to keep him from killing me.

I blinked my eyes rapidly so my vision could adjust to the darkness. There was a wolf with a gun full of silver bullets aimed straight at Michael's chest. I stooped down, pulling Michael down with me. He whispered into my ear.

"Something doesn't feel right," Michael said, turning his head in an attempt to survey our surroundings. Something had caught his eye and he suddenly let out a gasp. "Lucas, look at the chest!"

I took little notice of the screams of the Wolf Troop who attempted to kill us nor was I bothered by the gnawing sounds of Onyx's teeth against flesh and bone. It was the red light trying to burst out through the chest that had my full attention. However, my reaction was the complete opposite from that of the Chief. He didn't notice the chest, he was more concerned about the Wolf Troop.

He took a step forward in an attempt to help the Wolf Troop, however his foot caught on the rug of the bistro and he fell while the chest flew into the air with its lid open propelling several tiny red glowing objects into the darkness surrounding us. The Chief hit the floor with a massive thud and settling atop his open palm was a tiny object, its red sheen pulsating. It throbbed slowly at first, then gradually quickening as time progressed. Scattered on the floor were the others whose red glow did little to conceal them. The objects on the floor seemed to be moving. I blinked my eyes furiously to readjust, thinking I was simply imagining things. But I wasn't imagining it...the tiny objects were moving towards the Chief, who just laid there on the hard floor, not wanting to move. As the objects inched closer to the Chief, the pulsating red glow of the object in the palm of his hand started to intensify.

In the shadows of the darkness, the scene was so eerie. I felt the racing of my heart against my chest as I desperately tried to overcome the panic and fear that had flooded over me.

"Lucas, leave. This is dark magic. Only I and my Beta are equipped to face the evil from these black star sapphires. Go, all of you, before it is too late," Onyx said, her voice cautioning us. "Lucas, quickly now. LEAVE!"

Michael and I stood up from where we were crouched. "Everyone in this bistro...OUT NOW!" I yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. I gestured to the Chief's men who were helping up their fellow Wolf Troop who Onyx had savagely attacked. "Come on," I told them. We don't have much time."

Michael hurriedly walked around the Chief  towards the door, carefully avoiding the black sapphires which were now all aligned infront of him. When he was clear of the Chief, Michael  practically vaulted to the door and frantically tried to open it so everyone could escape.

"It's jammed," he said. "Hold on, I'm going to rip this door apart."

"Try it now," Onyx said, her eyes gleaming. Michael tried the door knob once more and the door opened. I saw the relief in Michael's face as the light from the gloomy outside came streaming in. I assisted the manager and the patrons who all looked terrified, while the staff I noticed ran out through the back. While everyone was busy escaping, a red cloud appeared and hovered above the thrashing body of the Chief.

"Lucas, we have to go now!" Michael yelled at me impatiently. But I just couldn't leave. Because of the regret from my past transgressions, I needed to make sure everyone was out of harm's way. I didn't want to live with more guilt.

I presumed the Chief wouldn't bother to hurt any of his men, so I left them behind and rushed towards the door. The Chief looked up at me, his face contorted in pain, begging for me to help him.

"Lucas, don't leave me here. Help me, please," he cried out to me. The Chief was in complete and utter agony, but if I stayed, he would kill me.

Then, he began to scream and his whole body writhed in pain as red flames engulfed his body. I hesitated for a moment, thinking of a way to help him, but Michael grabbed my arm.

"Lucas, you heard the black wolf. We have to leave now!" He yelled at me.

"But he needs our help-" I tried to explain.

"Lucas, if you want to continue living, I urge you to leave now. Once the heir of Aranck draws blood, the war will begin," the black wolf snarled at the Chief as she uttered her words. I turned toward the door and allowed Michael to guide me out of the bistro. But before we could exit the bistro, the door closed unexpectedly, trapping us inside where dark magic was about to be unleashed.

"No one else shall leave," the Chief bellowed as the doors of the bistro locked themselves.

I looked at Michael who was staring back at me and I could clearly see the uneasiness he felt. We both nodded our heads at each other, aware of what we needed to do. Slowly, we both turned around to face our adversary who was in the process of completing his metamorphosis.

His body rose from the floor. The red flames which had engulfed him earlier had died down, however his body emitted a faint red glow. He looked quite different. He was still tall and heavy set, but gone was the scar on his face. His black short hair was now long and straight, his once dark eyes were now orangey-red, and his full lips were now thin and curved into a malevolent smile showing straight teeth. The Chief rarely smiled nor did he have perfect teeth.

He was now cloaked in black while the glowing black sapphire that once was in the palm of his hand was now nestled unto an ornate ring on his finger.

He raised his hand and all the other black sapphires that had aligned themselves on the floor rose in mid-air infront of him moving into a circle. Magic. I didn't once believe the Chief was capable of doing magic.

I heard a low growl. The black wolf's glowing green eyes seemed larger than ever. This time, without Diana, the black wolf revealed her true form for others to see. She was so large all of us had to raise our heads to look at her face, even the Chief. Her sharp white teeth were bared as she slowly inched forward. She was ready to pounce if needed.

"Stay near the door. Help is on its way," I heard Onyx in my thoughts. It was no longer a whisper. She was now mind-linking with Michael and I. Michael beckoned to the three Wolf Troops to move towards us. They tried to move, but an invisible force prevented them from moving. Suddenly, a booming voice spoke which caused my nervousness to change into fear.

"Leaving so soon?" The low voice was coming from the Chief. He raised his head to Onyx. "Once again, I am reborn, and this time stronger and more powerful than ever. I have waited for so long to face you, Black Wolf! Finally, I will have my vengeance!"

"You will not succeed, heir of Aranck," Onyx said. The so-called heir scoffed at her.

"You still underestimate me and my powers, Black Wolf," he replied. "So much so that you are mistaken. My heir serves as my vessel. I am Aranck, leader of the Black Resistance, soon to be ruler of all!" Onyx growled at him, but it didn't sound menacing. It was as if she was laughing.

"Aranck, leader of the Black Resistance, you still have an oversized ego. Apparently, after all this time, nothing has changed," Onyx replied. "You still believe you can defeat me and become king?" She asked, but it sounded more like a rhetorical question.

"Of course, that is my sole purpose," Aranck answered, snickering, even bowing theatrically.  "And again, you are wrong. Many things have indeed... changed.  While the she-wolf who bore you in the beginning was without father nor mother, the one who currently bears the black wolf has a father who she most desperately loves." Aranck turned his head and pointed at me. Perfect, now I was a liability to Diana. If he were to take me as prisoner, I knew Diana would not rest until I was found. "Once before, I took your mate and tortured him with my bare hands. This time, I plan to torture her father until he begs me to kill him. When I am done with him, I will again go for your mate. This time, I will kill him, which will drive your human form into madness. In the end, the one who bears the black wolf will denounce her wolf and will defect to serve me as her master."

"In the end, Aranck, as it was in the beginning, you will die and all the wolves who pledge to follow you will meet the same grim fate." Her voice held a fatal warning. It was not in Onyx's nature to mince her words.

"We shall see, won't we?" Arank turned his attention to the Chief's three men who were trapped inside with us. Since they couldn't leave, the two Wolf Troops assisted their injured comrade into a chair and were standing behind him. "I can see you have not changed your ways on inflicting torment, Black Wolf." Aranck walked up to the circle of floating black sapphires and plucked one out. The black sapphire he plucked slowly rose from his fingers and magically split into three equal portions of the original.

"I shall warn you, whomever touches a black star sapphire will be cursed. There are grave consequences bound to the evil of the gems," Onyx warned the three Wolf Troops. Aranck scoffed at her, obviously favoring a different opinion.

"My friends, with the black sapphire in your possession, the black wolf will no longer harm you in any way. She will not be able to reach you in your dreams nor lecture you in your thoughts." Aranck approached the wolf who was injured. "Take the black sapphire and you will no longer bleed and your wounds will heal in an instant."

"Why isn't Onyx destroying the sapphires?" Michael asked through mind-link.

"I don't know, Michael. There must be a good explanation," I answered him back through mind-link.

"If Aranck can split all of the remaining black sapphires, he'll be able to form an army and that won't be good for us," he countered.

"Well, we can't do anything about it. Aranck will kill us if we get in the way. Dying won't help any of us. Let's just keep quiet and pray to the Moon Goddess help gets here soon," I said.

"Patience, the both of you. All will be revealed soon enough. Have faith in the Moon Goddess," we heard Onyx say through mind-link. It was easy for her to say that. She wasn't the one Aranck wanted to torture and kill.

We watched helplessly as the injured soldier reached out and took the black sapphire in his grasp. Like what happened to the Chief, the red flames from the black sapphire enveloped him causing him to writhe in agony. When the flames were finally gone, he stood erect, the wounds from his legs and thighs were gone and like the Chief, he was cloaked in black with the black sapphire hanging on a large pendant around his neck. He too had undergone several changes in appearance, but just like the Chief, they both now had orangey-red eyes.

"Ah, my Alpha. We meet once again," he said, his voice high-pitched. He bowed low as he spoke. "Long have your loyal followers lived in complete darkness awaiting for your return. I see you have found your heir. I do hope he makes a suitable vessel." Aranck nodded his head.

"My old and most loyal friend, it is good to have you by my side once more," Aranck said, smiling mischievously.

"What have you done to Taylor?!" One of the Wolf Troops screeched at Aranck. The one who once was Taylor turned to answer him.

"My brothers, Taylor is now my vessel. Let me introduce myself. I am Amos, Beta to Aranck." He bowed at them. "Fear not, my brothers. Taylor is no longer in pain. He is alive and well through me. Join us, my brothers. Forget this nonsense of righteousness and subservience which the black wolf demands. With us, we can unite the wolves and make humans our slaves. Why hide when our greatness should be validated!" He gestured for the two to come forward to the two other sapphires that floated near him. "Come, touch a black sapphire. Be like one of us...immune to the black wolf!"

"He's like Emmett, good with words. Seems the Betas of the past were also PR officers," Michael said through mind-link. I nodded my head agreeing with him.

The two Wolf Troops looked at each other then at Amos who was smiling so innocently at them. One of them sighed and raised his hand to take one.

"I caution you, wolves. Once you take a sapphire into your hands, you will lose your wolf and become human. There is no worst disgrace than a wolf leaving his human form," Onyx said, her voice drifting away. I noticed she slowly backed away into the darkness and her glowing green eyes disappeared leaving me and Michael to fend for ourselves. Aranck and his Beta were to busy with the Wolf Troops to even notice.

The Wolf Troop who was about to take one instantly lowered his hand and asked Amos, "Is that true?" He paused for a moment, his eyes glazing over for a bit. He was trying to mind-link with someone's wolf. "I can't reach Taylor's wolf nor the Chief's. Their wolves are gone!" He exclaimed.

"Touch the black sapphires, my brothers, or else I will force the sapphires on you," Amos threatened them. "Or perhaps I will just kill the both of you. There are many other wolves who will be willing to join our cause. Why waste it on two wolves who do not believe in our plight?"

"If those two touch the black sapphires, we will be outnumbered, Michael," I told him through mind-link. I heard him growl.

"They aren't going to take us prisoner, Lucas. Over my dead body," Michael said, preparing to shift. I agreed with him. I will not allow them to take me to torment my daughter. I'd rather die here and now than have my only daughter suffer anew.

"King, are you ready to fight?" I asked my wolf. He howled his answer. I shifted my stance ready to turn into my wolf. If the two remaining Wolf Troops were to go through the same agony brought by the red flames, it would be the perfect time to pounce and kill them...before their transformation was complete.

The Wolf Troops seemed to be conversing with one another. When they arrived to a decision, they faced Amos and nodded their heads, agreeing to join them. They took a step forward and slowly reached out to take a black sapphire. I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess for a miracle.

All of a sudden, the door of the bistro burst open. I shielded my eyes from the light which poured in through the open door. Emmett suddenly appeared through the door, pushing us aside.

"Amos!" Emmett exclaimed. "I should have known you would come back! And I see your master has come back from the black ashes of what was!" Emmett's voice didn't hide his contempt. "BOW YOU MISCREANTS! YOUR QUEEN IS HERE!"