Chapter 25 Protection

**Valerie**
I didn’t want to die.
Though I did want to reunite with my family, I didn’t want to die like that. I couldn’t die at this point, when I was getting closer to the truth behind the war and my parents’ death, when I had new clues to the mystery behind myself.
How could I die just now?
I did my utmost to raise my arm and grabbed the coarse hand cupping on my throat. When the werewolf was distracted by it, I gathered all my strength to lift my foot and kick hard on his shin.
With a groan in pain, he loosen the force on my neck and crouched down instinctively.
I caught the opportunity to break away and rush towards the doorway.
But suddenly, I thought about Benjamin. I couldn’t just leave him here.
Looking back in panic, I saw Benjamin collapsed on the floor limply. I wasn’t sure if he fainted out or he had just been killed. And both werewolves now targeted at me for savaging, eyes blazing in anger.
I had to get out of here first.
Howling aloud for rescue, I took off and push myself to run as fast as I could. But wolves’ speed were much higher than I anticipated.
I had just reached the corridor when a fiery strength grasped my dress and tumbled me back. I crashed onto the floor on my back with a severe bump, feeling my head skull was likely to break into pieces.
The wolf I had kicked stared down at my face in resentment and flared, “Take it, bitch!”
He stomped on my shin vehemently, forcing me to groan.
“No time to play,” the other wolf said coldly, shooting me a glare in distain, “Get it finished quickly.”
The first wolf nodded reluctantly without saying anything.
Both of them crouched down and reached out arms. The first wolf kneeled between my legs and buckled my arms as the other grabbed my neck.
When he was about to tighten the grip and execute me to death, lights in the room suddenly went out in a flash. And with a strong wind, the wooden door slammed close, leaving us all in complete darkness.
“What happened?” One wolf asked in panic as the other let out a harsh roar. The buckles on my body were released before a mysterious force dragged me backwards and pulled me up.
“Who’s there?!” The wolf screamed in horror.
There’s no reply.
I grew nervous as well as I could felt something strangely soft and cool touched and wrapped my scalded hands but I couldn’t eye anything.
“Come out!” The wolves bellowed again. I could heard them stomping stomped frustratingly in the room, trying to catch me but only to kick themselves into the bedstead and curse in rage.
In the darkness, I stumbled to steady myself from fear and pain. Then I felt someone held me up and wrapped me around in a warm hug. I can sense the heat against my body with a familiar scent of smoke and cologne.
It was him!
Before I could ask anything, strong winds started blowing in the room like a small-scale storm. The noise grow louder to engulf any other sounds. Surprisingly as if protected by an invisible windshield, we were not effected at all.
The wolves were freaked out, trying to flee away. From their disordered footsteps, they seemed desperately to scramble through the storm.
When they managed to reach the door, the winds stopped abruptly. And much to their shock, they were transmitted back to where they were, with a ring of fire burning up around them. Their faces looked horrified being lighted up by the flaming blaze.
And with the dim light emitted there, I saw my savior’s face.
It was Mr. Drakos.
He remained a calm countenance, beholding coldly at the wolves crying and begging in frenzy. When he noticed my stare, his eyes dropped down to me with the same expression.
“What would you like me to do with them?” He asked in a placid tone, as if he was asking me what to eat for dinner.
I bit my lower lip, not sure if he meant it. But with a short consideration, I uttered, “Can I ask them something?”
As if bemused by my request, he frowned slightly before agreeing.
“M…Mr, Drakos,” I stuttered nervously, “could you please let me down?”
Right now, he held me tightly in a bride-hug, which seemed rather awkward.
“I don’t think you can balance yourself.” He commented indifferently.
Perhaps what he said was true, the pain on my left shin was still vividly fiery. So I replied nothing to his objection and inhaled deeply, before questioning the wolves who now started to beg for my mercies, “Why do you want to kill me?”
“W…we…don’t know.” The wolf I kicked stammered while exchanging a glance with his accomplice.
I frowned. They were obviously lying and I had nothing to do with it.
When I was contemplating on a way to sound them out, I heard a finger snapping before the fire was instantly accelerated around them. Their figures now were engulfed in the flame, and their screams became harsher.
I was astonished to look at Mr. Drakos while he raised his brow and reminded coldly, both to me and to the wolves, “I have very little patience.”
“It’s Beta Dean!” The wolf hastily blurted out, “Beta Dean told us to kill the slave girl Alpha Xavier bought from the auction, and he signaled us at the table.”
“Beta Dean?” Mr. Drakos muttered in an amused tone. Then before I asked the wolves further, Mr. Drakos put out the question first, “How did he know this is the girl?”
“W…we don’t know.” The wolf sounded timid, “but he think Alpha Xavier treats her specially. Alpha Xavier had never cared about humans before.”
Mr. Drakos snorted before glancing at me.
“Why does he want to kill me? The Beta?” I swallowed under his inscrutable stare and asked again.
“We don’t know.” The wolves pleaded, “We know nothing about this. Beta just send us on the mission and we were not supposed to question it. Please.”
I pursed my lips and grew silently.
It’s hard to say if they lied or not, but clearly these two wolves were not the wirepuller.
“So?” Mr. Drakos curled his lip corner and asked me, “anything else you want to ask?”
Beholding him tentatively, I gathered my courage before asking, “If you excuse me, Mr. Drakos… Can I ask you some questions?”
His face suddenly darkened, countenance changed from aloofness to suspicion.
Nerves twitched on my temple as he inspected me thoroughly through those icy eyes. Then he smirked playfully, “Sure.”
“But you can ask later.” He lowered to my ear and whispered in a raspy voice.
Heat grew on my cheeks. I was flustered to blink, not knowing what he meant.
“How about them?” He raised brows, referring to the two wolves pleading in fear.
“I…I don’t know,” I said hesitantly, “M…maybe Alpha Xavier should make the decision.”
“Fair enough,” he tilted head slightly to the wolves and said in a cavalier tone.
Then he noticed my anxious gaze at Benjamin on the floor.
“He’s weak, but not dead.” He sneered, glancing at me with a thoughtful countenance as I gratefully smiled to him.
Holding me tightly against his chest, Mr. Drakos took me out of the sleeping room of slaves without a glimpse at those two wailing wolves.