Clank! The shell of the rifle dropped on the floor and a spurt of blood landed on Alpha’s face. She took a step back revealing the small hollow on her shoulder where the bullet had pierced through her.

Alpha Azarel’s face turned pale and his body went limp. The automatic rifle slipped through his hand and landed on the floor with a thud.

The girl pulled out a dagger from her belt and dug out the bullet, “I must say that this goes deep; how inconvenient.” She looked at the bullet with a condescending expression before throwing it away; the way you would if a small thorn had pricked you.

She stood there, cocking her head to the side, rubbing her chin as if deep in thought. All of a sudden, her eyes flashed with a devilish glint, “I am getting bored of this play now. Shall we put an end to this?”

It was shocking to see that the girl could talk so easily even after being shot. What was more, Alpha Azarel lowered his neck in submission; just like that.

He was one of the most powerful Alphas in the world; next only to the Lycan King. Yet, here he was, accepting defeat without further struggle.

The girl stabbed his neck with the dagger but stopped when it had lodged merely an inch. Blood trickled down his neck and he dropped to his knees.

Right at that moment, the door swung open and two children ran inside. Alpha Azarel signaled them to leave but it was already too late. They had caught the attention of the girl. Her eyes twinkled and her lips curved in a smirk,

“Wouldn’t it be nice to see your children die right in front of your eyes?” Her voice was icy and her gaze had turned colder than the ice on the arctic. I licked my dry lips as I staggered. She was probably just using them to threaten Alpha Azarel. No one in this world, not even the devil himself would kill innocent children without a reason.

Alpha’s Azarel’s eyes widened in horror and panic; his lips opened and closed in an attempt to talk but he couldn’t say anything because of the blade lodged in his throat. Tears brimmed in his eyes and he shook his head vehemently. A whimper escaped him as the movement caused the blade to pierce into his skin further.

The girl remained unaffected by his state. She grabbed him by his collar and pulled him to a standing posture. He coughed out a mouthful of blood and whimpered yet again.

This was too much for me to bear. “Are we going to just stand here and watch?” I snapped in a voice laced with restless desperation. “We should go and help Alpha Azarel. What if she really kills his children too?”

Father shook his head and increased his grip on my hand. A sense of defiance surged through me. I couldn’t just stand and watch anymore. I had to do something.

Forcibly extracting my hand from my father’s grip, I bolted in the direction of the entrance. Along the way, I grabbed a stick and started sharpening it.

I had seen the blood lust in her eyes. She was probably a vampire and would be killed once a stake was driven through her heart. This thought gave me some confidence and my pace increased. If beauty was this dangerous, it was better that it didn’t exist at all.

The sight that met my eyes as I entered the hall made my blood run cold. Alpha Azarel’s son and daughter were huddled in a corner. Luna Rachel was kneeling in front of them with tear-filled eyes.

She shook her head and begged, “Please let them go…. They are too young to have harmed you in any way. Why do you want to kill them?”

“Because I can….” Something flashed in her eyes and for a moment I thought that I saw something human in them. But, that was probably my wishful thinking.

“Since when does one need a reason to kill in the Bloodfest Pack?” There was such vehemence, such hatred in those words that it made me shudder.

She pulled out a revolver from her holster and click! Click! Fired two bullets in quick succession. Both the children dropped to the ground with soft thuds. Luna Rachel was too stunned to even react. Her eyes remained fixed on the girl’s demonic face.

What the f****g devilish hell! Did she actually shoot the children?

For a moment, I stood there stunned. Then a sudden surge of anger coursed through me, making my blood boil. No matter what feud she had with Alpha Azarel, she shouldn’t have hurt the children. I was gnashing my teeth so hard that I could hear my teeth chatter. She had to pay for what she had done.

I adjusted my grip on the stake and lunged at the girl but someone pulled me out of the way and dragged me behind a cabinet. I hissed seeing that it was my father, “Why did you stop me again!”

He grabbed my shoulder and shook me up. Struggling to keep his voice low, he rasped, “Don’t be a fool! You are just going to get yourself killed.”

I was about to struggle again but the sound of rushing footsteps caught his attention. Moments later a group of about five men rushed inside with several weapons.

The girl’s eyes darted from the man lying pale on the floor to the ones approaching her. She pointed her gun at them, “I could kill them in the blink of an eye but I think you deserve a farewell show.”

She threw the gun on the floor and waved at the men with a proud toss of her head, “Show me your worst.”

The man with a long, pointed stake in his hand attacked her first. She stood there unmoving; a soft smile played on her lips. She didn’t even flinch as the stake pierced through her stomach.

The man attacking her was so terrified by her nonchalance that he dropped to his knees shortly after attacking her. I had expected him to beg for his life but he bit his lower lips and cried out, “Please kill me quickly.”

The girl’s eyes changed from soft brown to a shade of light purple. She placed her palm next to the spot the stake was struck in her abdomen. A soft orb of purple light engulfed her. The piece of wood was ejected out of her abdomen as if it were pulled out by an invisible hand.

It hovered in the air for a few seconds before striking the man kneeling on the ground. It struck his heart with absolute precision and moments later he dropped dead. He didn’t even get a chance to scream.

The large gaping hole left on her stomach healed right in front of my eyes. Her skin became smooth again. There wasn’t even a trace left. If it wasn’t for the hole in her shirt, there would have been no proof that she was attacked at all.

The remaining men looked like they were about to flee. I think they would have run away but one of them pointed his gun at the girl. Seeing this, the others gathered their courage and started firing at the girl in rapid succession. My shoulders slumped and I relaxed slightly. No matter how powerful this girl was, she couldn’t possibly survive so many bullets, could she?

The girl raised her arms and a wall of purple light formed in front of her. It blocked all the bullets like an invisible shield. The men kept firing until they ran out of bullets but it was futile. All the bullets got stuck to the light wall like darts on a dartboard. The girl’s eyes turned a shade darker and she pushed the light wall away from her.

The bullets hit the men like torrential rainfall. It didn’t pierce them but it did scare the shit out of them. They scurried out of the room like frightened mice.

I was rendered completely speechless by this exquisite display of power. In an awestruck voice, I muttered, “Who exactly is she? How can a single person wield so much power?”

“She is the wereheretic,” My father’s reply sent my mind reeling. I had never heard that term before.

“Wereheretic? What is that?”

“She is a werewolf turned vampire who has magical abilities.”

“You gotta be kidding me. How is that possible? To be turned into a vampire, you need to be bitten at least thrice. No werewolf can survive that kind of venom. She should have died the first time she was bitten.”

“She should have but she didn’t. She comes from a rare witch lineage that made it possible for her to survive the venom despite being a werewolf.”

“Fucking hell! Doesn’t that mean she is invincible?”

“You are right. She is indeed invincible. Vampires, witches, and werewolves have been trying alike to kill her but she just doesn’t die.”

He paused for a moment before holding my hand and leading me out of the house, “Come with me. We need to be somewhere.”

He led me to what seemed like the ruins of an old mansion. The faded charred walls peeking out through overgrown vines indicated that it was burned to the ground; probably long ago.

My gaze shifted from the ruins to my father to find that he had grown extremely still and his eyes had glazed over. He placed his hands over his chest, palms down, crossing his right wrist over his left. It was a gesture that showed respect to the dead, especially someone close.

My heart skipped a beat. Was this the place? Was he finally going to relent and tell me everything? I drew closer to him waiting with silent apprehension; too afraid to question him lest he changed his mind. Those few moments were probably the longest in my life.

His voice sounded distant as he finally spoke, “This was the place where…umm… your mother died…” he paused to let out a deep breath before continuing, “It has already been two years but…. It is still difficult for me to talk about that day.”

My breath got caught in my throat and tears gleamed in my eyes. My guess was right. He was finally going to tell me how mom died.

When my mother died, I was away; visiting my aunt for some special training sessions. It was only when I returned that I found out about her death. I had always been very close to my mother. So, the news of her death hit me hard. Harder was the blow that my father didn’t even bother to inform me.

My mother had died while I was busy with some mundane training. I couldn’t even pay my last respects. The guilt and despair weighed heavy on my heart but I had managed to keep my reactions under check.

It was when he refused to tell me how my mother died that I finally broke down. I cursed, fought, and threw fits of temper. I don’t even remember what I did. I had turned into a crazed freak. But, my father; he didn’t relent. He kept saying that he will tell me when the time is right.

Right time be damned! No son wants to hear such a response. We slowly drifted apart. I tried to figure out what had happened on my own but all I could grasp were some wisps of rumors.

“I still remember that day with stark clarity,” his voice sounded like a raspy whisper. “Marlone had given birth to twins and we had come here to visit her. We were busy making preparations for the feast when we heard an explosion outside. Naturally, I went to check….”

His voice trailed and his hands dropped to his sides, “If only I had resisted that reflex…” He closed his eyes and alone drop of tears rolled down his cheeks followed by a long, drawn sigh, “Anyway, I went to investigate the cause of the explosion. Catching a sniff of an unfamiliar scent, I shifted and started following it. Before I could realize it, I was miles away from the mansion. The next thing I know is that the mansion was blazing like an inferno….”

He stopped talking and a deep, oppressive silence engulfed me. My ears rang with his words, sending waves of agony and helplessness to every cell in my body.

I grabbed his hand and looked at him with desperation, “Didn’t you try to find out what had happened?”

“How could I not? Upon investigation, I found out that the fire was created using magic. The guards and neighbors tried so hard to put out the fire. They just couldn’t.”

My chest became stuffy as the air left my lungs. My mother had been brutally murdered and I didn’t even know about it. Tears rolled down my cheeks, “W… Why didn’t you tell me about it earlier?”

A sense of utter defeat crossed his features, “I just couldn’t bring myself to face you; to face the fact that my mate, my luna was killed because of my negligence. If I had taken precautions, I don’t know, maybe posted more guards or something; If I hadn’t been tricked so easily, she would still be alive. I wanted to tell you after I found the killer….”

The stuffy sensation that had formed in the depths of my chest intensified, threatening to suffocate me. I gasped, “Why are you telling me this now?”

His expression hardened and a flare of anger lit up in his eyes, “I am telling you this because it is the right time. I have finally found out the person behind it.”

A deep, primal roar erupted from the depths of my chest as the sense of desperation, agony swiftly turned to unbridled fury. My jaws clenched and I gritted, “I am going to rip that scab with my own hands.”

My father’s lips pressed in a thin line. He reached over and placed his hand on my shoulder, “I am afraid that is not an option, Son. Our opponent is literally invincible.”

“I don’t care who the opponent is, father. No matter how strong he or she is; I will find a way to turn that scum to dust!” The anger that I felt was so powerful that my entire body shook with its intensity. “Just give me a name!!”

“The Wereheretic. You saw her massacre Alpha Azarel’s family moments ago.” He raised his eyebrows, “Do you think you can turn her to dust?”

My anger deflated like a balloon that had been pierced. My knees gave way and I dropped to the ground. The sense of helplessness hit me with so much force that it shattered me on a different level.

My father knelt beside me, supporting me silently. We sat there with pieces of rubble digging into our knees; like criminals awaiting the results of their trial.

I don’t know at what point but I realized that I couldn’t ignore everything just because my opponent was weak. That thought gave me a sense of purpose, “Alpha, I know that this is probably a suicide mission but I have to try. I have to try to avenge my mother's death.”

A rare smile lit up his agonized face, “I was hoping that you would say something like this. The witches, vampires, and werewolves; all want to kill the Wereheretic. The only problem is that we don’t know her weakness.” His grip on my shoulder increased, “If you can keep a cool head and are willing to cooperate, you can play an important role in her destruction. However, I have to warn you, Justin. This might be very risky.”

“I am willing to walk through the fires of hell and sleep on the bed of nails to avenge my mother. Give me the word and I will do it; no matter the risk, no matter the consequences.”

A new chapter had started in my life; one that was going to try and test me at every point.

One week later…

My father and I arrived at the Lycan Palace. Stepping out of the coach, my father adjusted my collar, “This meeting is very confidential, Justin. There will be many high-profile guests and some of our rivals too. You must keep your temper under check. Don’t speak unless they address you specifically. You think you can manage that?”

Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded, “Don’t worry, father. I will remain as cool as cucumber.”

His eyes flashed with a warning, “This is your only chance, Justin. If you lose your cool, you will never get another opportunity to avenge your mother’s death.”

My expression turned serious and I nodded, “You can trust me, father. I will proceed with utmost caution.”

He pursed his lips and patted my back, “Very well then. Let us go inside.” He kept his hand on my shoulder as we walked inside. This gesture wasn’t driven by intimacy but fear; fear that I would break and start acting out at some crucial moment. His gaze drifted to mine restlessly every few moments.

I wasn’t going to break; not this time. I wasn’t going to waver no matter what happened. I was here with only one objective in mind: to get chosen.

“Justin?” A snort sounded to my left, “What is a loser like you doing here? Are you even allowed in here?”

My blood boiled but I plastered a smile on my face and turned to face him, “Orlando, it is such a pleasure seeing you. You have the highest chances of getting chosen.”

The color drained from his face, “Who wants to be chosen? I… I am too busy to do such a menial task.”

“Orlando! Watch your tongue,” Alpha Derek snapped as he approached us hastily. He squeezed Orlando’s shoulder and gritted out, “It is an honor to be the chosen one.”

“Of course, whatever you say, Dad….” Orlando stated in a nonchalant voice before shrugging his father’s hand and stomping inside.

“My son likes to joke around….” Alpha Derek, stuttered before changing the topic, “How have you been, Alpha Hades?”

My father’s eyes flashed with anger but he bowed anyway, “We have been doing great Alpha. Thanks for your concern.” He held my hand; his nails digging into my skin, “We… we need to be somewhere.” He gritted out, leading me inside.

Our pack had suffered a lot because of Alpha Derek. He was a bully who liked to target smaller packs. A hiss escaped my lips as my father’s nails dug deeper.

He released my arm instantly, “I am sorry, Justin. It is just that… That man makes my blood boil….”

My gaze swept over the exquisite hall. It was a thousand square meters of sheer grandeur. Chandeliers, drapes, flowers, and magical flies adorned the ceiling making it look like something straight out of a fairy tale. But, even more impressive was the gathering: Alphas of the most powerful packs, leaders of prominent covens, and even vampire lords were present.

With so much power, the atmosphere was naturally dense and oppressive. The hall was like a fucking box of Uranium; one splinter, one mistake, and the entire world would blow up. Only the Lycan King could host such an outrageous gathering.

He had done his best to make suitable arrangements for all. The tables were color-coded; red for vampires, electric blue for the witches, and black for the werewolves. The chairs in each section were further arranged to represent the hierarchy of the social order.

The most powerful leaders were allotted golden chairs, the less prominent ones, silver, and the weaker ones were allocated chairs with bronze headrests.

The guests seated on golden and silver chairs had a bevy of attendants each while the rest were served by the common servants.

My father walked up to a bronze chair and sat down. I chose a convenient place and stood leaning against a pillar.

“My dear, Alphas, Lords, and Mystics,” The Lycan King’s magically magnified voice drifted boomed in the hall. “We are all gathered here for one sole purpose; elimination of the wereheretic. I want to know whether you all are with me in this mission.”

“The werewolves are naturally with you. Wereheretics are not supposed to exist; nobody with that kind of power should be allowed to exist,” Alpha Aramus, the representative of the werewolves said in support.

“She is messing the balance of the natural order, bringing chaos and we need to get rid of her; not because we are afraid. But, because her presence will doom the world,” Lady Naila, the leader of the mystics added in support.

Now, all the gazes shifted to Lord Kaizen. He stood up and bowed respectfully, “Vampires usually don’t concern themselves with such matters. But, this time, it is personal. She broke into the castle of one of my men and slaughtered all of them. The Vampire Kingdom will go to any extent to uphold justice.”

“That is great! This is the first time in the history of Supernatural History that all of us have agreed on something unanimously. Hope we can remain united until she is eliminated.”

Everyone stood up. Placing their left hand on their chest, they said in unison, “We shall remain united until justice is served.”

Goosebumps erupted all over my arms at the deep, sound that resonated in the hall. A shudder coursed through me involuntarily and my mind went numb. It was difficult to believe that a single woman had managed to elicit such a response.

For the next few hours strategies were discussed, plans were made. Every strategy was amazingly portrayed and explained. The only problem was that the leaders didn’t agree on a single plan.

Ultimately, the Lycan King suggested that the werewolves, vampires, and witches would finalize one plan each by the end of the month and they would meet again.

A deep frown settled on my forehead and I shifted restlessly, shrinking further and further into the corner. By the time the meeting ended, I was drowning in a sea of insecurities and low self-esteem.

How could I compare to all the affluent people gathered in the hall? There was no way I would get a chance to take revenge.