The Alpha's Claim

Chapter 6: Salem's fangs

Being bullied, continuously being shouted on and feces being thrown at him like painful rain, Ellio thought that nothing can make him shudder in fear anymore but he was wrong.

Right in front of him, Salem stood tall, a vampire with a height of 6 foot 2. His hair was in the shade of the dark red like a rose in the bridge of withering. His eyes were the same color, glinting and reflecting the light from the visible moon.

His neck was filled with engraved abstract images, Ellio wasn't sure if it were some kind of art or complete gibberish. The tattoos extend from his neck down to his muscular arms. His whole presence made the human tremble in fear.

Salem's blood-colored eyes looked down at the curled up Ellio. Even if Ellio's eyes were blurry because of his unshed tears, Salem's predatory smirk staining with desire to devour

his prey alive was visible in Ellio's vision.

"Xorran claimed you in order to protect you from me as well as from the other guardians, only to be harmed by his own werefolks?" Salem chuckled in a sarcastic and amused tone as he took glances to the wolves surrounding them, frozen from where they stood and gulping in fear. "How ironic."

Back then, Ellio had Xorran to protect him from this vampire but now, Xorran is nowhere to be seen so no matter how scared Ellio was, he pretended to look tough. He had no one to protect him but himself. But the fake facade was useless because the vampire had seen through him.

With trembling knees, Ellio stood up and wiped off his wet eyes. "What are you d-doing here?"

Salem slowly stepped closer to Ellio and the human tried his best to not take a step back as the vampire closed their distance. With only half a meter left separating them, Salem stopped.

"Nothing. Just checking out how my future blood bank is doing." he smirked, eyeing Ellio's milky white neck. The bobbing of his Adam's apple made Salem's hunger and desire for blood to heighten.

"I'm Xorran's claim." Ellio tried to raise his chin, an attempt to hide away his fright. "The Alpha has claimed me, you cannot hurt m-me anymore.."

"Oh, I'm afraid I can.." Salem was lying, he cannot hurt Ellio. The half-meter gap between them was not because he didn't want to get that close, but because he couldn't.

They are separated from each other by an invisible barrier. It appeared when the claim occurred. Except for Xorran's species, the wolves, no one could cross that line. Other species could only go near Ellio if he granted them the permission. This is the main reason why Xorran claimed him, it's the protection that goes with it.

Seeing Ellio's hands trembling in fear upon the vampire's words, Salem realized that the former knew nothing about these kinds of information and started plotting his plan in deceiving the naive human.

He smirked, this is gonna be fun.

"You only have your Alpha to protect you but as you can see, Xorran is nowhere to be found." Salem retrieved from his steps to not 'cause further stress to provoke the human. Salem needs Ellio to be calm in order for him to achieve his hidden agenda.

Ellio cast a glance around at the werewolfks that surrounded them.

He had hoped for a few seconds that he could ask them for help because, even if they were only normal wolves, they were still capable of helping him due to their numbers, but seeing that the glints of hatred in their eyes remained even in the fright caused by Salem's presence, Ellio lost hope. These wolves aren't going to help; they want me dead.

"But where is he though?" Salem asks, pretending to be curious for a moment. Then a smirk appeared on his lips. "Is he on honeymoon with his pretty little Luna?"

Upon the mention of Xorran being away with Kerry, Ellio felt something wrong in his heart, it was as if someone was groping it tight, attempting to squeeze blood out from it. His chest felt heavy.

Seeing through him, Salem decided to rip his heart even more. "You know, I could not blame him for leaving. You arrived in the middle of their wedding and now it has to be postponed because of Xorran claiming you for protection."

Ellio gritted his teeth, angry at himself for feeling this shitty just because of the lies the vampire is feeding him.

"You've caused trouble in their love story, human." Salem took advantage of his feelings. The human's eyes were already wet with tears but Ellio fought back and decided to shed not a single drop. "Xorran must've said that he will find a way to take you back to your world but he lied."

From looking down, Ellio looked up at the vampire. His eyebrows knitted in fury, refusing to believe Salem's lies. "That's not true! You're lying!"

"Oh come on! Don't be such a fool!" Salem had become impatient. He can vividly hear Ellio's heart thumping blood towards his body and in each passing second, his hunger becomes completely intolerable. In any minute, it would drive Salem into madness.

"You will be trapped here for the rest of your life. So save yourself from misery and give me the honor of killing you." The vampire's voice was now in a low and soft tone as if coaxing a baby to sleep.

"I can go back home." Ellio said, not just to make Salem believe but also to remind himself. "Xorran will take me back h-home.. so no, you cannot kill me."

Salem had completely given up. His patience is now gone. Opportunities like this rarely come, no Xorran, no Pawn to protect the weak human so the guardian of the vampire will take this chance and do everything just to have a taste with his Ellio's blood.

"You don't want it the easy way, so I have no choice but to do it the hard way.."

In a swift of Salem's hand, using his powers of telekinesis, the werefolks went high up in the air with an invisible force strangling them by the neck. Ellio's eyes widened in shock witnessing the scene in front of him.

"W-What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. "Let them go!"

Salem smirked. He was right. A human's greatest weakness is his ability to care, something that I don't have.

"Give me your life and I won't take theirs." Salem gave the condition. "Choose, human."

Ellio gulped in helplessness. The werewolves who were cursing and hurting him earlier are now struggling and begging him to save them. The shouts of hatred were now replaced by cries and pleas.

The human is torned between saving his own life or to save theirs. Yes, Ellio has a shitty life back on Earth but he has dreams too. He wanted to be happy, survive and live.

Ellio is a brat, the entitled black sheep of the family. He is spoiled and doesn't care about other people's feelings as long as he gets what he wants but now, in this moment, he feels the urge to be selfless.

"W-What do you want?!" he screamed, surpassing his fear.

"Your blood." Salem's fangs were now visible. "All of it.."

Ellio couldn't decide, he was a human after all, who has the nature to survive. He doesn't want to become someone else's dinner. He wants to get out of this world and live again with his family even if they treat him like he doesn't exist.

But on top of all the reasons he has to stay alive, there is one that goes beyond the rest. Xorran has not come back yet. I don't want to die without seeing him.

Whether he wants to admit it or not, Ellio is feeling that way.

"I don't have all the time in the world." Salem interrupted him from his thoughts. "I'm giving you five seconds. If you still can't decide, I'll be the one making the decision and I'll snap their heads off."

"No!" Ellio protested against the idea. "No, please no.."

"Do you want to be the reason for their death, Ellio? I mean I'm actually doing you a favor here." Salem says, looking at the werefolks floating in the air, one move of his hand and all of them will fall headless on the ground.

"It's either you let me kill these idiots who harmed you and be saved..." Salem's eyes landed on the nervous and panicking Ellio. "..or surrender yourself and you'll be free of the misery of being trapped here

in Acadia forever.."

"I'm b-begging you.. p-please don't do this.." Ellio begged him, with teary eyes and both palms rubbing againts each other.

"5…"

But Salem started counting. Ellio panicked and he didn't know what to do.

"4.."

He was unable to think right because of the pressure. The cries of help from the werefolks, the loud beating of his heart and Salem's counting echoed in his mind, occupying it and giving no room for Ellio to think anymore.

"3.."

Time is running out. Ellio doesn't wanna die but he doesn't want everyone to lose their life because of him either.

He thought, If only Xorran was here..

"2.." Salem continued counting. The screams from the werefolk are becoming louder and louder as the counting goes to end. "Bid your goodbyes, human.."

Ellio's lips parted, he wanted to say something but no words were coming out from his mouth.

The drumming of his heart turned him deaf but he vividly heard Salem's voice.

"1.."

Ellio closed his eyes. He chose not to witness the death of numerous werefolks because of him. He could not handle that much guilt. Ellio chose to save himself, he chose to be selfish, like he always does.

But instead of the slashing of neck and flesh, a loud scream coming from an enormous and unknown animal filled Ellio's ears. The sound made him open his eyes. His orbs landed on the werefolks first who is now completely free from the vampire's hold.. Amidst the situation, he was relieved to see them back on the ground, alive and breathing.

"It turns out, I don't have to do the killing anymore."

Ellio's eyes shifted to Salem who was looking not at him but in a specific direction. When Ellio followed his gaze, he found a group of enormous animals with features foreign in the human's eyes.

They stand like lions with furs in the color of black with a long thick mane that sways in the wind as they run. It has two horns on the head curled towards each other on the tip, another two longer horns right behind their ears that curls away from each other and a single short one in the middle of the gray eyes.

They were five times bigger than the Arcadians who have shifted into wolves. Every stomp of their feet as they run creates a mini earthquake on the ground. Their sharp teeths show whenever they roar together with the dripping of the saliva. Those sharp fangs could take a life in a single bite.

These monsters came from the vast forest and were running after the werewolves and Ellio identified them as the group that Pawn commanded to go after the Zetecons that Ellio unintentionally set free.These were the monsters that Pawn had warned him earlier.

"Alarm everyone in the village!" Pawn arrived and instructed the group of soldiers who were alarmed and quickly came. "Relocate the werefolks towards the Alpha's castle before these monsters s*******r everyone! Now!" Pawn was so busy instructing them and finding a solution to the situation that he didn't see the guardians of the vampire near Ellio.

The soldiers parted, half of them shifted to wolves and run towards the Phenos in order to attempt to kill them or slow their speed down to buy some time. The other half of the soldiers went to the village to make sure everyone goes to the castle safely.

In the middle of the chaos, with werewolves fighting against the huge and monstrous Phenos, werefolks running everywhere,

Even if they knew they stood no chance against the monstrous Phenos, the werewolves still tried to fight them. Some were being thrown here and there. Everytime the Phenos bites the wolves, blood spreads, staining the green land with crimson red. The wolves were bigger in numbers but the Phenos still had the upper hand because of their size and strength.

Seeing this war that he knew he caused, Ellio couldn't help but blame himself. His feet went weak and he was kneeling against the hard land.

"Those werefolks were right, Ellio. You're a curse, a bad luck that brings nothing but unfortunate events." Amidst the chaos, Salem still couldn't get rid of his blood thirst and targets the emotionally weak Ellio.

"These monsters could not be slaughtered unless it's a guardian with enough power and strength. Anytime by now all these werewolves will die and Xorran's little kingdom will be filled with nothing but dead corpses." The vampire was calm and composed, even amused that the northern dimension that his immortal enemy owns, is in the midst of downfall.

But Ellio found a faint hope in Salem's words.

"You're a guardian.." he stood up from his knees. Salem, who was formerly watching the m******e, shifted his eyes towards Ellio. "You can stop them.."

The vampire snickered. "Did you not hear what I just said? A guardian with enough power and strength." Salem repeated with emphasis. "I'm ashamed to admit but fighting against those Phenos will be a suicide mission for me."

Ever since the portal has closed, trapping the supernaturals inside and leaving the vampires with no source of blood, they have gradually weakened.

"I'm not as strong as before, darling." Salem admitted. The guardian of the vampires didn't know why he was comfortable revealing this to the human.

"I can only get my strength back if.." Salem trailed and gazed at the human who has his eyes on him too.

Even if Salem didn't complete his sentence, Ellio wasn't a fool to not know the rest of it.

"..if you feed on me.."

"Which you won't let because you're a selfish human being."

Ellio gazed back at the dying wolves and their pitiful state, fighting back against the Phenos even if it cost them their lives. With each passing second, a life has been taken away and Ellio couldn't just stand here and watch when in fact, he can do something. My single worthless life could save many meaningful ones.

"Salem.."

The vampire was slightly taken aback when the human called him by his name. The next thing Ellio said made Salem smile in victory.

"Do it.."

Not a single doubt and only pure determination as well as braviness was to be heard in Ellio's tone, which made Salem slightly amazed.

"You sure?" the vampire asked. "If I pierce my fangs against your neck and sip your blood, I won't be able to stop, human. Know that you're risking your life here."

"I know. Now, do it."

Salem chuckled. "Xorran will be very pleased with your bravery that he would want to just kill himself too."

Ellio's brows knitted in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You really do know nothing, aren't you?" Salem smirked. Biting this human in front of him and taking away his life, Salem will be hitting two birds in a single stone.

"Pawn!"

In the midst of his confusion, Ellio heard a voice coming from a soldier. Amongst the m******e, he searched for a dark black werewolf and he immediately spotted him. Pawn was harassly thrown against the land by a Pheno. There were injuries all over his body, by looking at him, Ellio knows that he's almost at his limit.

Ellio's heart beat in fear when he spotted two Phenos running towards Pawn, threatening to kill the big black wolf.

"Salem, do it!" He screamed in panic and turned to the calm Vampire. "Feed on me and save them!"

"Why the hurry now, human?" Salem smirked, entertained by Ellio's desperation. Just earlier, the same human was as unmoved no matter how Salem threatens him but look at him now, begging to be bitten. "How can you be so sure that I'd really save them once you're dead?"

Ellio went silent. For a few seconds, amidst the chaos, Salem watched the human go speechless, staring right into his soul. A while passed and Ellio opened his mouth again.

"Because I trust you.."

Salem, the great guardian of the vampires who were entitled as the villain was deeply moved by those four words. It came from a human who barely knows him. A human who he sees as prey and food, who he threatened to kill, a human who he degraded, was trusting him with his life on the line. What an idiot

The shock was visible on Salem's face and it was his turn to be speechless. His lips are parting but unable to speak. His bloodshot eyes were stuck on Ellio's brown ones. Those pairs of orbs contained all the emotion that Salem was able to read. He was deeply moved and so he muttered,

"You have my word.."

Ellio had granted him the permission so Salem was able to go close with no barrier separating them anymore. He held Ellio's neck using his pale hands. The human slightly flinched upon the coldness he felt when the vampire's hands touched his skin.

Salem slowly went closer and Ellio voluntarily tilted his head, giving vampire access to his milk white neck. "Do it quickly. Please." Then he closed his eyes.

The vampire's eyes got stuck on Ellio's neck and the beating of his heart was so loud in his ears. It has been so long since Salem ever touched a human and smelled its scent. The skin around his eyes turned red as he revealed his fangs and drew it closer to Ellio's skin.

"STOP!"

But just as he was about to pierce his sharp fangs into Ellio's neck. Someone appeared and even if he was located on Ellio's back, the human still identified the voice.

Salem smirked, what a very good timing..

"Xorr-Agghh..!" Ellio grunted in pain when Salem wasted no second and pierced his sharp fangs in the human's neck.

The pain was unbearable, it was as if it was not just his blood that was being taken away but his soul. He can feel the fast thumping of his heart as it gradually goes slow and will eventually turn into a stop.

As Salem was draining blood from Ellio's body, Xorran watched in complete shock. It was happening so fast that Xorran didn't know what to do. In just a time span as quick as five seconds, Salem lets go of the lifeless body of Ellio and Xorran watched it fall to the ground.

Salem felt his strength coming back. His heart now beats just as loud and fast as it once was. He smirked, amused looking at Xorran's terribly shock reaction. The Alpha has his eyes widening with his mouth parting too.

But Salem is yet to rejoice. He will save the celebration of his victory for later. I have Phenos to s*******r.

He turned his back against Xorran and faced the m******e. In a single punch, the two Phenos who were biting Pawn to death, went flying and crashing against the others. He used his telekinesis to incapacitate and sever the heads of those who came towards him. Blood poured like rain as Salem slaughtered them one by one, in the most painful way possible. Not a single one remained.

"You're welcome." With every monster down, he turns to Xorran again with a smirk.

He glanced at Ellio who still remained lifeless on the ground behind Xorran with Kerry panicking and checking if the human was still alive or not.

"What did you do, Salem?" Xorran's voice was low but the gritting of his teeth and the glowing of his eyes was unable to hide away the rage that he's feeling.

"Don't be mad, Xorran." Salem said in a mocking tone. "It was the human's idea not mine."

Xorran knew it, Ellio melted away the barrier.

"But don't worry, I left a few drops of blood in his heart so it will still beat after some rest."

The Alpha was relieved hearing that from Salem. The least thing that he wants is to arrive only to be greeted by his Claim's death. But like the prideful alpha that he is, he didn't show it.

Salem took a step closer. His smirk now fading and his mocking tone disappeared, replaced by seriousness.

"The next time you leave him alone, I will be draining every single drop out of him and rip his heart out..." It was a threat but Xorran felt a hint of an emotion in Salem's voice that he never once showed, just now. "So beware, Alpha.."