1 BLOOD

KRUEL's P.O.V

It was thirty minutes passed six in the morning when I got to the training field and none of the warriors were there.

Not a single one.

They should've all been here twenty-five minutes ago.

'Just give them a few more minutes, Kruel.' My wolf, Eren, advised.

A few more minutes? I had been standing here, waiting for everyone to show up for our daily training when normally they'd have to wait for me.

I was their alpha after all.

'They'll be here. You just have to be a little patient.' Eren tried once more to calm me down but I was already agitated.

Unlike other werewolves, my wolf seemed calmer than I was. It was almost as if I was Eren and he was me. Most wolves were aggressive and impatient, and unfortunately I was every negative stereotype of a wolf. Eren behaved much more human than I ever had and I, on the other hand, was an animal.

My little distraction came to an end when some of the troops ran in my direction.

"Where the fuck were you?!!" I growled out.

"We're sorry, Alpha." One of them began to explain with one knee on the ground and a bowed head. The rest followed suit.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. What was so important that I had to wait for all of you to show up?!" I cut him off before he could carry on with his explanation. I had long lost my patience.

"I-It's Demitria, Alpha." Another warrior stuttered.

"And what about her?" I rolled my eyes out of both anger and irritation.

"We found her at the borderline of Dark Abyss Pack." And this was supposed to interest me becau— "We found her close to death, Alpha." He interrupted my thoughts and I felt all the air in my lungs evaporate.

***

I rushed to the pack hospital and didn't care about all the doors I knocked down.... Literally.

When I finally got to the right room, my heart sunk at the sight of my sister holding Demitria's hand in hers as she cried her heart out.

This couldn't be happening.

I looked at my beta in question of whether or not she was actually dead but all he did was stare sadly at my sister and then at me before looking away, confirming that it was all true.

I tried to focus on Demitria's heartbeat for a second, not believing that she was actually gone but I didn't get the response I had blindly hoped for.

There was nothing.

Not a single trace of life in her.

Nothing.

She was dead.

As I walked further into the room, Zarya's utt mine and the tears rolling down her face tightened my chest painfully.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, I took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Zee. I should've known something was wrong the moment no one showed up for training." I felt like a failure and not only as an alpha but as a brother too.

I can't believe I messed up this bad.

"It isn't your fault. How were you to know she'd be out that late doing goddess knows what?" She wiped her tears away as she looked at her bestfriend's lifeless body.

"I'm responsible for all my pack members and I screwed up, big time. I don't know how I could've allowed filthy rogues reach our borders and now Demitria is gone." I fucking hated myself right now.

How could I have fucked up when this pack has been nothing but safe for so many years?

"It wasn't a rogue attack, brother." Zarya said, rising up from the chair.

That didn't make any sense.

Rogues were the only creatures that could've killed her.

If it were something else, we could've found evidence that proved it.

"What do you mean?" I dared to ask, knowing damn well I wouldn't like the answer that followed.

"Someone from the neighbouring pack killed her." And then all I saw was red.

***

I had been out for six hours. Maybe eight. I just didn't know.

When Zarya confirmed that it was, in fact, a wolf in a pack that killed Demitria through something she had found in Demitria's pocket, some type of message or clue as to who could've done it, I shifted and went for a run. I needed to clear my mind and for once, I let Eren take control.

I ran to my house, one that I had built away from the pack house, making sure no one saw me in my naked state. I walked to the bathroom and took the coldest shower of my life to try and cool the burning anger inside of me.

And also the sadness I felt for losing someone I loved.

The water running down my body somewhat soothed me but it wasn't enough.

My body, mind, and soul craved blood and it was blood I was going to get.

For Demitria.