Moon Bound - PART I & II - (Book 1 in the Original ROYAL HOWLERS Duology) ✔

F O R T Y - N I N E ~ One Hot Bodyguard

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The deep intake of breath was cut short from the uncontrollable fit of coughing Jacob broke into. Blood spewed out of his mouth, dribbling down his chin. His teeth clenched, squeezing his eyes shut and his hard panting was done through his now whistling noise. 

There was no doubt in Jacob Doyle's mind he was out of his element. 

He'd never felt so many wounds piling on him at one time. None of the training he'd gone through growing up could even prepare him for this moment. 

Jacob rolled onto his back, chest panting as he squeezed his eyes shut. It was frustrating to even think of his next moves but Jacob knew---he knew---there was no other way out. Not if he wanted to live to see the next day.

Jacob's eyes were still shut when admitted defeat. He tapped out on the ground, sucking in a breath as he groaned. His ears picked up the footsteps crunching the dirt as they approached. Though he knew who it was, Jacob forced his eyes open; what he could anyway with one of his eyes shut.

The snarling Werewolf staring down at him looked so much different than Jacob was used to. It was a hard pill to swallow that after all the years of bullying Sebastian Balthasar, Jacob would meet his match in the very person who had always been thought of as the weaker of the pair. 

"Get up," Sebastian growled. Other than the sweat gleaming off his skin, there were no injuries inflicted on him. The small blushes of blood wasn't even his.

Jacob frowned, eyes wide at the order. He had tapped out, given in. Surrendered. So why was he being ordered to stand up?

There was a warning rumble from Sebastian's chest and it made Jacob instinctively flinch. He attempted to sit up but the muscles in his body were screaming. 

He managed to get into a sitting position and rested a hand on his side, wincing from the soreness inside. Jacob glanced up at Sebastian as the other Werewolf muttered, "We're not done yet."

"But..." Jacob stammered out that he'd surrendered already. He struggled to get to his feet and stumbled a bit, grunting out a long groan while holding a hand to his side. 

Jacob swallowed. "Those are the rules!" 

Sebastian halted, his back muscles rolled along with his shoulders. "Rules are meant to be broken, Doyle..." Only offering half a look over his shoulder, Sebastian huffed, "You know that better than anyone."

Though it was a fair point, Jacob knew his body couldn't handle more. He couldn't continue to fight Sebastian. Not right now. And he didn't want to ever again. All those years of tormenting the younger and fragile kid Jacob grew up with and now he was paying the price. Something Jacob never acknowledged until now.

"I--I can't!" Jacob winced, hearing how pathetic his voice cracked. "Please, Sebastian!" 

Those surrounding them suddenly saw the Werewolf in a different light. A very dim one. Even Jacob's friends lowered their gazes, suddenly ashamed of not being able to hide behind their "fearless" leader any longer. 

Sebastian turned around, his sneer still in place. The man's eyes hadn't changed from the shimmering gold belonging to the 'beast' inside him. If anything, the Beast in Sebastian Balthasar had only unleashed the man's true potential. And it was making Jacob pay for everything.

Sebastian bared his teeth, claws out. "You went after my brother-in-law... a human who was defenseless."

Jacob's gaze lowered, holding his side as he shivered.