Bite or Howl

Chapter 19

Phoebe POV

The heat covers my body in a burning pain. Chase comes running towards me, yelling my name. He picks me up in his hands and carries me away from the fire. My body hangs from his arms, my head falling back from my neck. He lays me down on the ground of the balcony. I look up straight into the dark sky, counting the stars that spread across it, lighting it up in a beautiful glow. Chase comes into my view, crawling on top of me and looking down into my eyes.

"Phoebe? Baby are you alright?" I hear his voice call out to me. There's a burning pain around my neck, blazing me in absolute agony. "She's not okay. Her entire neck is burning off." I hear Lupus's voice tell him, stepping closer towards me and crouching down, placing his palm on my forehead. "We need ice." He tells Chase. I then feel a cold matter making contact with my shoulder, icing that certain part of my body. It numbs it as if I were under anesthetic, making it feel numb.

It then travels up my body, leaving my shoulder coated in a thin layer of water as my skin slowly absorbs it. "This might hurt a bit." Lupus warns me before the ice makes contact with my burn, making me tighten my eyes shut in agony. I hold back a scream that lingers in my throat as the pain slowly turns to a neutral feeling.

"What the fuck just happened back there, huh?" Chase's anger rises. I can hear it in his voice. Strangled and out of control. My hand reaches out to him but it's too weak. Low on energy and too much of a stretch. I want to reach out for him, to tell him that I'm okay but he's already standing up, yelling at his guards. That black aura comes back, surrounding his dominant figure. His eyes slowly shift, banishing the blue ocean and replacing it with a reflection of raging fire.

"Answer my question!" Chase's voice bellows in the atmosphere, making the birds in the tree beside us fly away. The leaves rustle at their departure. "Your highness, Felix came in and started to attack Nick and I. We were outside in the garden when he came. He then cornered us into the hallway between the shared area and your enclosed hall." Lupus explains.

"I was thrown to the ground and couldn't carry enough strength to get up. It was only then when I went to save you from the impact of Felix's leap into the hall." He adds. "Felix is a lycan, the strongest werewolf kind. The impact could have killed anyone close to it. But why didn't you die, Nick?" He suddenly questions Nick.

Nick stands still, rigid in his position. "And why didn't you help me?" Lupus adds. Nick then starts to reason with everyone. "I was in a haze. Like a spell or something, I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight. Just something kept drawing me to the window, not letting me leave." He tries to explain. "Bullshit!" Chase yells, losing control. "You were the only person that controlled the enchantment around this convention, the only person who had access to the location! You are the only person who could have caused this attack!" Chase yells, taking a step closer to Nick.

"Chase," I whisper, not having the strength to carry myself. Lupus hears my call and places his hand on my arm, resting me down.

"Nick, I don't think I can trust you anymore." Chase then whispers, loud enough for me to hear. "All these attacks, insights and leakage throughout the castle, it's all starting to piece together. All piecing around you." Chase explains. "Chase, you can't be serious-" Nick starts but Chase raises his hand, silencing him.

"Guards, please take Nicholas Fang to the dungeon. The royal court will deal with him tomorrow." He instructs, his eyes not leaving Nick's. "Nick, your service towards the royal throne has been terminated. The royal court will decide what to do with you tomorrow morning."

It wasn't clear, but, Nick, one of the vampires closest to me was thrown back into prison. Again.

But one thing was clear, Felix's intentions were clear. The war has started.