Alpha Vladimir

And I'm afraid there is no turning back when I could not get out anymore. My prior number was twelve. There's no chance I could survive for the third set to fight with.

In that case, Shantell and I could no longer meet at the last round. She will win. And I'm pretty sure of that. I believe she can do it.

"No… Elaine, please. Get back." She clanged the metal bar of the gate. "That has supposed to be my number. Not hers."

She tried to argue with the men who are in charge of the gate but barely listen to her.

Despite the consecutive rant, Shantell had left no choice when the ladies who got numbers two and three got locked up with me inside the cell, carrying their deadly weapons in their hands.

"Good luck, ladies," Vladimir announced.

Without further ado, the two ladies slightly bent their hands, pointing the tip of the sword and the dagger they were holding toward me in unison.

It was undeniable that my arms and legs were trembling simultaneously at that time. Who could not be? I am all alone against the two ladies with their deadly weapons in their hands while I have none.

There was no Shantell who could defend me. And there was no turning back. My fate depends on how to make it until I could survive.

This time, I did not take my chance to glimpse at her. Instead, I focused on those ladies in front of me, planning on how to steal at least one of their weapons.

"There's no chance you can survive from us, weakling," one of them said confidently.

The other lady also chuckled.

"Bring it on." those were the most courageous words I had let out since I landed on that island. I had to be.

"Let the battle begin," Vladimir announced.

As soon as Vladimir permitted the fight, the two ladies immediately rushed toward me. They jumped as high as they can with their weapons rolling sideways like a whirlwind. I could not blink my eyes even just for a second while studying their striking movements and how to stop them, one by one.

But instead of fighting back, I moved my arms and legs counterclockwise against their movements. Not to steal their weapons. Not to prove I can beat them, but to avoid getting slashed by those sharp weapons.

One thing that I learned over the past eight years, battles were like a sea current. In order for me not to sink in the middle of the deep and wide ocean, I have to learn and focus on its direction.

All I did was not get panicked as possible I can. I then close my eyes and took a moment of silence, imagining my enemies' movements.

Every time they move their arms and legs, the wavelength of their currents have had vibrated my ears. It was similar to an echo. The sounds, despite their deafening silence, tingled my ears and skin.

When one of them stabbed the sword toward my chest, my benign current led my entire body how to shun their movements while her current was inconsistent.

I block her arms and flip them sideways. Then, I hold them still before pressing enough force to drag her body while trying to shun the other lady using a dagger.

As soon as I had her body floating in the air steadily like a bloated balloon, I let go of my hands from her arms and change course right through her head. Her swift soft moan was my cue that I defeated one of them.

Afterward, I drop her body to the ground, no longer breathing. Vladimir got surprised, I can tell. Everyone, including Shantell, was also stunned and dumbfounded as it only took me five seconds to kill my first enemy.

And my luck did not stop when I stab the next enemy with her own taste of medicine; the dagger in her hands. Three hours later, I got surprised when I reach the last set of my enemies, including Shantell.

However, my entire body was already feeling exhausted at the moment. I could barely move my hands when they were both feeling numb. And my breathing has already been limited.

I lifted my head towards the gate to check the next five ladies stepping foot into the cell. Shantell hurriedly rushed toward me to help me up.

"Hey… it's me. Everything's gonna be all right." she lifted my body and leaned me against her chest, allowing me to catch my breath properly. "Can you still fight?" she uttered.

"Don't know, Shantell." from my racing heartbeats, the bursting tears come next to it. "I can't feel my body anymore," I said in a faint tone.

" Please, you have to fight, Elaine. We can do this together. I'm not gonna leave you, okay?" worries and fear also marked Shantell's face.

She then assisted me to get my poise back. As soon as I stood up, one of the four ladies grabs my hair and pins me to the ground, while the other three of them also pinned Shantell to the corner.

Because I could barely move my fingers, I simply closed my eyes right in front of Shantell, letting the one who caught me do what she wanted to do.

In a few seconds, I could feel someone carrying my numbed and exhausted body. As I slowly open my eyes, I got surprised when Shantell drop me in the corner.

"You're not going to die, Elaine. Not now. Not this time." She whispers to my ears before dragging her feet towards our enemies, including Rachell.

I was about to beg Shantell to end my life, but she already rushed toward the remaining girls, trying to save me from them.

As soon as I could move my fingers, I forced my toes and knees to move. It's not fair if Shantell fights those women without me. It's the least I knew I could help her win this fucking barbaric activity.

But I don't want to be a burden to her. So instead of waiting for my entire strength to revitalize, I grab the sword and throw it straight at the woman closer to my spot.

The sword straightly pierced through her chest after giving all my remaining strength for that throw. Until then, who remain in the cell were me, Shantell, and Rachell.

However, I am too useless at that moment. And it helped me think if I could help Shantell against Rachell, there might be a little chance for her to survive.

But even battling with the four of them, I could sense Shantell's body was already vulnerable because she was having difficulty against Rachell.

Rachell, on the other hand, was still as aggressive as she always does. Her body was still full of energy compared to us.

She grabs Shantell's body and drops her to her knees. From where I am laying, the cracking sounds of her bones and soft quick moans echoed in my ears.

Her body turns pale as soon as she was dropped to the ground. When Rachell confirms Shantell could barely move, she flashes toward me in the corner.

"Please, don't. I'm begging you." Rachel uttered in a faint tone. She then crawled towards us.

Rachell grabs the dagger and pointed its sharp edge right through my neck. Shantell kept on begging Rachell not to end my life. Unfortunately, Rachell's decision was already inevitable.

The rule is the rule. One must remain in the battle and that's certainly Rachell. And Shantell could no longer stop the outcome of the battle.

As Rachell was about to lift the dagger, clenching and putting force in her grip, I slowly closed my eyes as I am ready to bid goodbye to Shantell.

"STOP!" Vladimir exclaims. "I changed my mind. The three of you are now safe," he then jumped out of the cage. "Be thankful I have to break my own rule. Alphas should have not done that…"

A soft and profound sigh was ejected out of my nose and mouth when Vladimir eased off the battle.

Rachell, on the other hand, felt betrayed by Vladimir. She was almost there, killing us, but she left no choice. Vladimir was the founder of the organization. He owns us. He owns the rule.

She then drops the dagger and rushes out of the cage. Meanwhile, Vladimir's men brought us back to our room and drop our exhausted bodies on the freezing floor.

Shantell forces her body to move and helps me hop onto the bed. She wipes all the blood that stained my entire body and wraps the blanket around me afterward.

Archie's POV

"Have you got his information?" Mr. Denser impatiently inquired. He grabs some of the documents from my desk and scans them for a few seconds.

"The man's name is Vladimir Speer. Half-Chinese and half-American. No records of his credit cards, or debit cards, and no full-body CCTV footage. But he had an impressive record of traveling to fifty countries in one year." I said. Then I clip the pen in my mouth as I press my fingers on the computer keyboards.

"Do you have anything that would link him to those monsters in the hotel?" he asked.

I turned around to face the Chief Captain. "No, I don’t. But I have noticed for the past years, his skin never grows old. I mean… Look at this," I quickly searched his photos on my desk and showed them to Mr. Denver.

As soon as I found the photo collage I made about him, Mr. Denver sharpened his eyes while staring at them.

"He's undeniably handsome. There's no question on that note." He said before slapping the back of my head. "But how can we link that to the case? Rich people can apply therapies and cosmetics for them to look young, you idiot."

I furrowed after getting that one hard slap. "I was thinking if he was like vampires since vampires never grow old. At least that was what the movies say. I mean, we saw a real half-human, half-wolf yesterday. So, there is no doubt vampires also existed, right?"

"Or maybe this Vladimir Speer was similar to the woman and the Secretary of Defense. It so happened that their DNAs confirmed the woman was three hundred years old and the Secretary of Defense was… A thousand years old."

The pencil that I put in my mouth was almost dragged down to my throat. Good thing Mr. Denver pulled it out from my mouth before it happens.

"Perhaps that explains Vladimir's never-ending handsomeness for the past eight years," I breathed out, full of interest in him and to disclose his secret. After all, he is the person behind the lost kids eight years ago.

"Or maybe you should stop those obsessions with 'The Lady's Puppets'. It's getting late. You should take a break sometimes." Mr. Denver claps my shoulder and left my desk afterward.

After almost an hour of studying the case, I haven't had the chance to head out of my desk since morning because I was utterly focused.

Since I saw him shooting the woman wolf, my entire brain is about to explode, thinking about the reasons he ended the wolf's life and never heard of him afterward.