Third person

Aries turned around with determination that he was going to hold on to the human. To the Althea before him. He was starting to believe that she had returned to him.

He had started to fall for her. He was beginning to feel alive once more. He needed her like he needed air. She was his addiction. One that he couldn't live without. Not anymore.

But the moment he turned around, the scene in front of him made his blood boil with anger. Fury. He let out a furious growl as he leaned his body forward. The blue in his eyes, now completely dark and his canines very visible. His fingernails elongated, ready to strike. To kill.

"Give her back." Aries voice seethed with anger.

The same man, no, the same monster now held onto Althea's neck once more. This time he stood behind her. Dark smoke coming off him, like a cloak it surrounded his body. His sharp claws extended pointing to her bandaged neck that was already seeping with blood.

While she stood frozen, her face pale, full of fear as the tears flowed continuously. She sealed her lips tight to stop the sobs that was bubbling inside her chest, but her body was trembling in horror.

"Aries." She managed to whisper his name before she was pulled back by his hand on her shoulder. But not before a whimper left her lips. Aries growled in anger as the monster of a man started to laugh hysterically.

"Aries." His spoke after his episode of laughter. His voice guttural and inhumane. His black eyes looked at him then down to Althea that he had locked in a tight grip. He started to tsk and shake his head.

"Such a pity Aries." He chuckled darkly. "The goddess has played you again."

He bends down and places his face just above Althea's head and inhales deeply. "She gave you this." He looks back up to Aries. "This fragile human."

He laughs once again, echoing the field that was now starting to crowd with pack members who were very much alert and ready to attack. Some had even shifted into their wolves.

"I wonder what kind of game she's playing." He holds her chin, forcing her face up for Aries to see as Althea squeezes her eyes shut.

"Tell me Aries, is this your blessing? Or your curse?"

He grins as his voice taunts Aries. Aries growls and lunges forward. "Careful now." He grabs Althea's chin roughly with his fingers and hauls her back with him, so she was against his front. His other hand comes up, his claw drawing a thin line across her cheek. Blood starts pooling down. Althea sheds some more tears in pain and soon her tears fell down the cut on her cheek, making her hiss in pain as her own tears stung her.

Aries stops a few steps away from them with his jaws clenched. "Stop." He snarls.

"I swear to goddess, I'll kill you." Aries growls at him, warning him.

He tsk again. "Oh Aries, you have become naïve since I last saw you." Aries furrows his brows in confusion as he tries to think of where he had seen this monster. "Don't tell me you have forgotten me." He chuckles darkly.

"I don't take the goddess' threats anymore. She has left me since. She will never come knocking on my door again." He too snarls in anger as the black smoke flares higher.

"She took everything away from me. She left me with nothing. Not even my own voice." His dark eyes now blaze with fury as his grip on Althea's chin tightens. "And you still think I'd ever take her threats."

"I loathe that woman that you call your goddess. Your so-called mate." He looks down at Althea before he turns to Aries with a smirk. "Or should I say rejected mate."

Aries holds himself back, conflicted and in pain. She was hurting. Althea, she was in pain and he could not do anything to help her even when she was within his reach. He could not protect what was his. All he could do was watch as the blood trickles down her cheeks and wets the bandage on her neck which was already soaked in blood. Her wounds were reopening.

And it killed him to think of the pain she was going through as this vile creature held her captive. Deep frustrated growls left his mouth.

"Gerald, please." Aries said through his gritted teeth, remembering the monster that stood before him, once again, feeling somehow defeated. "If you want to hurt someone. Hurt me. Kill me even." He shouts.

"But please. Please, let her go. She has done nothing." He almost begs him.

Gerald looks at the tiny creature in his hold and turns back to look at the once strong, cold-hearted Alpha. He smirked knowing what he could do now that he holds the Alpha's most precious possession in his hands.

But his smirk turned into one filled with hatred as he remembers what she had done to him. The goddess. His so-called mate. She took everything from him. His wolf, his power. His world. She left him to rot in this hell with nothing to own or no one by his side.

His hands on her chin got tighter and once again fresh bloods flowed down her chin, and onto his hand. But he wasn't done with them. He needed something. Or someone rather.

"I smell the little tigress around." He sniffs the air around him and slightly turns his head sideways so his eyes could look further back. "Let's negotiate." He smirks darkly upon seeing what he had been looking for.

"How about you hand over the little witch and I'll let you have your mate." Matt growls at that as he stands right in front of Evelyn, one of his hand tightly gripping her wrists. Evelyn feared for what was about to come their way. They didn't know what he could do now. Not like she did.

She desperately wanted to trade herself for Althea's life. Her eyes teared up with guilt as she blamed herself for this situation because she was the one that lead him here. She thought that if she didn't come here, he would have never been here. Well at least not like this. She was better off by herself when she had no one to look over for.

A single drop of tear fell down her checks as she sucked a deep breath. She twisted her hand which was on his tight hold, struggling to be free from him, the small sparks igniting ever more.

"Never." Matt growled out.

This made Evelyn's heart to sink lower as the tears now flowed freely. She felt wanted. For once in her life, someone had stood up for her apart from her parents. This werewolf that she hated so much was standing up for her.

Matt tugged her hand slightly, so she was behind him. His huge muscular body now completely shielding her. "Mine." He snarls.

Evelyn's hand automatically goes to Matt's back and grips his t-shirt tightly as a small sob escapes her lips and her body trembles. She remembered the first time he saw her, the look on his eyes told her that he was waiting for her. That she was the one that the goddess has chosen for him. That destiny has aligned their paths. He was made to love her.

For once, Evelyn wanted to seek protection from someone. From him. The werewolf that loved her enough to give his life for her. Once more, she wanted to believe that they were good. That he was good.

As she looked at his back, she realised that no matter what she could not hide from him anymore. Her heart has already chosen him too. He was her soulmate. And now she stood behind him in the safety of his body.

"I see the goddess has played me again." He chuckled darkly as he watched the two.

"Why is it that everything that is mine she seems to give it to others?" He growled angrily, making a soft whimper escape Althea's mouth.

"Hand her over now or else you'll never have this human back." He pulls her body harshly back to his as he looks back at Aries who growls angrily at him, ready to lunge any second.

"I see you have made your choices. Too bad." He holds Althea away from his body as he looks at his other side. The roses. Full of sharp thorns. He smirks evilly as he pulls her body off the ground and flings her over towards it.

"Now." Alex shouts who lunges at Gerald the same time he lets go of Althea. He had been hiding far back, concealing his presence as he waited for him to let go of her. As soon as he spoke, he shifted into his wolf and clamped his mouth on Gerald's neck, holding his body to the ground.

Dark blood seeped from his neck as he roared in pain. Evelyn got the cue as she rushed towards them with Matt still holding onto her. Her hand lighted up as she cast a powerful spell that she knew would hold him down. For now. She was powerful as long as he was not holding her. Now nothing could stop her as she stood a couple of feet away from them.

An invisible barrier caged him, pushing him further to the ground with Alex' wolf's holding him down. She breathes deeply as her heart finally calmed a little. But she knew it wasn't over. Then she turns around to see Althea. They all do.

Loud gasps echo the field as the scene before them finally unfolds. The ground of the roses, glitters with crimson against the bright light. In the middle of the bed of roses laid Aries with Althea neatly tucked in his arms.

Millions of thorns poked his body as blood oozed out from every part of his body. But he sighed in relief as he was able to get to her in time. He tucked her even closer to himself as he breathed her scent along with the roses.

He had her. This time, he made it in time.

Or so he thought.