Destroy My Life In You
Chapter 97: Disaster Strikes Again

Chapter 97: Disaster Strikes Again

A few days pased by. The warm glow of the oil lamp flickered softly, lighing the wooden walls of the small living room. Astrid sat cross-legged on the woven mat, her slender fingers tracing the slightly timeworn pages of the ancient book spread before her. The book, gifted to her by her parents a few months before her first shift, was one of the few possessions she had left of them. It was a book detailing the history and mysteries surrounding the Primal Alphas.

Yet, no matter how intriguing the words were, Astrid found her focus slipping. Her mind wandered restlessly thinking about someone.

It had been days since she last saw Alaric. Astrid very well understood his responsibilities, he was a king, burdened with endless duties, but still, an unfamiliar ache filled her chest. She missed him. His presence, his voice, the way he silently gazed at her with those dark eyes, the warmth of his touch. She wondered if he felt the same as she did.

Astrid immediately shook off the thoughts, scolding herself for being childish. She wasn’t some fragile maiden longing for affection. Yet, the truth remained, she yearned for him.

With a sigh, she pushed her emotions aside and turned her attention back to the book. As her eyes scanned the delicate script, a phrase at the top of the next page caught her attention. It was boldly written: "CORE EXTRACTION."

Her brows knitted together as curiosity sparked within her.

She leaned in closer, reading every word with deep concentration. The passage spoke of a forbidden technique, one that involved forcibly extracting the core of a Primal Alpha, stripping them of their strength, and rendering them defenseless. The implications were terrifying and painful and it could make them lose their wolf, but the good part was, the extracted core could one a chance of being reborn, though it wasn’t written how long it would take.

Astrid swallowed hard, and flupped the next page to read on. Before she could continue, the oil lamp beside her flickered once—twice—then went out entirely, plunging the room into darkness. She chuckled, and laid down, taking a nap.

***

The full moon was high in the sky when Astrid was woken up by a strange unyielding sensation. Then after a moment of concentration, she heard it rhythmic beats, steady and deep. Theh were heartbeats. And not just any heartbeats, but those of werewolves.

Astrid felt her entire body tense. Had they tracked them down? Just when she had though life was getting better for them. The night of silent, but the heavy thuds of approaching figures sent a shiver down her spine.

Slowly, she rose to her feet. Her sharp eyes flickered toward the door, where faint gaps in the wooden frame allowed slivers of moonlight to seep through. Carefully, she moved closer and peered outside. But she saw no one.

Yet, she knew better. Closing her eyes, Astrid inhaled deeply. When she opened them again, they glowed blue. Her enhanced vision stretched far beyond the normal human eye. And there, in the distance, hidden within the night’s shadows, more than ten figures were moving toward the house.

Astrid didn’t waste another second. She spun around, rushing toward the small adjoining room where her brothers were fast asleep.

She opened the wooden door soundlessly, stepping inside. The dim moonlight filtering through the cracks illuminated the three small figures curled up on their bedding.

"Luke," she whispered urgently.

Luke brothers stirred, groaning as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Astrid...? Is it morning already?"

"No," she said quickly, shaking him lightly. "Wake up, Luke. Now."

Something in her tone snapped him fully awake. His tired eyes sharpened instantly.

Without hesitation, she moved to Zeke and Seth, gently shaking them as well. The two little ones grumbled drowsily but woke up, blinking at her in confusion.

"Astrid...?" Seth mumbled, still groggy.

She knelt before them, her voice firm yet soothing. "We have to leave. Right now."

Zeke frowned. "Why?"

"No time to explain," she said, moving to the small window in their room. She unlatched it swiftly, the cool night air rushing in. "Come on, hurry."

But the boys remained where they were.

Luke, who was already standing, clenched his fists. His voice was low but filled with understanding. "They followed us here, didn’t they?"

Astrid inhaled sharply, her hands tightening on the windowsill.

A second later, she sighed, one of fear. The sound of approaching footsteps was growing louder, making her heart beat in tremble.

"Luke, we don’t have time for this. Get Zeke and Seth out first. I’ll stay behind and—"

"No."

Luke’s voice was firm, his eyes dark with defiance.

"If we’re leaving, we leave together."

Astrid turned to him, frustration mounting. "Luke, this isn’t the time to be stubborn! I need you to—"

Luke’s voice was eerily calm, but full of despair. "Just like Mother, you want us to leave. Then what? The next time we see you..." His jaw tightened unable to complete his statement.

Astrid’s breath hitched. Pain lanced through her chest as old wounds reopened.

Then, in soft, almost broken voices, Zeke and Seth spoke.

"You’re leaving us too?" Zeke whispered.

"Like Father and Mother?" Seth added.

Her heart shattered completely, as he gazed at their teary eyes. Tears also welled in her eyes as she pulled all three of them into a tight embrace. Her body trembled as she whispered, "No. Never. I will never leave you." Silence hung in the air before she pulled away and met their gazes. "Then we leave together."

One by one, they climbed through the window.

Seth went second after Astrid who supported her, then Zeke, and lastly, Luke.

They had barely taken a step when a group of towering, muscular figures emerged from the shadows.

Their golden eyes and sharp claws gleamed under the moonlight.

Astrid instinctively pushed her brothers behind her, shielding them. Her eyes blazed bright blue as a low, warning growl rumbled from her throat.

The werewolves hesitated for a brief moment.

Then, they lunged forward without any warning.

Astrid braced herself to get into her first ever fight, but before they could reach her, something incredibly fast and unseen shot through the darkness.

It was a blow of motion and a whisper of death, because in the blink of an eye, One after another, the werewolves collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Their bodies hit the earth with heavy thuds, their chests gaping open. Beside each fallen werewolf, their still-beating hearts lay severed, blood pooling around them.

Astrid’s breath hitched, what kind of creature was that powerful. The last werewolf standing let out a strangled gasp before a pale hand plunged through his chest. He convulsed, then crumpled.

And when the final body hit the ground, Alaric stood amidst the carnage. Dressed in all black, his crimson eyes glowed like burning embers. Blood dripped from his fingers, the last werewolf’s heart still clenched in his grasp, its weak beats slowing... until it stopped.

His gaze flickered to Astrid, and her brothers who were gazing at him unblinkingly.

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