The sky had finally fallen on the Azereus this Morning. The solemnity that enveloped the Azereus radiated the feeling of Death. The time had arrived for their demise.

Akira sat in her Castle. Yes, the same castle she had been in last night. She was supposed to have gone by now, but Holfeim never came for her. Fenris had officially declared the exit of Lycans from the Wolfkin Alliance. Holfeim had not made it official, but their silence to Azereus’ calls declared where they stood. It’d only been a few hours since this day started, but the day was already over for her clan.

A few more hours and the war would break out. Perhaps it would only take the Skyfield Alliance half a day’s time to arrive here. The Skyfield Alliance, that’s what the Sabereus, Oncelon and Yeticus clans called their Alliance. Sabereus were ruthless, and their Saber-Tooth manifestation was dangerous. They were physically stronger than most of the Catkin and were highly revered by other monster races. Oncelon were Snow Leopards. Even with their small stature, they were quite agile, and their physical strength could not be underestimated. Had it only been these two clans against Azereus in their natural bastion, The Sky Mountains, the clan could have survived. However, Yeticus Clan had decided to join the fray. They were overlords of Ice Lands, and their Snow Ape manifestation was even more fearful than the Saber-Tooth.

Akira was quite satisfied with the outcome. Some part of her still didn’t want to see her clan die but it no longer mattered. The fate of the clan had been decided right when Renera Azereus announced that they would fight till death. Renera's decision had created an obvious wedge between her and Alyson who supported moving under the aegis of Stavros Clan. Alyson’s reason was that the sustainability of the clan should be the top priority.

Did she really believe that they would thrive or be happy under the rule of Stavros? Akira couldn’t help but laugh at the notion, and Renera had gotten angry at her words. An Alpha would rather die than lower himself in front of others. And Stavros had no good intentions towards them. Azereus would only be an asset to them to increase their strength. They would be no more than their puppets that could be disposed of and sacrificed.

All great things come to an end, and it was now time for the Azereus Legacy. She would die today in battle as an Alpha of this Castle that belonged to her ancestors, and which now stood forlornly. And the ones responsible for this was her own clan. The loneliness she thought she had gotten used to was now again eating her. She wanted to get over with the things, but in some corner of her heart, she wanted to have a life she never had. If it was him that saved her, then she wouldn’t mind giving up on her decision to embrace death. But would he even come back? She touched the collar that still rested on her neck. How foolish she had been to let this thing be put on her? How could she even call herself an Alpha? She scoffed at her weak self.

……………...

Inside a Luxurious suite, Alyson Azereus stood in front of a young man. The man leisurely sat on the couch and wore a pale smile on his handsome face. His black eyes and golden hair looked perfect on his fair and sculpted face.

“Lord Ares.” Alyson finally gave in and kept her dissatisfaction in her heart. He had not even greeted her when she had come in and had just gestured the rest to leave the room. He was far weaker than her in strength, but she had come here to seek his help today.

“Alyson Azereus.” His hoarse voice said. “You finally decided to come to see me.”

“I wonder, why? Has Holfeim taken back their support as well?” He chuckled in amusement.

She really felt uncomfortable standing before him and being seen as if her existence meant nothing more than an amusement to him. This was the kind of feeling this young lord of Stavros clan gave to everyone.

“Yes. And the Skyfield Alliance will soon come to The Sky Mountains.” She didn’t finish her sentence to ask for help as her pride got in the way. Her presence here already meant that she needed his help, but she didn’t want to say those words.

“And what are you here for?” He asked uninterestedly.

“You asked us to come under the aegis of Stavros, and you would help the Azereus avert this war.” She said and looked at him seriously. “I accept your offer, but my sister is adamant on not serving under your clan.”

“I want you to speak to her personally and convince her to accept your offer. Otherwise, the entire clan will be annihilated.” Her worries were evident in her voice.

He looked at her in amusement and his smile brightened.

“So you are here to ask me for help?”

“Yes.” She willed herself to say this.

“Why should I help you?” His smile ceased.

Alyson’s brows furrowed at the change in his expression. What did his words mean? Stavros wanted to strengthen their Power in Hand of Kosmos, and so they needed Azereus clan to come under their command. Did he need a reason more than this?

“I think the news hasn’t reached you.” Ares smiled again and continued. “There was a Message delivered to the Powers in the central state as well as in this part of the Realm.”

“Other than the Monster Race, no one else is allowed to be a part of this war or even interfere in it.”

His words thundered in her mind. For a moment she found herself incapable of thinking anything, but eventually, she asked the only question that appeared in her mind.

“Who sent the Message?”

Ares took his eyes off her and then closed them with a sigh.

“Considering the sender, this Message was clearly a threat. And no matter how powerful you are, you have to show her respect.” He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “It was the Blood-Winged Lucifer.” His voice didn’t hide his reverence.

If the earlier news was a shock then this was the last push to the abyss of fears. “Why would she interfere in all this?” She stuttered her words out.

“No one has ever truly understood the reasons for her actions. And does she even need a reason?” He chuckled and asked back.

Even if he didn’t show it, he himself couldn’t believe the news when he had received it. If now Stavros went on and interfered with this war then other houses of the Hand of Kosmos would have an excuse, and Stavros would definitely have to share the rewards. This did not include the complications Arianna Lucifer would create for not showing her the respect.

“I cannot avert the war for you.” He said and then closed his eyes.

Alyson trembled at his words. Nothing seemed to be going right for her. And now what worried her most was not the safety of the clan but her own Life. She would definitely die in the war if she fought. And if she fled, she would have nowhere to hide. The pride that stopped her from begging for help, waned.

“Help me.” She begged him.

Ares lifted his head back and observed her for a while before showing her a smile. It was as if he was waiting for her to say this.

“I need to show respect to Arianna Lucifer. I cannot interfere in the war.” He said and continued. “But if some Azereus willingly submit under the aegis of Stavros, then no one can really do anything about it.” He smiled craftily.

Alyson’s eyes shined as she finally found a way to save her life. She did not even consider the implications of his words and what might result if she agreed to submit to him. She nodded soon as she heard these words.

“I agree.” She said.

Silence loomed in the room and their eyes stayed locked. His smile soon turned sinister and she found herself scared of what he might ask of her next.

“Do you?” Ares raised his brow as he questioned her.

She felt that her life and death depended on her answer, and if she chose to live then her life would never be the same again.

“Yes.” It was her choice. Nothing could be worse than death, could it be?

“Very well.” He said as he flipped the coin in his hand and observed as it landed on his palm. “We need to get rid of your pride then, or you would never make a good servant.”

His words made her heart ache and told her what would be her status in the future.

“Strip.” He ordered her.

Alyson looked at him blankly where she heard the command. He wanted to shame her. Her blood soon started to boil as her pride raged. All it would take for her to end his life was one move. But soon her mind was shrouded by fears of what would result if she truly did so, and what would happen if she didn’t obey his command. Her fear of death won over her pride. A tear slipped out of her eye and rolled down her cheek, incinerating her pride.

Her hands moved and undid her gown. Slowly but eventually her trembling hands brought her to her nakedness. She stood there with eyes that were devoid of focus and presented her body to him.

He observed her uncovered curves and the proud mounds on her chest. She was beautiful, but it was not the only thing that made her attractive to him. It was the fact that she was stronger than him and someone who was considered an overlord by the world. And now she stood in front of him in all her shame.

“Come.” He gestured to her crotch. “Serve your lord.”

His hands wandered on her skin and traced and touched her, disregarding the pain it brought her. Never in her dreams had she thought that one day she would perform this act. She was an Alpha that had never lowered herself in front of anyone. Not even to her mates.

Alyson worked on his member with her mouth and tongue while he held her snow colored hair and guided her movements. His other hand groped and clawed her ass. Her technique was immature but the despair on her face as she performed it aroused him, and that was what he enjoyed. He unleashed his excitement inside her throat and gagged her to not have a drop spill out of her mouth.

His hands guided her, and she didn’t even know what she was doing anymore being pressed face down on the couch. She felt him enter her from behind and move ruthlessly. The fact that her body soon betrayed her and felt pleasure, mortified her. The shame burned her heart. Her pride crumbled down like a pile of ash and was swept away with him pounding her insides.

Her mind wandered off to somewhere else as she reflected on the implications of the decision she had just made.

“Don’t worry about your daughter.” His gasping voice resounded in her ears. “Unlike you, I won’t share her with anyone else.”

Numb, that’s what she felt when she heard these words. Could she be happy hearing these words? She didn’t even know how many men she would become a toy of.

He erupted inside her soon when her own body shuddered in her orgasm. A resounding slap landed on her ass as he escaped from her insides. Their fray continued on the couch as he ordered her to ride him, and she did. She followed his every command and served him with a heart that was neither willing nor unwilling.

“You will go back to The Sky Mountains and bring back the people who are loyal to you before the war starts.” He told her as he sprawled on the couch, tired of their play. “The Skyfield Alliance will act tonight. You have only a few hours to complete this job.”

“Yes.” That’s all she answered as she picked herself up from the floor and walked to the washroom to clean up. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she slumped down on the floor and cried. A day, that’s all it had taken for her to lose everything she had earned for thousands of years. Even with all the strength she had, this turned out to be her fate. A pale face appeared in her memories. She envied her. She envied how Daliyah could still keep her pride and died with a smile.

Soon the envy turned to wrath and another face appeared in her mind. She needed someone to unleash her wrath upon and Akira became her target. The fate she had chosen for herself would still be far better than what she would make of the granddaughter of Daliyah, she vowed.

………………

Fenris sat in a room where two other men were present. The man on the right side of the table had a rugged stature, and his blonde hair and light beard gave him a kingly aura. And his wise brown eyes added to his presence. He was the Lord of the Leon Clan, Marcus Leon. The other man that sat on the Left side of the table had short silver hair and gray eyes. He was a Wolfkin. The lord of the Holfeim clan who had until yesterday seemed unwilling to see him.

“Stop wearing this grumpy look on your face, Cyrus. We are after all old friends.” Fenris chuckled and leaned forward to pat his shoulder.

“Are we really going to sit here and watch the Azereus be destroyed?” Cyrus asked disgruntledly.

“They played me and kept me in the dark. And even with the treasure gone, I still shielded them for all these years just because we were Wolfkin.” Fenris said and sighed but then a vicious smile crept on his face. “Did you really expect me to keep supporting them like a fool? And not make them pay back for their folly?”

Cyrus couldn’t argue with Fenris. He knew his nature pretty well. His eyes turned to Marcus and a smile crept on his face.

“How does it feel, Marcus? Watching your catkin destroying a pack of wolves and getting their hands on all those resources?” He asked comically.

“I already reached a deal with them. I will help them by keeping an eye on their back in this war.” He smiled smugly. “Even if I can’t have The Sky Mountains, it doesn’t matter. Leons do not like the weather there anyways.”

“What do you get out of the deal?” Cyrus felt unhappy knowing that even Marcus was getting something out of this fray.

He gestured with his fingers and laughed heartily. “Two Mines of Cold Stones”

Hearing the reward, Cyrus grumbled to himself. It was an unlucky day for him. A mine and an Azereus Alpha would have belonged to his clan had he gone to see them in the morning. Had it been any other clan in this state he would have joined the fray as well. But being a Wolfkin he couldn’t bring himself to shed the blood of another pack and help people of other races. It was something even Fenris wouldn’t do.

“Why would the Blood-Winged Lucifer interfere in this war? She said only Monster race are allowed to interfere, but she is not Monster Race. Why would she only warn me?” He complained as he picked up the jar of ale in front of him and chugged it down.

“Who knows?” Fenris chuckled at his words and seemed to be lost in thought.

The jar being thumped back on the table snapped him out of this state.

“Fenris, if you want to write off our past differences, then marry your Daughter to my Son.” Cyrus looked at him seriously and asked. He lost the Azereus Alpha, but Fenris had an Alpha daughter as well, and she still did not have a mate.

“She no longer belongs to the Lycan clan. I have no authority over her.” Fenris smiled lightly and answered apologetically.

Both Marcus and Cyrus looked at him in surprise. Yuliya Lycan was no longer a part of the Lycan clan was news to them.

“What do you mean?” Cyrus asked and his brows furrowed.

“She belongs to the Morningstar now.”