The moment James' voice echoed Vampire chief in the mind channel, Tengen's wolf form answered with a deep, guttural growl. The red-haired vampire merely chuckled, brushing imaginary dust from his crimson overalls.
"Oh, don't be so tense," he drawled, violet eyes gleaming. "I won't make it painful." His laughter rang cold through the rainforest.
Tengen stood at the front, James and Tyler flanking him. The vampire tilted his head toward Tengen. "You must be the strongest wolf here. I can feel your aura… shame you'll die before you reach your peak."
They lunged as one. The vampire's smile widened then he blurred. A single leap and both Jasper and Tyler were kicked aside, bodies thudding into the wet forest floor. Before James could react, the vampire's fist slammed into him, hurling him into an unforgiving stone outcrop.
Tengen charged, but the vampire slipped past with supernatural ease, meeting Henry with a crushing blow that knocked the air from him. Tengen attacked again only to be hurled into a tree with bone-rattling force.
Tyler and James regrouped, their movements a blur of fury. The vampire's grin sharpened. With a casual sweep of his arms, a storm of blue energy lanced outward, tearing through treetops and flinging the wolves back as if they were nothing.
Tengen clashed fangs with him, the impact beating through the clearing until jagged, glowing stripes of energy erupted from the vampire's body, sending Tengen crashing into a massive boulder.
Jasper leapt from the side, but the vampire's boot caught him midair, slamming him down. Without a flicker of mercy, the vampire's blue power flared again, crackling over Jasper's body as he groaned in pain.
Tyler lunged in and bit deep into the vampire's arm, only to be kicked away. James tried to close in, but the same searing energy wrapped around him midair, wringing a pained howl from his throat.
Then Tengen returned, a blur of power and rage, smashing into the vampire and sending him staggering. Their eyes locked wolf's fury meeting vampire's gleeful malice.
"I want the same thing too," the vampire said, smiling like a predator who had found a worthy hunt.
Tengen and the vampire collided again, their clash sending a rattling shockwave through the rainforest. Light rain misted the air, the scent of wet earth mixing with the metallic tang of blood.
A sudden flare of blue light erupted from the vampire's hands, blasting Tengen backward. The wolf staggered, claws digging into the muddy ground, and charged again. His leap was a blur fangs sinking into the vampire's right hand. The vampire recoiled, touching the wound with a mocking smirk.
"I suppose I'll have to take you more seriously."
Tengen's blazing eyes locked onto him. He leapt once more, but the vampire's next strike a massive shockwave of laser energy threw him to the ground.
From all sides, Tyler and the rest of the pack closed in. The vampire answered with a storm of crackling beams, tearing through the forest and flinging each wolf into the dirt.
I can't stand… Jasper's voice faltered in the mind channel.
Me neither… what is this? Henry replied.
The vampire's laugh was cold. "Weaklings."
Tengen lunged, dodging a barrage of lasers, and clamped his jaws into the vampire's left hand. The counterstrike came instantly searing energy forcing Tengen to release. He clawed across the vampire's face, drawing blood.
Panting, the vampire's smirk faltered. But when Tengen leapt again, a surge of blue power caught him midair, slamming him into a tree.
"We have to help him!" Tyler shouted in the mind channel.
The vampire straightened, his red hair shimmering in the rain, as he unleashed a blue laser stripe on his right hand. "I am the fourth high-ranking chief council member. You can't defeat me."
Tengen rose, fury burning in his eyes. He dodged another laser strike and lunged this time sinking his fangs deep into the vampire's chest. The vampire screamed but retaliated with a massive electric blast, forcing a roar of pain from Tengen.
Tyler broke free and charged, but the vampire's left hand snapped out, trapping him in a searing band of light before hurling him into the forest.
As Tengen weakened, the vampire loomed over him. "Once Susun conquers the sun, we'll walk the earth and destroy all in our path." His gaze flicked upward dawn was breaking. He needed to finish this.
"Give up," he whispered. "Vampires will rule. Why keep fighting, give up already and submit?"
Tengen's answer was a growl. His claws raked the vampire's throat as he sank his claws deeper even as blue beams seared into his fur, burning it away. The vampire screamed, pouring more power into the attack, but Tengen didn't release, he held until his strength finally gave out. He fell, charred and bleeding.
With the sun moments away, the vampire turned and fled, vanishing into the treetops, tengen shifted back to human bleeding with his left eye blinded.
James and Henry gave chase, injured but not relenting but the vampire vanished into the remaining darkness, they returned back to Tengen shifting to human. Tyler and Jasper, now in human form, knelt beside Tengen's battered body, his face pale.
"Tengen… we have to get you to a hospital," Tyler pleaded. Jasper joined him, voice cracking. Tengen wake up man James screamed let's rush you to the hospital as tears streamed down his eyes. James and Henry dropped to their knees beside them.
"Tengen get up", Henry screamed you can't die this way fighting for humanity while that vampire escapes, you have to survive. Henry sobs
Tengen smiled faintly, his eyes full of warmth. "You boys… did well. You still have a lot to learn, but you showed courage and strength against such a powerful being. I'm proud to have fought and laughed with you all."
"No… don't do this," Henry choked out.
"You protected us like you promised," Tyler said, tears streaming. "Now survive with us."
Tengen's grin lingered. "Take care of the pack, Tyler. Take care of your friends. I'm counting on you, Alpha."
And then… he went still, eyes closing in the light rain.