Mother of Midnight

Chapter 233 – Blueblood

Rava was confused.

Why was her mate attacking her?

She had only come to protect her. To hunt alongside her. That was what mates did. Vivienne was weak—she needed strength at her side. She needed Rava.

But maybe this was play. A test. A challenge. That was good. That was right. It meant Vivienne would know her place, that she would understand who stood at the top of their pack.

Vivienne lunged, claws gleaming, her body twisting through the air with deadly intent. Too slow. Rava’s muscles tensed, her instincts kicking in long before her thoughts caught up. She grabbed Vivienne’s wrist mid-air, fingers locking around it like iron.

Her mate snarled, sharp teeth flashing, but Rava was stronger. Always stronger.

She didn’t hesitate—she pulled, twisting Vivienne’s momentum against her, yanking her forward with brute force. Vivienne’s weight barely registered before Rava drove her over her shoulder, slamming her into the ground with a heavy thud.

Her mate sprawled in the dirt, but Rava did not let go. Her grip tightened. If Vivienne wanted to fight, she would fight. If she wanted to submit, she would submit. Either way, Rava would show her who stood at the top.

Vivienne came at her again, claws flashing in the moonlight. Rava grinned, planting her feet as she swayed back, just enough to let the swipe miss. Fast. Sloppy. She could do better.

Her mate needed this.

Needed to be reminded who was on top.

Rava let her come, let her strike, blocking some, letting others glance off her arms. Scratches. Nothing serious. Vivienne was putting up a fight, but Rava was stronger. She always had been.

“Not bad,” she grunted as she caught Vivienne’s shoulder and shoved her back. “You’re quick.”

Vivienne hissed, baring those too-sharp teeth, her black tongue flicking out like a snake’s. Her tail whipped around. Rava didn’t bother dodging—her mate wouldn’t actually—

Pain flared across her ribs as the blade cut deep.

Rava’s ears flicked. Okay. That was a little rough.

But that was good. Her mate had fight in her.

Vivienne lunged again. Rava ducked, grabbed her waist, and slammed her into the dirt.

“Getting serious now?” Rava huffed, her tail wagging slightly.

Vivienne thrashed beneath her, snarling, her claws raking across Rava’s chest, but Rava held firm. Her mate was scrappy

, but she wasn’t stronger.Then Vivienne shifted.

Her body twisted, stretched, warped—obsidian scales rippling into existence as her form expanded beneath Rava. A deep, guttural sound rumbled through the air, and suddenly, Rava wasn’t pinning down her mate anymore. She was perched on the back of something massive.

The shadowy bulk of Vivienne’s hydra form rose beneath her, coils of pure muscle shifting as six heads snapped into existence.

Rava barely had time to react before the heads turned on her.

Snapping jaws, rows of needle-like teeth—her mate’s black eyes gleamed from six different angles as they all lunged at once.

Rava pushed off just in time, flipping backward as razor fangs snapped where she’d just been. She landed in a crouch, her claws digging into the dirt, but instead of alarm, a grin stretched across her face.

Yes. This was more like it.

She rolled her shoulders, tail flicking, eyes bright with challenge.

Another head lunged, jaws wide, but Rava sidestepped with ease, her movements fluid. She caught the thick, scaled neck in the crook of her arm and pulled.

Vivienne’s massive bulk lurched forward, her footing thrown off for a fraction of a second. It wasn’t much—just a stumble—but it was something.

More heads whipped around, hissing, snapping, fangs bared in challenge. Rava grinned, her heart pounding with excitement.

Her mate was slow in this form. Strong, dangerous, but slow.

She tightened her grip and wrenched the captured head downward, trying to use the beast’s own weight against her, but Vivienne was already reacting. The other five heads struck like serpents, a coordinated assault from multiple angles.

Rava released the head and leapt back, twisting midair as a wall of snapping jaws closed in. She landed in a crouch, claws digging into the dirt.

The ground trembled beneath Vivienne’s massive form as she snarled, all six heads twisting and writhing in agitation. Rava’s grin widened. This was good. This was fun. A proper test of strength, of dominance.

Then Vivienne’s body shifted.

The hydra form collapsed inward, folding, twisting, breaking down into something else entirely. Her silhouette warped as extra limbs erupted from her sides, long and spindly, covered in chitinous black plating. Her lower body expanded, the bulk of the hydra vanishing into a sleek, monstrous form—eight segmented legs stabbing into the dirt as her torso stretched upward, humanoid once more, but unmistakably inhuman.

A drider.

Rava barely had a moment to take it in before Vivienne moved.

She was fast. Faster than before.

Vivienne lunged, her upper body twisting unnaturally as she lashed out with both clawed hands and the sharp, stabbing points of her arachnid limbs. Rava dodged the first strike, ducked under the second, but a leg caught her in the ribs, sending her skidding back.

She planted her feet, bracing against the impact. Her breath left her in a huff, but she barely felt the pain. If anything, the sting only excited her more.

She laughed. “Better.”

Vivienne hissed in response, her many black eyes gleaming with something dark, something feral.

Then the webs came.

Thick strands of silk shot toward Rava in an instant, glistening in the moonlight.

Rava moved to dodge, but the first strand caught her arm. She snarled and wrenched it free, but more came, a barrage of sticky, glistening silk fired with uncanny precision. She twisted, leapt, slashed through the threads, but they slowed her just enough.

Vivienne was on her in an instant.

A clawed hand lashed out, faster than Rava could react. Pain flared white-hot across her side as talons tore through fur and flesh, raking deep into her ribs.

Her breath hitched.

For a moment, her body locked up. She stumbled, her mind catching up to the pain a second too late. The warmth of her own blood spilled down her side, dark against her fur.

That wasn’t play.

Her ears flicked, her instincts screaming at her, but she barely had time to process before Vivienne lunged again. No hesitation. No restraint. A predator through and through.

Rava’s grin faltered.

This wasn’t a fight for dominance.

This was a fight to kill.

Rava’s eyes widened as Vivienne closed the distance, her claws reaching for her once more. Her instincts roared, but the pain in her side was a heavy weight, slowing her movements. For the first time, she felt the true danger of the situation, the raw, relentless aggression in Vivienne’s eyes. This wasn’t about a playful struggle, about testing strength. Vivienne wasn’t holding back.

She ducked, narrowly avoiding Vivienne’s talons as they scraped past her fur, missing by inches. Rava’s heart pounded, her mind racing. She’s not playing. Not this time.

Vivienne snarled, her body a blur as she shifted again, her form becoming more monstrous with each movement. She wasn’t just a hunter now—she was the embodiment of hunger itself, and Rava could feel the desperation pulsing through her, thick in the air like a tangible force.

Rava took a quick step back, her breath coming heavier, the wound on her side still leaking blood. It burned. She could feel the life slipping away from her, but she wasn’t going to fall that easily.

I’m not weak. I’m not weak.

With a growl, Rava swung her arm forward, her claws aiming for Vivienne’s chest. But the moment her claws were about to make contact, Vivienne ducked low and spun, faster than she should have been, and lashed out. Her claws tore across Rava’s arm with a sickening sound, and Rava cried out in shock and pain. She recoiled, stumbling backward.

Rava’s eyes shot back to Vivienne, blood dripping from her wounds. She gritted her teeth, but her grin was gone now. Her body was slowing, her movements less precise. Vivienne had proven she was more than just a threat. She was a force to be reckoned with.

Rava’s pulse quickened. She backed up a few steps, her breath shaky, trying to keep distance, trying to think.

But Vivienne wasn’t giving her that luxury.

With a growl, Rava swung her arm forward, her claws aiming for Vivienne’s chest. But the moment her claws were about to make contact, Vivienne ducked low and spun, faster than she should have been, and lashed out. Her claws tore across Rava’s arm with a sickening sound, and Rava cried out in shock and pain. She recoiled, stumbling backward.

Rava’s eyes shot back to Vivienne, blood dripping from her wounds. She gritted her teeth, but her grin was gone now. Her body was slowing, her movements less precise. Vivienne had proven she was more than just a threat. She was a force to be reckoned with.

Rava’s pulse quickened. She backed up a few steps, her breath shaky, trying to keep distance, trying to think. But Vivienne wasn’t giving her that luxury.

Vivienne’s eyes narrowed. She shifted, her body shifting from her drider form to her humanoid shape in the blink of an eye. A low growl rumbled in her throat as she moved forward, her agility still unmatched despite the change.

Rava’s instincts screamed at her to react, but she was already too slow. Before she could fully brace herself, Vivienne’s sharp, clawed hands shot out and grabbed Rava’s injured arm, pinning it with a vice-like grip.

Rava’s breath hitched as Vivienne’s gaze locked onto hers—dark, predatory, and completely unrelenting.

Vivienne didn’t waste any time. With a speed that blurred in the moonlight, she yanked Rava’s arm toward her, her mouth opening wide, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth. She sank them deep into Rava’s flesh, straight through her leather armour,  tearing a chunk of meat from her bicep.

Rava gasped, her body jerking, but she couldn’t free herself. Vivienne’s grip was ironclad. The pain was sharp, but not unbearable—not yet.

Vivienne’s lips twisted into a hazy, almost satisfied smile, her grip loosening for a split second. That was all Rava needed. With a snarl, she wrenched her arm free, the electric blue blood seeping from the ragged wound. The pain flared, but she barely registered it as her muscles surged, desperate to break free. She staggered back, breath coming in sharp gasps, her claws digging into the earth for balance.

Blood poured from her arm, the bright blue liquid staining the dark ground beneath her. She glanced down at the wound, fury bubbling up inside her. Her heart was pounding, but the sting of it only sharpened her focus. This wasn’t over. No. It wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Her eyes were locked on Vivienne, a mixture of defiance and anger swirling in her chest. Blood, her blood, dripped steadily from the wound in her arm. The vibrant blue liquid stained the earth beneath her, the sight only stoking the fire inside her.

She wasn’t backing down. No, she couldn’t. Not after all of this. She could still fight, still overpower her. She gritted her teeth, eyes narrowing, and prepared to lunge once more. But then Vivienne stepped back, her claws still raised but her posture changing. Her gaze was colder now, distant, her hunger no longer making her movements erratic. Instead, Vivienne just stood there, staring at Rava with those dark, swirling eyes.

“Go back.” Vivienne’s voice was rough, the words sharp but controlled. “Tend to your wound.”

Rava blinked, caught off guard by the shift. The ferocity that had filled Vivienne was gone, replaced by a strange, grumpy indifference. There was no fight in her now, no challenge.

Rava’s eyes dropped to her bleeding arm. The pain was still there, but it no longer burned with the same fury. She was still angry, yes, but something about the way Vivienne spoke—like she was done—dampened her fire, confused her. Was this a retreat?

Her lip curled, a low growl rumbling deep in her throat, but the urge to charge had dulled. She glanced at Vivienne, seeing the glint of control in her eyes now. Her instincts screamed at her to press the attack, but something told her this wasn’t the time. Not now.

Vivienne’s eyes were cold, her voice gruff. “You’re not a challenge.”

Rava’s chest tightened. She wanted to argue, to charge again, but she could feel the exhaustion creeping in. The blood loss was starting to catch up with her, and the sharp pain in her arm made it difficult to ignore.

She took a deep breath, staring at Vivienne with a renewed, but wary gaze. She wouldn’t retreat—not yet—but the fight had lost its edge. For now, she knew, she wasn’t going to win.

With a final, frustrated glance at Vivienne, Rava slowly turned, retreating to tend to her wound. Her pride ached more than the injury, but she’d live. She always did.

Vivienne would regret that, she knew. She always did, in the end. But for now, there was no room for regret, not when her hunger was so violently consuming her. It wasn’t the time to dwell on the things she’d done, the things she’d almost done. Not while she was still clinging to whatever fragile grip on control she had left. Regret could wait.

She paced the dark corners of her mind, trying to force the hunger back into its cage, but it was an animal, wild and furious. Vivienne’s thoughts churned. Why had it surged like that now? She hadn’t lost herself in months, not like this. She had been vigilant, working to keep the beast inside her restrained, to silence the gnawing hunger that sometimes threatened to break free. She should have lost it long ago, she thought, or at least been more prepared for it. She had believed she had conquered it, bent it to her will.

But that illusion shattered when her hunger tore through her with the force of a storm. It hadn’t been a slow build-up, not like it used to be. It had been sudden, violent, and visceral. It was as though it had been waiting all along, hidden beneath the surface, and now it had struck when she was at her weakest.

Vivienne’s eyes narrowed as she pushed her mind away from the thoughts that sought to drown her. The hunger could be dealt with later. Her senses sharpened. The air was cold, sharp against her skin, and the winds cut through the empty expanse of the steppes. The ground beneath her paws crunched as she shifted, feeling the familiar power of her giant wolf form settle over her. Fur thickened along her body, scales creeping up her back as her senses were flooded with the sounds and scents of the land around her.

She didn’t think. She just moved.

Bounding across the frozen steppes, she darted away from the farmlands where the scent of lekine dwellers lingered. She knew they would be asleep now, vulnerable, easy prey. It would be disadvantageous to kill them, so she steered as far as she could from them.

The hunt was on.

Vivienne prowled the icy landscape, scenting the air for the faint traces of life. Her paws left deep prints in the snow, her movements swift and fluid as she navigated the terrain. She stalked the shadows, weaving through the broken landscape, trying to find something large enough to satisfy the gnawing need in her gut. It wasn’t long before she caught the scent of a few aetherbeasts, their presence faint but there. She followed it, heart quickening, muscles coiling in preparation.

The aetherbeasts were weak, scattering quickly as they sensed her approach. It wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot. She had been hunting for hours, her frustration growing as each attempt proved fruitless. The guards of Serkoth—damn them—had done an annoyingly good job at keeping the larger aetherbeasts away from the city. Vivienne had barely enough to keep her hunger from turning into something uncontrollable.

She would have to push further.

Her mind burned with urgency, and she pressed on, seeking her prey with a single-minded focus. The moon hung low in the sky as she traveled through the night, the cold air biting at her fur, but she ignored it. She embraced it. 

Finally, when the first light of dawn began to edge the horizon, her eyes caught something larger, something capable of satisfying her insatiable need. A massive beast, slower than the rest, its scent rich and full of power. It was large enough to slow her hunger’s claws, enough to quiet the worst of it. She tore into it with ferocity, her hunger roaring to life again as she ripped into the meat, feasting without thought.

She did not stop until she felt the sharp edges of her desperation dull, her mind slowly clearing as her body fed. But even as her senses returned, the hunger remained, still lurking, still alive in her gut, whispering to her to keep going. But for now, she was satisfied.

For now, the beast was sated and she would need to hunt the next few nights before it was truly reigned in.