Chapter 124

“Your expression tells me you already know the truth.”His words stung, but I said nothing. I couldn’t say anything for a moment. Candido grunted and turned over. I looked over at him as he shifted and settled back down. He turned over again towards me and I turned away from him, leaving the room.

“Yggdrasil!” Vanessa said. “Was that necessary?”

“She needed to hear it,” he said. “I’ve told you for ages that letting that bullshit about mates continue to circulate is dangerous for everyone—especially him.”

“People need hope! He needs hope.”

“He like so many people need the truth”

I heard Gilgamesh coming after me, but I didn’t want to hear what he had to say so I left the lower levels, taking the stairs two at a time until I reached a floor with a balcony. I didn’t even want to know what Candido was saying if he was saying anything. Maybe he hadn’t woken up. He seemed tired.

I sank down onto the lounger and crossed my arms.

Yggdrasil was wrong. He was just… a bitter old man who didn’t know anything. My love for Candido was real. I loved how much he took care of me. I loved being around him. I loved his strength and how he’d never let anything hurt me.

There was nothing wrong with enjoying his love. There was nothing wrong with our relationship.

I looked up at the moon. I had never been religious. I hadn’t had much of a chance to be. I hadn’t learned much about what it meant to be a werewolf until later in life anyway, but I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t been chosen.

I sniffled.

If the Goddess hadn’t chosen me, if I was just placed her for convenience and I was completely replaceable… then what had I been doing with my life all this time?

My phone chimed and I opened it to see the emergency broadcast starting.

I was surprised that Candido was seated outside. The moon framed him. He still had blood smeared on his face, like he hadn’t cleaned up. He looked exhausted. The fine lines around his eyes seemed more pronounced than I ever realized.

For a few moments, he looked older than I had ever thought he could look.

“I hope this message reaches you and you are somewhere safe,” he said slowly. “If you can hear me, I want you to know that I am putting out this message to share with you everything I know and what is to come…”

I swallowed, watching him. He looked so in control as he spoke. He looked like he’d been fighting, but his eyes were clear and fierce. There was no one listening who wouldn’t know that Candido, our alpha king was fighting for us all.

My heart fluttered as he finished his address with a promise to stand in defense of everyone in the werewolf world against vampires.

“Should you wish to fight at my side, gather your forces and reach out to the line of my office. The wolves of Full Moon and our allies are mobilizing to deal with this threat—”

The compound sent out an alarm, blaring through the halls. I jumped off the lounger and hurried down stairs, searching for someone who could give me some answers.

I ran into Yggdrasil. He was masked, but I recognized the insignia of a tree on his chest. His eyes narrowed.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Cover your face and draw your hood, Pandora,” he said. “Vampires have launched another attack on the communication tower. We leave in five.”

It took me three minutes to change into a real mask and hood before joining the rest of the team heading out. Candido’s eyes widened as I climbed onto the jeep, but he said nothing.

As a matter of fact, no one else on the jeep, Dune, Artemis, and Apollo, said anything. They were just staring at me.

“What?”

“… you’ve changed,” Artemis said slowly. I took a seat. Dune leaned over and took a deep breath.

I leaned back and away from him. He tilted his head.

“Yeah. I didn’t notice it before, but… you smell different.”

“Are you saying I stink?”

He held up his hands. “I just said different, not bad.”

“Your movements have changed,” Apollo said, eyeing me. “Did something happen?”

I thought back to the forest and that drink that I’d been forced to drink but I shook my head. Candido passed a hand over my shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Candido asked. His eyes searching mine as Gilgamesh stopped midway onto climbing onto the jeep.

“I’ve chosen,” I said meeting his gaze. “No one can make me choose differently.”

Gilgamesh let out a soft whistle. “I look forward to future meetings.”

He settled down as the jeep revved to life and started heading away from the compound.

“Hey, wait for us!” I turned as Francium came running towards us. Claire jumped, sailing through the air, and landed in the bed of the truck as the jeep circled around. She leaned over and hauled him onto the jeep.

Claire sunk down beside me as the rest of the group eyed her suspiciously.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I said softly.

Claire flashed a grin at me. “I was told that it’s good for me.”

Francium nodded. “I heard we were heading back into the caves.”

I swallowed and looked over at Candido. His eyes were closed and he was rocking with the jeep.

Gilgamesh nudged him a bit so that he leaned on me. He let out a low groan, a growl and buried his face in my neck. My face heated as his breath ghosted across my neck.

Gilgamesh’s eyes smiled. “That’s better. Yeah, we’re taking the caves into Red Moon where the main they’re trying to take out again is.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?” I asked. “After last time.”

Gilgamesh nodded. “It’s also the best chance we have to get there before they tear it all down.”

I nodded, hoping that he was right and we didn’t run into any other problems.

We got through the forest and started driving into the darkness of the cave. It felt different than before. It didn’t feel so oppressive. If anything, it felt welcoming, but the lights ahead started to get closer. They filled the space as if they had been driving toward a wall.

Then, the jeep stopped.

Candido lifted his head and looked around, scanning for a threat before his brow furrowed and he stood up. Gilgamesh hopped out and jogged ahead.

“What’s going on?”

“Dead end,” someone said. I stood to look over the top of the jeep.

The wall was solid, smooth rock. It was unnatural. Gilgamesh pressed his hand to the stone. I watched the flash of light shoot out, but the wall didn’t move. He grunted some more, but nothing happened.

Francium and Candido climbed down next. Candido tried as well. The light flashed brighter, cracking and snapping against the wall, but nothing happened.

“Let me,” Francium said as Candido stepped back.

I shook my head. If Candido couldn’t do it, there was no hope for Francium, I was sure of that. There was no flash of light, but I felt the air shifting and churning around him. He scoffed.

“It’s… not moving, like its locked.”

Candido went still then he turned around and raced back to the jeep.

“Reverse! Head back towards the entry.”

The jeep started to turn, but as we did, the cave wall just stretched around us, blocking off the way we came until we were surrounded by high stone walls.

Candido cursed and my stomach plummeted.

“On your guard!” Candido said. “Guns aimed and ready. Up and out!”

Gilgamesh climbed back onto the jeep, facing the other way. Claire climbed on top of the roof, slowly turning as if she was looking for something.

But I… looked up. I couldn’t explain why I felt that I should, but I felt something, or someone, looking at me.

Slowly, I let my eyes drift up beyond the reach of the jeep lights and into the darkness that seem impenetrable.

There were eyes there, surrounding us from above. My heart started to hammer as I felt them growing more numerous, I felt them looking down at us.

“I-I…” I stammered. Candido pressed in close to me and I felt him go stiff.

“Aim up!”

“Son of bitch, how many are there?”

“I can’t see a damn thing!”

Claire took a deep breath as he peered up.

“What… is it, Claire?”

“Powerful,” she said. “But… I can’t tell how many there are… no heart beats. No movement…They’re not young like the others were.”

I didn’t like the sound of that, but the werewolves around me started to aim up at the circle of eyes looking down at us.

Silence filled the area, and for a long moment, it was just the sound of our breathing.

A flicker of light began to glow, warm and soft, like a small sun though the air didn’t heat up.

“Watch it,” Candido growled.

It bobbed and seemed to melt into a ring of light above us and descended. I saw the same figure that had helped Candido and I escape before as they stepped into the air and seemed to just hover there.

We were surrounded again.

“I thought I said not to come back.”