Chapter 72
My skin is on fire. My blood. Like it’s burning me from the inside out.
I’m on the land of the Sun. This place is poisonous.
‘No,’ I realize. ‘Not poisonous, Just poisonous to wolf shifters.’
But there is a way around this land curse. It only targets the part of me that is wolf. The human part would be left unharmed. The sun is literally trying to burn the wolf out of me.
I reach within me for the wolf. Once I feel like I have a grip on him, I push him down.
‘You need to hide,‘ I tell him. “The sun will burn you out of me. Go deep, hide within. I will find our mates.
I feel the wolf’s reluctance, but he obliges, disappearing into the caverns of my mind and soul where he won’t be found.
This is what Ariella’s wolf has done, I realize. Not fully, but something similar. She needs to coax her wolf out of her.
I push that thought away for later. I need to find her first.
The burning disappears from my skin and I stand up. No longer in pain, but greatly weaker. I flex my hands, there is little difference between me and an ordinary human now. But Sol will allow me to walk through his lands and temple so that’s a good trade off.
“Ethan! Ethan!” I turn. Cassandra is screaming.
“I’m fine,” I tell her calmly.
She buckets as the air of this land begins to harm her as well. “Hell! What is this?”
Kyle begins to burn as well.
“It’s Sol,” I tell them. “His power is still here. We can’t walk on these lands with our wolves. You have to push them down, make them hide in your minds,” I explain to both her and Kyle. “Make them almost nothing within you, and you’ll be safe here.”
They both look apprehensive, but I wait for them to go within and seal their wolves off. Kyle takes the first step and nothing happens.
Cassandra crosses next and winces.
“Push her further away,” I instruct immediately.
A pained look crosses Cassandra’s face, but she nods. This is harder for women, they are the Moon’s daughters. And Sol had once favored men. “What will happen if we shift?” Cassandra asks.
“My best guess,” I tell her. “We would be in excruciating pain, possibly even burst into flames.”
“Oh, Goddess,” Cassandra murmurs.
“Probably best to not call on her here, either,” I tell her. “As a precaution.”
“We’ll have no power like this,” Kyle says, his voice filled with worry. “Evelyn We’ll stand even less of a chance against her now.”
I grimace.
was already so powerful before when we had our wolves to rely on.
“The main objective is to get to Ariella and Maya and get them out of here,” I instruct them both. “Fighting is a last resort that we hopefully won’t
need.”
We being walking further into the city, and as long as our wolves are pressed down, the walk feels more or less normal.
“The soldiers that will come to help us,” Kyle says worriedly. “They won’t be able to cross. They’ll feel pain and not know what to do.”
It’s a tough reality but it is what it is. We’re on our own.
“They’ll either go back or figure it out,” I tell him. “We focus on the city.”
a
quick
search and extraction. We can be back before they even reach the border of
“Do you think Ariella can be here?” Kyle asks again. “The sun would have tried to burn her even worse than us. She has a baby wolf within her.”
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“She’s here,” I tell him grimly.
If the way to save our baby is here, then there is no question that she came this way. And there is nothing that would have stopped her from going forward, not even a burning skin.
“Do you think she would have known to push her wolf down?” Cassandra asks worriedly. “Or would she be in pain this entire time?”
“Maya is with her,” Kyle reassures her. “The witch would have cast a protective charm over Ariella.”
“Why would Ariella even come to this place?” Cassandra moans. “It’s so poisonous to us, and don’t we already have enough things and people trying to kill her as it is?”
I don’t answer immediately.
There seems to be genuine concern in her voice for Ariella. I’m not sure I fully trust her yet again, but she is remorseful. Even I can see that.
I know why Ariella fled. Why did she run away from the Palace? From me. But I can’t say the reasons out loud.
I don’t even want to think about it any longer.
“It’s because of me,” is all I admit to Cassandra. “I suggested saving her life and letting the child die. This is her last resort.”
“You did what?” Cassandra gasps with shock, “No wonder she’d do something this crazy to save her child; you basically backed her into a corner. What were you thinking?”
“I was considering every option where I didn;t have to lose both of them!” I hiss at her, “I’m a king and an Alpha, I have to make tough decisions. But it was not the right decision… I know that.”
Cassandra falls silent on the matter, and we continue on. My breathing grows heavier, and my limbs feel increasingly weighed down. The toll this place is taking on me is substantial, and neither Cassandra nor Kyle seems to be faring any better.
Ariella’s scent becomes stronger and I’m injected with new vigor.
“She’s in there!” I point to the large structure in the center of the ruins.
“It looks like the old sun temple,” Kyle comments.
We climb the steps and are about to enter when a lone figure steps outside to greet her.
“Little sister, Your Majesty, Kyle,” Lilith greets us smugly, “You’re just in time for the birth…too bad you won’t make it inside to see the new member of the family.”
“Step aside if you know what is good for you” I growl vehemently. No one is going to get between me and Ariella.
Lilith however, simply laughs.
“Oh I’m sure that usually gets you results, Ethan, but right now in this place you are nothing more than an insect, barely stronger than a human.” She grins, her eyes turning bright red.
“I on the other hand am being protected by my mother–in–law, and she has bolstered my strength to that of an Alpha. You don’t stand a chance.” “Lilly, please!” Cassy negs, stepping in front, “Please don’t do this, this is not right. This isn’t what mom would have wanted!”
“Shut up, you stupid child!” Lilith snarls, “You’re such a weak piece of trash, I can’t believe we’re related. This is what we do to gain power. This is what needs to be done. If you don’t have the stomach for it then you don’t deserve to live.”
“Lilly” Cassandra stares in shock, her sister’s words breaking her.
“Enough of this,” I growl, “I don’t care how strong Evelyn has made you….I will kill you!”
I lunge at her, pulling a dagger from my belt and aiming at her throat. But she’s too quick. She side–steps me, punching my gut. I am sent to the ground. My body reeling from the shock.
Lilith charges at me but both Kyle and Cassndra intercept her, taking her by surprise.
Kyle grabs my fallen dagger and plunges it into Lilith’s leg. She stagers back, screeching as she tries to pull it out.
“Go!” my beta yells at me, “Cassandra and I will handle her, you just get Ariella and get her out! Now!”
I hesitate but he is right. Slipping past Lilith is the only way now, and time is running out. I feel like a coward, but run as fast as I can into the
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Chapter 72
temple.
I hear grunts and screams, followed by the howling of Lilith shifting into her wolf. I focus on my task and follow the scent through the dark dusty halls of the temple.
I reach a large chamber and sigh a breath of relief when I see Ariella.
She is tied to a stone pillar by magic, along with Maya.
I rush to her and try to break her free from her magic bonds. Ariella’s eyes flutter open.
“Eth…..an… is that really you?” she croaks. She’s in pain, I can see the affects labor is having on her.
“It’s me. I’m going to get you out of here!”
Her eyes widen as she looks at something over my shoulder. I hear the laughter from familiar voices.
Turning around, it takes all my power to keep my wolf at bay when I see Evelyn and Marcus behind me.
This is not good.
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