NIRVANA “Zarah, what are you doing here?” I grabbed my coffee and I met her in the hallway. “You didn’t know?” “Did they find a sick werewolf?” Kailin asked her as we got out of the pack house. “Tucker and Dad have prepared the cell.” “It’s Gage.”’ The way Zarah said, I instantly felt the hesitation and sorrow in her voice. “What about him?” “They’re on the way to bring Gage.” That was all she said. “Gage is infected?” Blinking, I asked in shock. “How did it happen?” “That’s all I know. Knight just called me to tell me that they got one.” I held her wrist. My eyes stung with tears. “You can’t do that. You can’t experiment on him, Zarah. He’s part of our pack. I won’t let you do that.” “We have no choice.” I’d never seen Zarah so cold until now. It was like she blocked her emotion somewhere no one could reach it. “How do we know the dagger works if we wouldn’t try it?” “How do we know if it kills the virus can kill Cyrius?” “Why are you second-guessing right now, Nirvana? W
NIRVANA “What happened?” He looked devastated. Watching his pack member slowly being destroyed by a virus must have been very difficult for him. “Nothing.” I tried to smile and hugged him tight. “You’re upset.” He hugged me back. “I’m so sorry, baby, this happened to Gage.” “Thank you, sweetheart.” He sighed deeply, and he hadn’t let me go. “I hope he would be the last one. I can’t take this. Watch the people I cared about slowly dying before my eyes.” I pulled away and cupped his face. “I know this is hard, but we will do everything to find a way to stop this madness. Gage will be the last one to be infected. This has to end, Knight.” “I hope so.” Watching him so helpless almost broke my heart. “We should go.” McKaye came. “He’s cooperative, but he’s getting worse, Alpha.” “Is Zarah not here yet?” I dropped my gaze in shame. “I made a mistake. I said something terrible to her. I’m sorry.” I cried again. My tears fell like a stream. “Hey. It’s okay. I’ll call her again. Don
KNIGHT I quickly mind-linked everyone down the bunker. “Get out of there now! All of you.” My heart hammered in my chest. What terrified me was they were my best enforcers. Cyrius was targeting them. He knew exactly how we think. Then it hit me. It was probably true that he could get into the infected brings’s mind to control them. I went down with my superspeed. I found Luka was still inside, while Gage seemed to be terrified. His eyes widened as if he felt something happening inside him. “Oh, shit!” Luka saw it, too. He was just staring there, rigid, somehow shocked even to move and follow my order. “Luka!” When my adrenaline kicked in, I completely forgot that Luka and I had almost the same weight. I gripped his arm and pushed on his chest outside the vault room, landing him at Uncle Lennox’s feet. Then, I rushed out and pushed the door quickly. McKaye was fast, and his mind worked better in desperate times, just like his training and expertise in mixed martial arts. He cam
KNIGHT “You already did, Knight. I wish you could have been more upfront so we know what’s happening and how to deal with it.” “I’m so sorry, uncle.” “You didn’t realize you put me and the entire pack at risk. I’m an elder, for Goddess’s sake, and I have a say in this. I may have known something that could help you, but you chose to work with them and with vampires. Really?” I dropped my gaze as I breathed deeply. I felt ashamed and hurt that I hurt the person who trusted me and who never gave up on me when my parents were gone. “Elder Lennox, we found a book that said something that may help defeat Cyrius. The reason why we work together with the vampires is because we may need our blood to create a weapon.” Nirvana chose her words carefully, and I admired that she considered my uncle’s feelings. “What book? Where did you find it?” “After I died, Ambrose—” “Ambrose? The same Ambrose?” “Yes.” She swallowed hard. “My great great great grandfather.” “I can’t believe I’m hearin
NIRVANA “What’s going on?” I asked everyone when they received texts, except me and Zarah. When they read the message and looked at me, I raised my brows, waiting for them to break the tension inside the bunker. “What is it?” Zarah asked. Instead of a reply, Knight growled. His eyes glowed as he showed us his phone’s screen with my picture. I widened my eyes at how my picture looked— like a mug shot. “Why is my picture on your phone like I’m some kind of a criminal?” “It’s an APB, a BOLO to all werewolves. Fuck.” His face was red in anger. His jaw clenched, and his phone almost cracked in his grasp as he stared at me, so pissed off and dangerous. “Why would the Council make this sudden move?” Lennox asked. “So, I’m wanted now? They didn’t even know me, and I’m not a werewolf.” “When Knight let you become a part of his pack, he sent your profile to the council as a registration. That’s mandatory,” Zarah explained, but it still didn’t make any sense unless they knew something w
NIRVANA I stopped when they just stared at me as if I turned into a blue alien president of the confederacy until I realized the alpha was around, and I just gave him an order. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have given you the order.” “Go on. That was a good idea,” Knight said, backing me up. “Are you sure?” I looked at Knight. The ring around in his eyes almost glowed again. “You’re the Luna. Everyone will listen to you.” “Right. We will shut down any operation in the vineyards and winery. If you want to protect me, I’d be honored. If you wish to go, I won’t hold any grudges. I don’t want you to feel obligated to save my butt. As much as you want to end this plague, I want you to save yourselves. If you stay for our alpha, I’ll be indebted to all of you and do my best to protect you all. Thank you.” Kailin pressed a button on her phone. She sent and done. “You recorded what I said?” “Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?” She arched a brow. “I could have given a better speech?” I grin
KNIGHT “I’m sorry.” Nirvana wanted to cry again but pushed her emotions back in control. “We just lost a good man, and here I am laughing at some stupid idea.” “But you’re right,” Zarah confirmed it to her. “Let’s get out of here. You should take some people. It’s safe down here.” “That’s the plan,” Kaleb said. Some of my pack are already waiting for us—at least fifteen heads, including women and older werewolves. “What should we do, Alpha?” Lucien asked. He’s one of the elders and Kaleb’s father. “You’re still here, Dad. I told you to leave.” “I can’t do it and save myself while everyone is here.” “Then go down with these people,” I told Lucien. “Take charge of the bunker. You know the code if things go wrong, and remind everyone never to open the vault. There’s a dead body down there, and it’s still probably contaminated.” “You hear our alpha. Let’s get down,” he said to the others who chose to stay. When they started moving, I turned to Kaleb. “You can stay with your fath
NIRVANA Tension suddenly rose in the vineyards. I could smell everyone’s fear and anxiousness in the air as they started to arrive to help us defend our territory, but anyone could also turn and betray us. I looked at at least nine unfamiliar heads. I did not doubt Califf’s enforcers, Zack, Lyon, and Tor, but these guys remained strangers to me. “Thank you all for coming. I’m sure she needs no introduction. She’s very popular these days. This is my mate, Nirvana.” “We’re here to help, Alpha Knight, Luna Nirvana,” the guy in his mid-twenties said. If I remember right, his name was Ben from Crimson Heart, Alpha Ryden’s pack. “I don’t know how long it would take, but you can always leave. I will divide your assignments, and I’ll be checking every now and then.” Knight looked down at the map of his property. “I will take care of the northeast. It’s near my house.” “Is this a cliff?” Ben pointed at the map on the southeast. “Yes. That’s the end of my land. Outside of that is the val