Lena’s POVA wave of anger coursed through my body, realizing Evelyn’s intent. After torturing my mother for years, I couldn’t let her harm my mate. They destroyed my family, leaving me an orphan for the last twenty years of my life, but not anymore. I intended to rescue my mother and end Evelyn’s story once and for all. “We’ll kill her instead. None of her minions can stop us.” Zephyrus tightened his hold on my hand and led me away. I knew no one would attack us as long as we were with the humans. The sun was mellowing, and it was getting colder as we left the Lafferty’s Canyon and forged ahead. Once out of the human hiking spot, we shifted into our wolf form to cover as much distance as possible. I matched his speed with ease, but repeatedly, I could sense a shadowy figure stalk us throughout the way. “Can you feel its presence, Zephyrus?” I whispered breathlessly.“Yes. I’m waiting for an opportunity to grab hold of it.” “Do you think the Shadow Wolves are back?” A shudder went
Lena’s POVMy head was spinning from the exhaustion and I couldn’t travel anymore.“Please, can we rest a little, Zephyrus?” He looked at me with concern and turned to Romanov. “Is there anywhere we can take shelter for the night?” “Yes, I’ve found a vacant cave close to the rapids. It’s a popular canoeing spot inhabited by humans. It lies in a restricted area and we can easily take shelter there in the night. Most of these monsters avoid such places.” We negotiated sharp, rugged peaks as he led us to a cave near the gushing rapids. On the leeward side, facing the drier grounds, the place was dry and we could easily rest in the night. Zephyrus arranged some leafy branches on the floor for me to rest on. “I’ll get some trouts for dinner,” said Romanov. “I’ll help him. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back.” I nodded, and Zephyrus left with Romanov to the river outside. I could hear them outside and it comforted me to know they were nearby. I rested my tired body on the makeshift
Lena’s POVLike a true guardian, Ikiaq guided us through the valley, covering as much distance as we could in the broad daylight. The place was the remotest and most uninhabitable region on the entire planet. Throughout our journey, apart from a handful of Dall sheep, caribou, grizzlies, and hawks, we hardly saw much. Maybe it was because of our speed.Urko was the fastest amongst us and we struggled to keep pace with him. Zephyrus, although fast, opted to stay by my side rather than rush. I was thankful for his presence near me. He cared for me in ways that left me flabbergasted. Every step I took, he was there to guide me. “Let’s stop for a drink. Lena’s thirsty,” he announced, totally surprising me. How did he know I was extremely thirsty? We stopped for me near a frozen lake. Zephyrus broke the ice to create a perfect hole for me to drink the water. Everyone lapped up the water greedily, the exhaustion taking a toll on us. We had to run across the uninhabitable territory, avoidin
Lena’s POV“Lena, stop!” Zephyrus’ voice halted me at the mouth of the cave, bringing me out of my trance. He and Ikiaq were beside me in a split second to guide me back to the others. “Where were you off to? Didn’t I tell you to stick to my side?” scolded Zephyrus, nudging me closer. I shuddered at what would have happened to me if I had gone into the cave. “It’s not her fault. Bronco is a master of hypnosis. He might have pulled her towards him,” said Romanov when we reached him.“Yes, I could feel someone beckoning me towards the cave through a mind-link. It wasn’t Evelyn this time.” Zephyrus instantly readied his sacred sword to fight the enemy. “Where’s Bronco? Is he inside the cave? Can you see him?” “He’s a shape-shifting vampire! I can feel him around us, but he can’t appear as long as the sun is still up. These creatures cannot tolerate sunlight,” informed Romanov while I shuddered at his description.“Stay close, Lena. I can feel his presence near me,” whispered Zephyrus.
Lena’s POVZephyrus sprinkled Annabeth’s magical silver dust to make us all invisible. The cave was enormous and we could easily walk in. We entered the cave cautiously but before we could reach the open door at the other side, a loud hiss made us stop. We were instantly on our guard, knowing it was none other than Sergio. We stayed as quiet as possible to gauge the monstrosity of the creature. The walls of the cave vibrated as a giant serpent with huge fiery eyes slithered through the door towards us. It was larger than Ikiaq as well! For the first time, we were glad to be invisible! The serpent’s evil eyes looked around for us. Maybe it could sense our presence in the room. It was the opportunity we needed to target its third eye to kill it. Zephyrus sprang towards the creature. Before he could see the sword, Zephyrus pierced it into the gigantic eye in the center of his head. A loud earth-shattering hiss pierced the air as the creature writhed in pain, thrashing frantically in the
Lena’s POVThe corridors looked much used, but not a soul could be seen around the place. It stretched on and on until we felt exhausted, covering its entire length. “I think she’s using her evil sorcery to divert us,” said Zephyrus, breathing hard from the exhaustion. My legs ached from overuse and I could totally understand his condition at the moment. Yet he didn’t show any annoyance. “Maybe she wants to drain us out so that we can’t fight her,” said Ikiaq. “You’re right. Can’t you use your psychic powers to lead us to her?” asked Urko hopefully. “I’ll try, but I can’t do black magic.” He lighted a flame using the lighter and closed his eyes, using his psychic powers like earlier. Within minutes, he created a fiery ball and released it in front of us. The fire burned down the path in front of us, making us realize it was nothing but an illusion! We were in the middle of an enormous cave with cages attached to the walls surrounding us. Each cage had a strange creature imprisoned
Lena’s POV“No, wait. First, revive her, please!” I clasped my paws and pleaded with her. I couldn’t let her leave without freeing my mom from her magic spell.“I will once you surrender yourself to me.” I gaped at her, the words finally registering in my brain. She wanted to capture me right now. No, I couldn’t let her do it. If she used the same magic spell on me, it would be impossible for Zephyrus to find me. “I will surrender myself if you let me meet my mother once. I want her to see me. Please, I promise!” I begged, trying to be as convincing as possible. I knew I would never keep my promise. It was as fake as the smug smile on Evelyn’s face. “I can grant your wish, but you only have two minutes with your mother. In the meantime, I’ll feast on your little army.” Her loud, evil cackle echoed around the small room as she took in the horrified look on my face. She turned towards my mother and muttered something with her eyes closed, pointing her index finger towards her. With a
Lena’s POVEvelyn pushed me forward, her arm like a steel band around my shoulders. I could feel her icy breath on my neck and it made me shudder. What if she plunged her fangs into my skin? Once out of the doorway, I could see the anxious face of my mate, who stood helplessly in front of us with his sword. At that moment, I realized my mistake. If I hadn’t appeared abruptly, he would have decapitated Evelyn! “Fast! Don’t you want your mate back?” she hissed impatiently. I could understand his dilemma and looked around for a way to escape. The rest of our companions stood behind Zephyrus, all except Ikiaq. Where was he? Was it his cry I heard a while ago? “No, Zephyrus, don’t hand over your father’s sword. I’m immortal, just like my mom is. She can’t kill me,” I cried out while Evelyn tightened her hold on me. “I’ll do the same to you as I did to your mom, girl! Watch that tongue of yours!” I knew she wasn’t giving out useless threats, but I wouldn’t let Zephyrus give in to her.