Zira pushed against Isaiah’s chest, trying to get out of his embrace. “What the hell is your problem? Let me go Isaiah.” Isaiah ignored her and pulled her flush against his body as he stared at James. “Isaiah, you have to stay hidden before anyone sees you.”
“She’s right, Alpha…Isaiah,” James said through gritted teeth with an emphasis on his name. “You’re going to ruin the plan.”
Isaiah continued to stare at James before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He reluctantly let Zira go as she stepped back. “Sorry about that. I just think it’s best if you two don’t show affection so openly,” he almost growled with an emphasis on ‘affection’. “It could ruin the plan.”
Zira quickly moved away from Isaiah back to James’ side. She touched his arm thinking she needed to calm him down too, but he wasn’t as angry as she thought he would’ve been. Isaiah huffed at them and walked away back to his group.
“I’m sorry about that. I’m not sure what’s gotten into him.”
“I get it. If someone touched what was mine I would go crazy too,” James laughed, making his way to the bridge while Zira stared at him, a bit confused by his statement.
Zira had to quicken her pace to keep up with James as he quickly made his way towards the drawbridge. Her hands were itching to hold her son again. As they crossed over the drawbridge, they felt a weird sensation traveling throughout their bodies. It felt as if they walked through some kind of force field.
Underneath the drawbridge, the waters moved swiftly across the rocky bottom that led to a waterfall into the sea. They walked inside and immediately were surrounded by rogues.
“Check them for anything suspicious,” one of the rogues growled. He was the bulkiest of the lot, wearing a jacket with a wolf insignia on the back. Maybe he was the leader, Zira thought.
Once the rogues finished checking them, they were guided inside. James and Zira were led through the halls quickly until they walked into a huge open room. The room was in the shape of an oval, columns lined about six feet apart. All pointing to the far end of the room, revealing Alaia sitting on a deep red Victorian-style chair. She was wearing a long black cloak with a hood covering her face just above her lips. To her left stood Omega Lisa, holding a sleeping Arias in her arms.
Zira let out a breath of relief when her eyes caught a glimpse of her son, who looked unharmed. The tension on her shoulders finally relaxed, but only for a while. She glared at Alaia, who lounged lazily on the chair looking at them with a grin.
“Well, it took you long enough,” she said, taking off the hood.
Zira took a step back. Alaia had visibly changed since the last time she saw her. Her skin was as pale as the moon, which made the black spider veins creeping on the side of her face very prominent. Her eyes, though sullen, looked almost white than the crystal blue as before. In all, she looked like a ghost.
“The little brat here was a handful. I’m sorta glad I didn't have one.”
James growled and clenched his fists at his side while taking a threatening step towards her. “Let’s just get this over with. Me for the kid, Alaia.”
Alaia smiled as her eyes traveled from James to Zira. “And you’re fine with that?”
Zira looked at James, feeling like this was going to be the last time she would see him. James told her not to worry, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t exactly know every part of the plan. She knew Alaia wasn’t going to let James go without a fight and if her son hadn't been there, that’s exactly what Alaia would’ve gotten. Zira had to resist and focus on one thing at a time. Arias.
“I just want my son,” Zira said through her teeth.
Alaia nodded to Omega Lisa, who began to walk towards Zira.
“It’s gonna be okay,” James whispered over his shoulders as he walked towards Alaia.
Alaia gripped the edge of her chair, resisting the urge to run to him. Surprisingly, she even felt her wolf perk up a bit. Something was pulling her to him. Maybe Elena finally realized that James was their true mate. The closer he got, the more it felt as if it was true. She already felt a bit weak from putting up a protection shield. She knew that they weren’t alone in coming to her but she had a plan for that.
“What is this,” James growled as he realized he was stuck in place.
Alaia was holding him in place. Not a second later, he heard a scream from Zira. He turned to see Zira held to the ground by rogues. He looked at Alaia as a slow smile crept across her face.
“We had a deal,” he growled at her.
“Oh goodie, Deacon’s out to play. Don’t worry. I won’t hurt her…yet,” Alaia said with an emphasis on ‘I’.
Alaia walked up to James, caressing her hands across his body. Somewhere deep down she felt a little electric tingling her fingertips. She couldn’t have been happier. She walked around James and set her sights on Zira, who was now on her knees with two rogues holding her down.
Zira realized if she was fast she could grab Arias and make a run for it. Zira kicked the legs of one of the rogues, making him fall back. She brought the other one down and over her head before reaching out to grab Arias, who disappeared right before her eyes.
“Do you think it was going to be that easy,” Alaia asked as a bone-chilling shiver creeped up Zira’s back. “I'll give you your son when James rejects you.”
Zira looked surprised for a moment before recovering as Alaia wore a sickening grin on her face. With the flick of her hand, she turned James to look at her.
“Reject her and I won’t harm either of them.”
James looked at Zira with a pained expression and she knew what he was going to do. She tried to link him but couldn't. Alaia stood next to him with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing that stupid smile as if she had already won. This was one of many moments she was waiting for.
“I’m sorry, Zira,” James said, looking away from her. “I, James Magus, reject you, Zira-”
“No!”
Unable to control her anger, Zira shifted and went straight for Alaia. She really wanted to wipe that stupid smile off her face.
*****************************
Zack and his group made it to the far side of the waterfall. The cobblestone was slick with water, making it difficult to get across, but they made it. The hidden cave was located behind the waterfall, covered with vines and rusted bars. Zack and Bronx grabbed ahold of the bars and pulled. The motion shook the entire cave with debris falling in multiple places.
“We can’t pull this out without bringing this whole thing down,” Zack said, stepping back. Mary walked up to the bars and examined them before squeezing right through. “Well, that’s one way to do it.”.
“Alright, let’s do this,” Mirja said excitedly. It'd been a while since she'd seen some action and she was getting tired of being cooped up in a pack where Zack watched her every move. She could feel his anxiety through their bond as she turned towards him. “It’s going to be fine. Stop putting your worries on me.”
Zack pulled Mirja into a hug. Her body went stiff in his arms before it relaxed and meld into his embrace. He knew she hated hugs, but at least with her she let him hold on for a few seconds before pulling away.
“Just be careful, please. It feels like I just found you yesterday,” Zack whispered against her neck before placing a kiss on his mark.
Mirja had the urge to pull away but instead she gave him this moment. This wasn’t the first time she fell for a wolf and she never truly recovered from the heart break. Zack could feel her uneasiness but he knew she was still working on it. At least through the past months she allowed him to mark her, so he still felt like a lucky wolf.
“Okay, okay. Evil doesn’t sleep. We have to go,” Mirja said, peeling her way out of his embrace. “Just be ready to charge the moment that protection spell is down. Come on, Henry.”
Mirja moved behind Mary, shimmering through the little hole provided for them.
“It’s…it’s Harry.”
Harry said, happily following behind them. The hole was just big enough for him to squeeze through. They waited as Zack pushed their bags through before moving forward. They stumbled through the wet steps of a cramped corridor and ran right into a force field. Mirja ran her hand across it, reading the magic.
“Henry-”
“It’s Harry.”
Mirja dismissed the correction. “I need your magic to break this protection spell. Well, at least create a little space to get through. Can you conjure up fire?”
Harry nodded as Mirja quickly pulled out a knife and cut an incision in her hand. She used the blood and placed it on the force field. She looked at Harry and nodded.
Harry brought forth fire and directed it towards the blood. It took a few seconds before a small slit opened up in the forcefield.
“Go through quickly,” Mirja yelled as they all squeezed through before the opening closed up.
They moved up the steps until they came upon a room. It was bleak and cold with mildew covering every surface. Mary went ahead as Mirja and Harry walked about to the room to find a dry place to draw the portal.
“These walls are too damp,” Mirja said, meeting them back in the middle. “We need to find someplace drier.”
“Or I could just portal them from the waterfall.”
Mary laughed at his simple-minded solution. “Yes, let's wait while you, what, portal about two people at a time. No, it’ll be easier if we just draw one.”
“Guys!” They both jumped from Mary’s shout and tried to cover it up. “I found a better room.”
Mary left before they could say anything and they quickly followed behind her. She led them up some creaky stairs to another room that was just as dark as the one before. This one was more arid and a great place to bring in the others.
“Ah! This is perfect, Marie.”
“It’s Mary,” Mary tried to correct her, but Mirja was already busy pulling things out of her bag.
Her belt which held her pistols and a necklace that held a vial of what looked like blood. She fastened the belt around her waist and pulled out three walkies to give to both of them. “Since we’re not connected, this should work for communicating. Henry-”
“Harry!”
Mirja smiled at him. “That’s what I said. As soon as I break the protection spell, you can open the portals.”
Harry gave Mirja a quick nod and began his work on the walls. Mirja and Mary went into the hallway.
“Alright, the moment you set up at the drawbridge, contact me ya hear. I don’t want it going off just yet. Do you have a weapon?”
Mary gave a tap on the bag slung around her shoulder. “Good and Mary. Be careful.”
Mary stealthily made her way down the hall, trying to remember the way to the drawbridge. She’s only been here a few times, but not enough to know where it was exactly. She turned a corner and quickly hid as she saw two rogues, a man and a woman, guarding a door. She may have taken a wrong turn somewhere. She was about to go back when she heard the cry of a baby. A baby?!
Zira’s baby was through those doors and she had to find a way to get through, but she didn’t know how to get rid of a rogue. She looked in her bag to find something that might help. There was a vial full of wolfbane she was saving for a critical moment, a spray bottle of pheromones, and a dagger she only used once on Omega Lisa.
There was no way she could take on one rogue, let alone two. What to do? What to do? She nervously looked at the items before her. She silently prayed to the Moon Goddess for courage as she rounded the corner. She pulled out the spray bottle and hid it behind her back as she got closer to the rogues who were eyeing her suspiciously.