Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Kane POV
“Mother, are you sure this is the place?” Axel asks, sniffing the air. “I’m not picking up any scents, let alone Elara’s.”
“It’s because this place is under a spell,” Mother clears her throat awkwardly. “A witch’s concealment spell. You won’t pick up so much as a mouse.”
“This shit just keeps getting better and better,” I mutter under my breath and close my eyes.
“Elara, can you hear me?” I mind link and wait in anticipation.
“Kane?” She replies anxiously. “Are you close?”
“Yes,” I answer, keeping my insecurities to myself. Goddess knows if this is the place or not. “How many people are there?”
“I don’t know,” she sighs. “I’ve only seen Anton.”
“Okay,” I reply, trying not to sound discouraged. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Mother,” I turn to her. “Stay in the car. Come on, Axel.”
“So, what?” Braden grunts. “Am I chopped liver?”
“You’re a pebble in my shoe,” Axel snaps. “An irritation, a ...”
“That’s enough, Axel,” I cut him off, on the verge of laughing. “We’re going in blind and need all the help we can get.”
“Exactly,” Braden grins viciously.
“But you’re following our orders,” I growl a warning. “Or I’ll kill you myself.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Braden rolls his eyes. “Keep the testosterone for the bad guys.”
I ignore him and turn towards the building. I hope Mother is right, because this is our only lead.
The three of us creep closer, moving from tree to tree, bush to bush. We still cannot hear or smell anything, and I wonder if we are even in the right place. But just as I reach for the door, I hear a low growl behind me.
“Oh, shit,” Axel grunts as I swing around, looking at four grey wolves. “We have company.”
Before I can do or say anything, Braden grabs one around the neck and buries his fangs into it. Wolves lunge towards me and Axel. I grab the nearest wolf’s front paw and slam him into the ground with all my strength.
“Go!” Braden shouts, blood dripping from his fangs. “Axel and I can handle this. Get Elara, we’ll catch up.”
“Go, Kane,” Axel urges as he shifts and attacks.
I yank open the door, entering quietly and cautiously. I sniff the air, but it is still hopeless. Fortunately, the building is old and not big. If Elara is here, she will not be far.
I look around, this is most likely the most peculiar place I have seen in my life. I am standing in what appears to be a combined kitchen and dining room with five similar metal doors. The oddest thing is the eerie silence when the door closes behind me. I cannot hear the fight outside at all.
I move to the first door, open it and look inside. It is a holding cell, a very basic holding cell with a sorry excuse for a bed and a disgusting bucket. I do not know anything about vampires and witches, but as a wolf, I know there is no way in hell we will get through this steel door. Imagining Elara being locked up in this room makes my blood boil.
The second room is exactly the same, and just as I am about to move on, another door opens. I quickly duck back into the room and peek around the door. And there he is, Anton.
Like lightning, I jolt out of the room. Anton looks at me with big eyes as I lunge at him, but I grab him by the cloak before he can react and throw him against the wall.
“Motherfucker!” I yell, pulling him up and pinning him against the wall. “Where’s Elara?”
“She’s safe,” Anton chokes out. “I saved her, Kane.”
“Saved her?” I growl, tightening my grip.
“Saved her!” I lose control of my temper and toss him through the air into the opposite wall.
“You fucking kidnapped her, you asshole,” I straddle his chest, my fingers cramping around his neck.
“I had enough of you.” I squeeze harder. Anton claws at my hands, trying to break free.
“Kane, let him go,” Braden shouts.
“He’s right,” Axel adds. “We need him for answers.”
I stare into Anton’s beady little eyes, my chest heaving as I fight my wolf and anger.
“Fuck!” I slam my fist into the floor beside his head.
“Get up!” I pull him to his feet. “And take us to Elara.
Elara POV
The door opens, and I jump up when Anton enters. He looks terrified and even paler than usual. But then Kane and Axel follow him, and I understand why ... they are furious. Anton might be an elder, but that will not save him from the Alphas’ fury.
“Elara,” Kane sighs my name, and a warmth spreads through me as he rushes over and pulls me into his arms.
“Unchain her, you dog!” Axel shoves Anton forward and onto his knees.
Axel rubs my back, and Kane holds me close as Anton frees my ankle from the chains.
“Now we can kill you,” Axel sneers, grabbing Anton by the collar.
“Axel, don’t!” Braden stops him, and I look up, surprised to see him. “You still need him.”
“You don’t understand,” Anton shakes his head. “I was keeping her safe. If Gustav and the other Elders found out about her vampire side, they would kill her on the spot.”
Kane’s face morphs from anger to confusion as he looks down at me. Axel and Braden’s faces also twist into surprised expressions. So, this is how they all find out what I am?
“Can we go home, please?” I break the uncomfortable silence. This is not a conversation I want to have half-dressed in this horrible place.
Axel and Kane are looking at me intensely, and I cannot tell what they are thinking. Even their minds are silent. What if they decide I am no longer worth the trouble because I am half vampire, and leave me here?
“She’s right,” Braden comes to my rescue. “This hellhole is not the place to discuss anything.”
“I’ll take him to the dungeon,” Axel growls, his finger digging into Anton’s shoulder.
“Rather not,” Braden clears his throat. “I mean, if somebody hears or sees you’re locking him up, there will be questions. Questions you might not be ready to answer.”
“We should take him to the mansion,” I add quickly. I do not like Anton, but he has the answers I need. “It wouldn’t be strange for an elder to visit the alphas.”
“How many guards do you have?” Axel looks at Anton. “And who knows you’re here?”
“Four guards,” Anton replies. “They’re the only ones who know about this.”
“You mean were,” Axel grins. “We killed them.”
Anton pales to the point that he is translucent, and his knees buckle.
“Fine,” Kane growls, picks me up and carries me to the car with Axel, Anton and Braden on our heels.
