Chapter 388: Gossips
Nedra and August stood just inside the tree line of the sunny woods looking out at the containment facility.
"It is... impressive," August said, squinting at the two wings of the building that jutted out towards them.
One of them almost looked as if it were engulfed in flames, though it was just the effect of the architecture with its copper exterior and the interesting wavy lines of its facade. The other had trees and the green of growing things climbing its sides and interior such that one might think the island woods had been swallowed up by this part of the building. Apparently the other two wings faced the sea.
"What is the center part sticking up there?" she asked. It looked like the fruit crown of a pineapple made of gold and glittering glass reflecting the sun.
"The lotus. Inner containment is below it," Nedra answered.
"It’s pretty," August said politely.
This was Nedra’s creation, and it was impressive compared to the institutional building August had been expecting. And compared to a dark dungeon, it was likely a huge improvement for the alyko. But it was still a mere imitation of the outdoors that the alyko surely missed.
"When we go in, there will be lycan guards behind a central desk... at least two of them, perhaps more. I am going to tell them that Zagan sent me to have you put in the inner containment area. Hopefully they will let me do it myself," she explained.
"And if they don’t?" August chuckled. This didn’t sound like the greatest of plans, but she didn’t have a better one.
Nedra sighed heavily. "They will. Most of the lycans are scared of me," she said dismissively.
She wasn’t even going to consider another scenario at this point—she was just going to make this happen. If she pushed hard enough, they wouldn’t deny her. They were terrified of being punished by Seth or Zagan.
"And then once we are in there, what’s the plan?" August asked, forehead furrowing at the lack of an obvious exit strategy. "You’re just going to leave me in there, aren’t you?" She chuckled again, unsure as to why she was finding this so funny. Perhaps she was truly naive to be trusting Nedra on this.
"We will see who is in containment. You wish to see Maggie, and I want to make sure Sage isn’t in there... or Selah, though I doubt Selah would get caught. She passes as lycan quite well," Nedra muttered to herself.
"Passes?" August asked, catching how odd that last remark sounded.
"Are you ready?" Nedra asked, turning to scan the Luna who had likely been such a prize catch for Zagan, and yet he didn’t even seem to be missing her yet. She would guess that was either because he was distracted by Penelope’s presence or by his effort in avoiding Penelope’s presence. This mate theory of hers was getting better and better. If there were no other distractions, Zagan would have taken the Luna through the trials by now to see how strong her abilities are and with which elements they are attuned.
"If this goes well, I will take you to see my cottage. I have to pick up a book for Zagan," she said. "How does that sound?"
"I like that you are hopeful we will get that far," August snorted.
"I will say this, if the Goddess were to predestine any pregnant female to come here on a mission, I suppose a pregnant Luna makes the most sense," Nedra thought aloud. "At least you have all of those defenses on your side. No lycan in there will have any clue you are expecting. That’s the only reason I am even risking exposing you to any of them."
"Yes, that’s helpful," August muttered.
"Okay, let’s do this," Nedra said finally, turning to walk out of the woods and straight for the front entryway.
August hurried to join her, craning her head up to look at the two wings of the building that flanked the entryway. It was intimidating to approach. A lycan guard stationed just within the front door opened it and came out, meeting Nedra and August on the walkway.
"I am bringing her to inner containment," Nedra said before he could question them.
"The boss sent you?" his eyebrows pinched together.
It had never before happened this way. Typically a lycan would bring the alyko in for containment or, in very rare instances, Zagan would bring them in himself. But Nedra had never been sent.
"Given the extraordinary circumstances of today and the remarkable power of this one," Nedra gestured toward August, "he thought it best to send me just in case. She has cuffs on, but they have never been tested on someone with her ability."
The male’s eyes grew large as they darted to August as if he were expecting her to grow a second head. She gave him a menacing glare, and when he backed away a step, it took every ounce of her self control not to erupt into a satisfied grin.
"What about Seth?" the male asked, glancing suspiciously back at Nedra.
"He is on a mission," she said through gritted teeth. "Trying to retrieve one of those who disappeared. Surely you are aware of that much."
"Right," he grunted, and with that he finally backed away and let them pass.
"Hey Nedra," another male greeted her at the desk. "Checking out the building to see how your security was breached?" he asked, assuming her visit had something to do with the vanishing of the alyko from earlier.
"That and I am bringing this one to an inner room," she replied.
"It’s pretty wild how so many of them just disappeared, isn’t it?" the male asked, his eyes lighting up with the promise of a good mystery. "Does this mean there is finally an alyko who has bested you after all of these years?"
"I really don’t know how it happened," she shrugged with a small smile, matching his playful mood. "I suppose it’s possible."
"Is she the one?" the male pointed to August with a grin.
Nedra turned to glance at August. "Could be. He wants her in inner containment until we figure out the details of what happened."
"You are mated to an Alpha, right? That’s what I heard," he asked August as he pushed a button that buzzed them through to the elevator. "That’s a first. Maybe that’s the secret to your enhanced ability," he added, winking at her as both females passed the desk.
Once Nedra and August were both in the elevator, August chuckled. "Who knew lycans were such gossips."
