Chapter 216: Preparations for the Eclipse
The week passed in a flurry of activity, as the pack continued to make preparations for the upcoming eclipse.
The air was thick with tension, and every day I woke up to the sound of bullets firing against moving targets as pack members practiced their shooting skills blindfolded. On the very first morning, I thought Fangborne was under attack until I saw Blaise on the grounds, instructing his wolves on how to aim.
Personally, I had never seen so many guns in my entire life, but that wasn’t all.
Since the pack would be hampered in terms of their physical strength, Damon’s alternative was to make sure that every member of his pack was armed to the teeth with ranged weapons they could use expertly.
Everyone, from the oldest grandma to the youngest pup, was given at least a weapon to protect themselves with, along with a basic phone to ensure that they could still contact someone during the eclipse. Without their wolf, the pack link was all but useless, so there had to be alternatives.
There was some grumbling from the young pups about how lousy the phones were, but Damon’s death glare shut them up faster than lightning. He also ordered all the young pups to be housed in the Packhouse Sirius, instead of letting them live with their parents in their own houses. He didn’t want any children going missing or killed.
I understood that logic; if the vampires couldn’t get close to them, they couldn’t hurt them.
But that wasn’t all of Damon’s plans. No, it wasn’t even close.
In a fit of genius that bordered on insanity, Damon made nearly everyone train with silver in their hands to weaken them, so that they would better adapt to the loss of their wolf when the eclipse came. The pack warriors had to wear alloy vests made of silver and other metals so that they wouldn’t die immediately. It was a cruel, yet brilliant idea that made full use of Ironclaw’s silver resources.
Then, he also made sure to upgrade Fangborne’s security system so that Elijah and Kaine could spot invaders more clearly. I had no idea how long Damon must have planned for something like this, but he somehow managed to get his hands on electrical fences, temperature sensors, and a network of security cameras to bolster Fangborne’s defensive capabilities.
The only thing he couldn’t change was Darach’s condition.
Even after days of Nicole’s tender loving care, Darach was just as unresponsive as before when Blaise first hauled him out of the car. If not for the slow, steady beating of the machine hooked up to him, I would have thought Darach had died peacefully in his sleep.
"I don’t like leaving him here unprotected," Blaise confessed as he frowned at Darach’s still, unmoving body before we were about to make our way to the Forest of Selene. All of us had harbored high hopes that he would wake up in time for our journey to prove his father’s words wrong.
Unfortunately, Darach did not get the memo. Blaise sighed regrettably and poked his head.
"If only we could haul him there on a bed. Do you think we could put him in the boot?"
"Don’t you dare move him! He’s fragile enough as it is," Nicole said threateningly, popping her head out from another curtain. The infirmary was a lot busier than usual, due to the injuries sustained from Damon’s hellish training.
Soon, Darach would have to be moved to another, more secure room before the eclipse.
"We have no choice but to leave him here," Damon said with a huff. "I can’t believe that he’s still asleep after so long. Is he doing this to spite me on purpose?"
He glared down at Darach as though he had personally disappointed him, wanting nothing more than to shake him awake.
But Darach’s condition was so precarious that even a strong puff of air could blow him into the afterlife, which would give Alpha Thorton adequate reason to storm our grounds.
"I doubt Darach cares enough about you to spite you at the risk of his own health," I said dryly. "Nicole, will you let us know if his condition improves?"
"Of course, shoo, shoo, you guys have a long drive ahead of you," Nicole said, waving us goodbye. "Remember to bring your medicines and the first aid box!"
"Yes, Mother," Blaise said playfully, "You and Kaine better stay safe until we get back!"
I waved back to Nicole, and we made our way into the car to start our journey to the mythical place.
Other than the conference, I hoped that I would finally get more information about my situation.
Why on earth did I have two fated mates to begin with? Did Luna Cassidy’s ominous prophecy have any truth in it? Perhaps the Oracles would know.
***
We drove continuously for two and a half days, stopping by random gas stations to refuel when our tank grew empty and to heed nature’s call. Thankfully, Blaise had packed enough food for us to eat on the way, but I was ready to be out of the car by then.
I had spent two nights sleeping cramped in the back seat, and my back was paying the price. I couldn’t even complain since Damon and Blaise slept sitting upright like the monsters they were. As such, when we got closer to our destination, I eagerly stuck my head out of the window to look out, despite Damon’s disapproving glance.
The air here smelt so fresh and clean it was impossible for anyone to resist. Here, it seemed like nature itself was untouched by civilization, both man and wolf. The trees towered high above the sky, their leaves forming a cooling canopy over our heads.
Unfortunately, the path inside the forest was narrow― we had to go on foot.
I stifled a snort when I saw the messy conglomerate of vehicles parked outside the forest grounds. We weren’t the earliest pack, but hopefully we weren’t the latest to arrive.
"I guess the Oracles didn’t invest in parking lots," I mused, while Damon tried to look for a place to park his car that wouldn’t have him resting on a tree root or in a ditch.
"Maybe you can suggest it to them," Blaise said with a laugh. "They don’t talk to us, but they’ll definitely listen."
Damon scowled.
"Hey, that’s Elder Olive’s truck!" I pointed out excitedly as Damon made a turn.
"Might as well park next to him," Blaise added cheerfully. "Hornstead probably won’t slash our tires or scratch our car on purpose."
Unlike Thunderstrike.
I didn’t know which vehicle was theirs, but I had my eye on that long black limo that took up so much room on the flat level ground that everyone else had to scramble for parking space.
After Damon managed to wedge our car into the tiny bit of free space, we got out. The moment my shoes touched the mossy floor, I felt the air ripple around me, as though I had been plunged into an unbreakable soap bubble. I shivered at the sensation, but Blaise and Damon seemed particularly unbothered.
The wind whistled in my ears, and a woman appeared right in front of us, clad in white.
"Oracle," Damon bowed his head politely. "Thank you for receiving us."
The oracle stared unseeingly at Damon, before turning her unnerving gaze on me. Her pale lips opened, and she spoke.
"It’s you."
