“Is the Chaos pack still around?” Sion asked the question that was burning through my mind.
“There is no more Chaos pack,” Demetri said and I felt my heart sink. “The adults were all under mind control and met their end tragically…” I don’t know why but I felt a heavy weight on my chest. I guess I was hoping… that somehow some of them made it. “However, some of their children survived.” That ass.hole! Why didn’t he say that from the beginning? My eyes were now glued to his as I waited for him to finish.
“The living survivors are known as the Nova pack. Over the past 20 years, they have also taken others into their pack. It is a very… mixed pack. It is full of supernatural’s. Clover… you are their Luna.” My lips parted and I didn’t know what to say. “They have leaders, but they have been waiting for their luna and her officers to come and take charge.” Now what do I do? I was the Luna of the Chance pack. I couldn’t ask Sion to merge a group of unknown mixed species into his pack.
“If they are willing, after everything is settled, they can become part of the Chance pack.” Sion smiled as he looked down at me. “We have more than enough room and if they are your pack members, then they are your responsibility. Besides, as your mate, they are my pack too.”
Sion amazed me. He instantly took that worry off of my shoulders. He never even saw the Nova pack but was already offering this… because of me. How did I get such an amazing mate? He was always trying to make things easier on me no matter what challenges that meant for him.
“That is a very generous offer. Wouldn’t you like to meet the pack first before making such a decision?” Demetri looked at Sion, who looked down at me with a smile.
“No, there is no need.”
“They are also welcome to keep their pack and choose an alpha.” I didn’t know anything about this pack but maybe they would prefer not to merge with strangers.
“I think they will want to follow you. Most of them were old enough to remember and your parents left a lasting impact on them. I don’t know if anyone could ever lead them but you.”
I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. If this was the case, then why not come and get me earlier. I was planning on taking my officer’s oath. They could have come and taken me a long time ago. So why did they leave me in the Sulfur pack?
“Your safety was more important than anything, Clover. We were always worried you would be found out. The Nova pack was not willing to put their Luna’s life at risk just so you could be their leader. They wanted you safe and happy.” Okay, seriously, could Demetri read minds? Because this was just getting too weird.
“You have to be a mind reader.” I finally said, and I heard Odell snort.
“No, he isn’t. That is just an annoying habit of his.” I turned to look at Odell, who was looking at Demetri less than amused.
“So, you have been with him the past 20 years?” I asked and watched as she nodded.
“Yes. He was my link to you. I would bounce between the centaurs and the Nova pack.”
“So have you two hooked up?” Logan asked, making both Odell and Demetri laugh.
“No, Odell and I are almost like family at this point. Neither one of us is interested in the other.” Demetri’s face suddenly grew serious. His eyes glazed over, and I could see his body visibly tense. “We need to move. There are voidless nearing the mine.”
I felt Sion’s arm tighten around me as he looked around the cave. There were two openings behind us, and I remember how the path split before we came into this glowing blue room.
“The moor is compromised...” Demetri looked over at Odell.
“What about the crystal path?” Conner asked and watched as Demetri furrowed his brows.
“There could be crystal bats there. They would alert the demons to our presence.” I felt the tension rising in the air and noticed how Odell shifted her weight.
“Can’t we just fight the voidless?” Odell clicked her tongue.
“And what do you think will be following the voidless? They are the mindless minions. Something more powerful wouldn’t be far away.”
“Serpents path.” Sion said in a clear concise voice. “We will take the windy narrow tunnel. It is guarded by the nauc but I think that will be our best chance.”
“There is a nest of nauc in there.” Demetri groaned but slowly nodded his head. “But I think you are right... that may be our best chance.”
Nauc... I have never seen one before. A nauc was like a basilisk. A large vicious serpent. It was its own lord and had a voracious appetite. If we encounter a nest of nauc... could we survive?
“The path is too narrow for an ambush. Any fight will be one on one. So, this leaves two very important decisions. Who will be the head and who will be the tail? Everyone in the middle would be safe, so Clover would naturally be in the center.” Kai looked over the group and I felt my heart beating quickly. If we encountered a nauc someone would have to fight against them alone.
“I’ll lead.” Odell said confidently. “The tunnels are narrowly made so even the serpent beast won’t be able to curl and strike with ease. I have fought against a nauc before so having the most experience, I will lead. Does anyone else have nauc fighting experience? This should be who brings up the rear.”
“I do.” I heard Sion say the terrifying words. “I have fought against a nauc before, so I will follow behind everyone.”
“I have fought against a nauc as well.” Demetri smiled and shook his head at Sion. “Stay in the middle with Clover. As her mate, it is essential that you are also protected. Regardless of if you need it or not.” He winked at me as he said that last line. Okay... I actually felt better Sion was now getting the same treatment as me.
“Okay, let’s get going. I don’t want to give anything a chance of getting close to my mate.” Sion pulled me along at his side as he walked to the back of the room we were in.
“We only have to pass through one opening of the crystal cave. We should be able to go through it undetected. From here on out we need complete silence.” I could hear Demetri’s voice behind me. It seemed like no matter what we did we would be encountering risks. I don’t know why, but I had a bad feeling about this. Like something was about to happen... but I am sure I was just nervous. I was worried about everyone else, and it was giving me bad vibes.
I leaned into Sion’s side as we walked through one of the openings in the back. I was going to be ready to protect him if I had to. I wasn’t about to lose my mate or anyone else.
The air changed dramatically from one room to the next. The air was cool and crisp. There was a strange hollow-like sound as we stepped onto the strangely smooth surface below us. The silence was only interrupted by the sounds of drops hitting the water beside us. Our feet almost slid below us as we walked through trying to reach the other side of the cavern. This cavern was drastically colder than the room before.
The room wasn’t only dark but had a heavy ominous feeling. I knew Sion sensed it too because he gripped into me tighter. A piece of crystal rock fell from above us and the room echoed with the sound of it colliding in the pool of water. I was looking around in the darkness and noticed something shining above us. At first it was just a slit but then it widened. There were two strange white glowing orbs. Only they weren’t orbs. I stopped abruptly and Sion snapped his head to look at me. I motioned upwards with my head watching as his gaze found the same glowing dots.
“Damn.it.” He whispered. Everyone immediately looked up, noticing the same thing. A crystal bat. A creature aligned with demons and could telepathically send them messages. No doubt it had already informed the demons of our location now. This was confirmed by a thundering growl at the other end of the cave.
“How the hell... when did they take up residence here?!” Demetri said and I realized he had said the word they. I moved my head to get a better view and that was when I saw the eyes. Red glowing eyes began to pepper the dark room. Their teeth were bared as they slowly began to creep closer to us. Odell quickly shifted, leaping to the front, curling her body to act as a barrier in front of me. Then the wolves all began to shift. Sion kissed my forehead, “Stay back my love,” he muttered hastily, and a moment later his black smokey lycan was in front of me.
I couldn’t shift. I knew Sheena was there, but I couldn’t switch to her body. Dam.n this was a problem. I looked up to see the many red eyes glued onto me. The body moved as one as the heads began to spread out, each seeking a target. I knew what it was even without ever seeing one before. It was a hydra. There were six heads and each one had chosen a target. Once again, I stood there helplessly watching. My heart was beating out of my chest. The enormous body commanded the area as the heads bobbed back and forth in front of their opponents. It was as if they were taunting them.
My eyes were glued to the colossal smokey wolf as the head weaved in front of him. Saliva dripped from its fangs as a low growl ripped from its throat. It struck towards Sion and his lycan leaped to the side narrowly dodging the attack. The neck quickly retreated as Sion lunged towards it. The other heads also dived towards the others. Odell was the only one able to land a hit with her long talon like claws. Blood dripped from her claws as the creature bellowed. One of the eyes had been sliced blinding that one side of the creature.
“We don’t have to worry about killing it right now, we just need to remove its sense of sight. Then we can worry about finishing it off.” Demetri yelled, noticing what Odell had done. He must have liked her tactic and I honestly thought it was very clever. With this strategy, they had a chance.
With each strike, the momentum was changing. The room shook with the beasts' thundering cries as little by little he was losing vision. The iron smell stung my nose as blood began to trickle towards me on the ground. The blood formed together like a stream as it dripped into the water behind me. Then something happened... something none of us anticipated.
In a movement that no one expected, the hydra pushed off moving its body in the air. It was airborne and it leapt over everyone, landing in front of me. It successfully separated me from everyone else. I could hear Sion’s loud growls and Demetri’s yell. Oddly the creature's heads were still focused on the others and not me. It pushed its back against me and I lifted up my hands to stop it. I felt the scales rippling below my fingers as I slid back.
That was when I felt it.
Icy tenacles wrapped around my body. One second, I was on land and the next I plunged into the water. The chill of the frozen water restricted my lungs as I tried not to gasp for air that wasn’t there. The light of the surface was growing farther away as something continued to drag me into the watery abyss.