Xander POV
As my men gather together, I walk toward them. They are all going to have questions, which I understand, they had to stand there while the roots held Killian and Garrick in place. They were told not to enter the Hollow, because we didn’t want it to look like we were going in ready to attack.
Killian and Garrick are standing at the front and waiting as I walk over.
“I notice that you’re no longer trying to get Serafine close, has it been resolved?” Killian asks, and I nod.
“We don’t know what it was, or why it happened, but yes. The moment we were in the Hollow, I realised I didn’t have that urge anymore. It’s gone and hasn’t come back.”
“Do you know what it was?” Garrick asks.
Sighing, I rub my face. “I’ve got ideas, but I’m sure Serafine will confirm it. I’m thinking it could have been a test of our control, could he move past those urges and come to the Hollow despite how we were feeling?”
Killian nods. “I would say that as well, especially if it stopped when you got into the Hollow. Either that or the Hollow caused it for other reasons.”
He could be right. “That’s not important right now, it’s resolved at least for now anyway. We need to discuss something else.”
“You mentioned making camp slightly west?” Garrick asks. “There’s only one pack west, why don’t we go there?”
“Because Serafine needs time to practice her magic,” I explain.
“Why? We still don’t know why we’re going West!” one of the guards at the back calls out.
“Serafine saw visions, one guided her to go west, to find the thing that’s killing crops,” I explain.
“How far? Alpha, how far west are we expected to travel exactly?” someone else asks.
“Two days of traveling,” I reply. The murmurs get louder, shocked voices and wide eyes. “I know what you’re thinking, three days travel and we hit the Fae border, but we’re not going into Fae territory.”
Someone laughs. “But we’re getting close, and if they sense we’re there, what’s to stop them coming out and causing a war?”
“Honestly? I won’t lie, there’s nothing preventing the Fae from coming out and causing a war with us, the fact is that’s where the issue starts.”
“Gideon used to travel that far west,” Killian says, and I nod. “You know that, is this connected to him?”
“We don’t know; all she knows is someone has caused this. I didn’t get the full story yet.”
“So we’re expected to walk in there without all the details?” Samuel laughs and looks from me to Serafine.
My head shakes. “You’re welcome to leave, Samuel. No one is forcing you to be here. I’m sure Killian would have told you, our own crops have died now that Serafine and Eryx aren’t there. That’s the reason, we’re doing this.”
“Which is unfortunate, but you’re expecting us to follow blindly a woman who was the daughter of Gideon? How are you so sure that this isn’t her plan the entire time? You want us to follow just another woman from the pack without any evidence?”
“She is my Luna!” I roar and step closer to him. That makes her your Luna. If you have an issue with that, Samuel, go back to the pack, get your family and leave. Other packs may not value their Luna’s views, but ours always respects the formales.”
He scoffs. “Always respect the females? You didn’t even respect her when she first showed up, you bought her as a chest piece on the board. Now you expect us to bow down to her purely because you do?”
10:31 Sun, 22 Jun G
Chapter 138
My fists clench, and I take a slow, deliberate step forward. Killian pushes between us.
“Samuel,” Killian grits out. “You know full well you can leave the pack, you stay though because your mate is treated equally, remember that, You can’t expect people to treat her as an equal and then refuse to treat our Luna the same.”
Samuel’s glare sharpens. I know he had issues with this, with all of it, but he’s bitten his tongue for most of it. He’s one of the stronger guards we have, so I don’t want to lose him.
“You’re free to return to the pack and stay out of this,” I say. “I will not, however, tolerate anyone saying anything bad about Serafine. Yes, there’s a lot we don’t know, there are unanswered questions, the fact is, I can’t give information we don’t have.”
“But Serafine can,” Samuel snaps.
“No, she can’t. I’m trusting her to tell me what is needed; if she doesn’t tell me everything, there’s a reason. Make your choice, Samuel, as we’ve argued over this long enough, and we have to plan before moving to make camp.”
Standing, I wait for him to make his decision, it’s not one that I can make for him. His eyes go from me to Serafine, and I can understand his worry. She’s my mate, and Luna and I’m worried about the parts she’s not sharing with me.
“I’ll stay, I trust you, Alpha, to not take us somewhere that is a trap.”
I don’t deserve that trust, because I’ve no idea what is waiting for us in this place we’re about to go to. I can only hope it’s nothing bad, and if it is, that we’re able to handle it.
“Good, now let’s discuss the plan. We’re going to need two teams, so while half sleep, the other half are awake.”
“I can handle that,” Garrick says, and I give him a quick nod.
#
“We’re going to need round–the–clock drivers. I plan for us to stop for an hour here and there, but we don’t stay in camp for long, maybe four to six hours, then we move again. Any longer than that and we’re at risk of rogues attacking and such.” Sure, after what happened before, they shouldn’t, but it’s not a guarantee.
“Is the aim to get there before two days?” Garrick asks.
behind to protect the cars and such. I “Yes, if we travel throughout most of it, then it might be a day and a half, the sooner we get there, the better.” I wait for anyone to raise an argument, but they don’t. Good. “We’re going to need two teams, one that will go with me and Serafine, and a team tha won’t lie, we don’t have any idea what we’re going to face, there could be no one there, or an army.”
Samuel’s jaw tightens at my words, his eyes flashing with rage.
“I’ll deal with sorting out two groups, I’ll make sure both have the essentials within them, fighters, strength, speed, and such,” Killian explains, and I nod.
“Good, I need one specific team, those with heightened senses, they will be required to run the perimeter whèo Serafine is testing her magic. If anyone gets too close, make us aware.”
Killian nods and goes to answer, but Samuel cuts in.
“I’ll join the team that checks the perimeter, my skills are better used there, then Killian can decide which group to add me to when we arrive,” he says “Thank you, Samuel,” I say. He’s not wrong; his skills will help secure things. He’s the sort of wolf with everything; he is one of the best fighters, but is the quickest and has amazing senses. If anyone is going to sense someone getting close, it would be him.
Turning, I look at Killian. “Did you find a spot away from here that we can camp for a few hours?”
He places down the map and points. “I have, but why are we moving a short distance for a camp? Why not stay here?”
“This is too close to the Hollow, we don’t know much about it, and after seeing how it treated you, Garrick and Helena, I would rather not risk one of the guards stepping over the boundary by mistake.”
10:31 Sun, 22 Jun
Chapter 138
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5
“You think it will attack?” Garrick asks, his eyes go to the trees and linger there for a moment too long before coming back to me.
“I think that we have no idea about this place, and it’s got something powerful to protect. So it won’t hesitate to stop threats.”
“And what is it?” someone behind Garrick asks. “What is in there that’s worth protecting?”
“There’s a tree, and it’s not normal. The roots are threads, clearly magic, and from what I can tell, other threads come from the tree and spread through the earth, going everywhere. Serafine believes the tree is life; if it dies, everything in the world dies as well.”
There are gasps, and everyone stands shocked.
“No, that’s not possible,” Samuel argues.
“It is.” Serafine’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn to see her. “Soulroot is the life source and the magic source. Without it, everything dies.”
The murmurs get louder.
“All I can tell you is someone is managing to pull the threads free from all our packs, killing them, and starving them of magic. If I find the source, the threads can go back, and everyone’s crops will be alive again.”
She turns then and walks away as if there’s nothing more to discuss. She’s said enough, though, for them to understand why this is important.
AD
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