The Rejected Mate

Chapter 118

Author's POV

118

I guess you all have made your decisions; lead the way." He asked them to lead the way because he knew that it was the last tunnel.

"This is the last, the very last. I can feel the taste of victory; we're moments away from leaving this hellhole and going back to our packs. Gabe, I can't thank you enough." The first person expressed his gratitude.

Since the tunnel was small and they had to move in a single file, Gabe was fourth in line, so the second person mimicked the same action.

"I know that we've not really been on good terms lately; I'm ready to wipe that away, Gabe. You've shown us how trustworthy you can be, leading us out here. Convincing us back in the dungeons, I hoped and prayed that I would never regret this decision, and you just proved that to me. I don't regret my decision. I'm glad to have worked with you through this journey."

Gabe couldn't deny the fact that the third Alpha had pissed him off more times than he could count.

"Since you're all about meeting your wife and your daughter, I wonder what you have to say," he chuckled at his thoughts.

"You have every reason to be angry with me, but that won't stop me from boldly looking at how far we've walked. We killed along our way here."

"Yeah, I killed."

"I stopped you from killing that young lady, which was right. You don't have to thank me for that." He interrupted Gabe's words.

"Lastly, I'm grateful that we're able to get this far, all thanks to you. You've led us here, and once I'm reunited with my pack, I'll make preparations for your treaty. Trust me, I will make you open your mouth in awe." Gabe loved his words, wearing a smile at him as he urged everyone, tired of listening to their gratitude.

"If we all sit here and listen to everyone speak, we won't arrive at our destination. Let's move."

"Be careful; it's slippery, like I said earlier." He alerted them after finding his balance. He knew that his next step might cause him to slip off the tunnel and into the furnace.

He got to his knees and started crawling; everyone watched him make progress as they all decided to crawl. The weight of the tunnel was becoming too much, and they knew they had to rush or risk falling into the furnace.

"We can't lose when we've come this far!" Gabe rallied the people crawling before him; they were hoping they wouldn't get stuck in the tunnel, knowing how challenging it was.

"We have to find a way around this. We all go a step forward, right and left, and in one rhythm we will be out of here in no time. So let's stick to it: a right and a left as you go." Gabe felt saddened that he was the one giving the commands and not her; he knew how much he loved being the one making the orders.

"Why don't you slide and see where it takes us?" the last general in line suggested. It worked; it was exactly what they needed to escape the last tunnel.

They got through the last tunnel and headed out to the clear path; they were all wearing smiling faces. Gabe urged everyone to leave the tunnel because he wanted them to avoid any traps set for them.

They were ambushed by soldiers. The Alpha who wanted to see his family was shot, and the other three Alphas were shot as well.

"They're upon us! Gabe, do you have another plan to settle this?" he inquired as he turned back to see Gabe crawling backward to find a spot where he could stay and watch them get hurt so he could figure out how not to get himself hurt.

"Four of them should be dead; exactly what I expected." Gabe chuckled as the generals standing beside him realized that he wanted his enemies dead.

He slipped himself among the dead bodies of the Alphas before the soldiers on horses arrived. The two generals ran back through the tunnel, but at that time, waste was flowing through to be burnt in the pit, so the generals were killed by the furnace.

"They don't know that it's impossible to escape through these routes. We made them for foolish ones like you. Why would you see a tunnel and think it was built and forgotten since it's used for waste?" The chief guard of the rogue soldiers chortled as he stared at the damage the arrows did to them.

"Make sure they're taken to the storerooms. They will feel the wrath of our dominance and power," he added as he ordered,

"Bring in all their bodies; they will serve as an example to every prisoner we have—trust me."

He turned his horse to leave as one soldier held Gabe by resting his right arm around his neck, helping him walk since Gabe was acting hurt. Gabe held the little bottle in his hands and then blew it into the soldier's face. All the soldiers watched him bleed from his nose as Gabe took to his heels.

He was laughing, finally heading to the forest. A dart was aimed at his ankles and pierced him; he felt weakened instantly, wondering why he couldn't move his legs.

The chief guard approached him as he held him from falling into the valley. Gabe wished he could fall; he knew he would have escaped, but he didn't.

"What have you done to me?" Gabe stuttered as he tried to get a hold of him, but he couldn't.

"What have you done to my soldier!" he roared into Gabe's ears, dragging his hair.

"How dare you commit murder on these lands? You're nothing but a prisoner! How dare you?" He couldn't control his anger.

"We—" he picked up his arrow and shot the soldier's head off his body. The soldier went down on his knees before dying with his head turned upside down.

"The prisoners who escaped are the ones responsible for all these deaths. Is that understood?" He waited for a response but received none; he continued.

"If you don't want to lose your tongue, do as you're told." He advised as he climbed on his horse and galloped back to their meeting ground to inform the Alpha of the current scenario.

"How dare they have the guts to walk those tunnels? How did they get this far when the tunnels are oily? I wished they would have fallen into the furnace, but they escaped all of that. How is it possible that they didn't meet anyone on their way here? If they have any motives for doing this, I will find out; the Stone Room will teach them a lesson they will never forget," he said to himself as he ordered the three remaining guards who were not helping the wounded Alphas along with Gabe.

"Go back through that tunnel to the dungeons, and if you see anyone, please chop off his head and bring it to me. I don't need him alive, so it would be better if they're all dead. Don't leave any survivor soldiers"