Beneath The Moonlight

The Cave

Chapter 7: The cave

“It will take too long, and it will soon be dark.” Ryan pointed out.

Megan's mood immediately dropped. She pouted and stomped her feet, making Ryan giggle. He really liked this side of her. It was adorable.

“Why don't we do it like this? First thing tomorrow morning, come over, and we will leave early so that by evening, we will be back.” Ryan suggested.

“I have to be at the market tomorrow. I promised my auntie.” Megan complained.

“So what should we do? The journey will take 8 hours. That's all day.” Ryan pointed out.

“I know?” Megan signed. “Ryan!” She suddenly perked up, making him subconsciously focus on her. “Do you think that entrance is still within our pack's territory?” Megan asked the question that was burning in her heart.

Since she made up her mind to leave, it was all she could think about. Megan and Ryan had discussed it extensively and after figuring out what they would be needing for their travels, they have started gathering all the necessities. The plan was for Ryan to hold on to those things and once she left with her father in spring, he would trail behind them. Once her father returns to the human realm, Ryan would help her sneak out of whichever pack takes her in. From there, they will travel to 'Ecuba', a place where all creatures on Eplica can meet on friendly terms. From there, they will figure out how to get to the human realms without alerting anyone from the wolf realm. The plan seemed simple enough, but both of them knew there was nothing simple about it. This could go wrong anytime. And once they are captured, they will be declared traitors. Megan's family will be implicated, and her father will be in trouble. Having given things a lot of thought, Megan started wondering whether it was better to run away or have her father legally bring her out?

If I run away, they will not blame the family. I will be the only traitor. But if I disappear after my father brings me out, wouldn't they say we planned it together?

This was the fear Megan was carrying about in her mind. But running away on their own wasn't that simple. Despite how huge their Blue-Mist is, it has enough men on patrol at its borders. If Megan had agreed to elope without getting the pack's permission, Ryan planned to do it on a bad weather day.

During winter, blizzards do happen at least every two to three weeks. These are the best times to get lost and never be seen again. Many wolves caught in such storms end up dead or missing until better weather surfaces. These storms last for days and will also help to conceal their scents. Nobody will know they were gone for days. Even if they do, they will not be able to search until the storm ends. By the time they start searching, it would be too late.

Now that there is a tunnel that seems to lead to somewhere outside their territory, Megan's mind started thinking of another possibility. The possibility of escaping through this tunnel in case her father couldn't figure out how to help her leave.

“According to the map taken from my uncle's study, it is 6 miles (ca. 10 km) outside the pack's territory.” Ryan nodded.

“What about patrols? Did you sense any of them?”

“I didn't, but they might be there. I didn't leave the tunnel. I just looked around from the entrance.” Ryan replied as he started understanding what Megan was trying to say. “But I don't think we can leave from there if things don't work out with your father. That forest seemed very dangerous.” A worried look surfaced on Ryan's face.

Ryan had every reason to be worried now that he was having the same thoughts as Megan. When he first saw that forest, he had sensed danger from it and didn't try to explore it. If they are to consider it as an escape route, he will need to explore it to some extent first.

It's good that Megan won't be able to come with me tomorrow. I should start exploring that forest, see where it leads. Ryan thought to himself as they silently walked into the main cave where Ryan had started setting up his new abode…

The wedding festivities were still in full gear as the sun went behind the mountains surrounding Blue-Mist. From the moment Jake set his eyes on Megan earlier in the day, his thoughts also stayed on her. Elvira would have been completely forgotten if she didn't forcefully make him pay her some attention. Elvira's rage was simmering under her skin. In her heart, she cursed Megan several times, despite noticing that Megan didn't spare Jake a single gaze throughout the ceremony.

When Megan left, Jake and Elvira's eyes followed her out. But to Elvira's dismay, the moment Megan left, Jake became restless and irritable. Not knowing how to handle him without causing a scene, Elvira left him alone and went to hang out with her friends.

It was at this time that she saw the infamously lecherous brothers as they left the private room where their father spoke to them.

The moment Elvira set her eyes on them, an idea sprouted in her mind. The more she studied them, the way they related to people around them, especially women, the more she believed that her plans could work.

If I can make this happen, I will be able to permanently get rid of that b***h. She thought to herself.

Deep into the night, When the pack had gone to sleep, an unknown person wearing a long robe that covered every part of their body including their face walked into a dark alley and soon came to the back of a remote bar. The moment they got to the door, and it opened, they removed the cloak covering their face. It was Elvira.

She entered through the back door and was led by a stern looking, young man to a room where Ethan and Eden were waiting.

Ethan and Eden were from a family of mercenaries. On the surface, they are a trading family with lots of shops and hotels all over the realm, but most big families know that they are also assassins and slave traders who deal with both the human and vampire realms behind the scenes.

Thanks to her aptitude for learning and knowing about everything around her, Elvira had the habit of snooping around her father's study when he wasn't around. Through this, she has stumbled on several secret pieces of information that could get her father in trouble if the pack elders should know he was that careless. This is how Elvira knew that the two infamous brothers were responsible for the k********g unit of their family's business in their region. With a bit of more snooping, that afternoon, she also found out how to meet and hire them for a job within Blue-Mist itself. After letting Jake see her hole from the wedding, she had waited until the whole house went to sleep and then discreetly slipped out to visit this out of the way bar where she requested to see them for a deal.

Walking here took her almost an hour.

The two brothers didn't expect for any ordinary person in Blue-Mist to know their true identities, and they did not expect the person who asked to see them for a deal would be Elvira, the strongest Alpha in their generation and the future Luna of Blue-Mist. So, when she removed her cloak, Ethan and Eden's jaws nearly dropped.

“Elvira?” They both chorused in shock.

“Hi.” She smiled at them, then her face got serious.

“Your Secrets are safe with me.” She quickly said when she saw the looks in their eyes.

“How?” Ethan asked, confused and angry.

“I am good at snooping.” She shrugged.

The two men looked at each other and nodded. They didn't know what she meant by what she said, but they were both clear on one thing, if she puts them in trouble, her family will pay for it. They threw off the angry look and faced her with stern faces. Ethan did the talking.

“I know you know the consequences of knowing too much, so I will not ask you for details. Now, why did you request to see us?” He asked.

“I have a deal for you.” Elvira said.

Ethan and Eden shared a profound look again. They didn't know whether to take Elvira seriously or not.

“Let's hear it.” Ethan said.

“If my findings are right, you will be making a move on KuLaa very soon.”

The room descended into silence as the two young men gasped.

KuLaa was a vicious Vampire that was into bodybuilding. Since Vampires can only build their body by consuming werewolf's meat, this Vampire had been k********g weak wolves and devouring their meat. The whole realm had come together, and Ethan's family was tasked with bringing the vampire down. For almost two years, they couldn't find this vampire. The most annoying thing was that their family was the one selling the wolves to KuLaa at the beginning, but as he grew stronger, he gradually stopped needing their services. So, they stopped getting orders from him.

After two years of looking, they later got to know that KuLaa that they were busy searching for in other realms actually was hiding in the werewolf's realm. It wasn't just embarrassing, but also enraging. A vampire living among werewolves and feeding on their kids. A perfect case of hiding in the open.

This tile around, the elders told each clan and mercenaries in the realm that whoever finds KuLaa first, or reported his whereabouts or killed him would be rewarded.

This was supposed to be good news for Ethan's family, but they were scared that if KuLaa got captured and disclosed their previous relationship, they would suffer the same fate. Therefore, it was important that they find KuLaa first and silence him for good.

“How did you know about this?!” Eden jumped up from his seat and grabbed Elvira by the neck. “Start talking or I will kill you.” He snarled.

The instant Elvira felt Eden's movement, she had also gathered her strength. Even though he was able to touch her, he was unable to hold her down as Elvira's strength burst out, and she grabbed the hand holding her neck. With eyes infused with anger, Elvira twisted Eden's hand.

“How dare you? '' she snarled at him.

He screamed out in pain as Elvira started crushing his bones. He could feel strength leaving his body. His legs gave up on him and he bent his knees.

“Click”

Elvira, who was consumed with rage and was intent on detaching Eden's hand, heard the sound of a g*n's safety being removed. She stopped and looked up to find the end of a .45 Colt staring her down.

“Uhm!” She scoffed before releasing Eden's hand. Simultaneously, she kicked him and for the second time in a day, Eden was sent flying. This time, too, he didn't shop until he hit the wall and slid to the ground. At least, he managed to stay conscious this time around.

Ethan withdrew his g*n and rolled his eyes at Elvira. He spared Eden just a single glance, but didn't go to help him.

“Make it quick!” Ethan snapped at Elvira before going back to his seat.

“I want you to kill someone and in exchange, I will give you three of KuLaa's hideout.

“So you don't know where she is.” Ethan stated the obvious.

“No. But you also don't know where to look. If not, it will not take you this long to track her down.” She retorted.

“How did you know where to look?”

“Trade secret.” Elvira shrugged. “Are you in or not?” She raised her left eyebrow at Ethan.

“Who is the target?”

“Megan Williams.” Even in mentioning just her name, Elvira couldn't hold back her hatred. Her eyes darkened, and she clenched her jaws, restraining her rage.