Chapter 8 The Wolves Who Heard Him
1692 Words
The first howl came from far beyond the mountain.
The second came from the forest.
The third came from somewhere beneath their feet.
Nessa stood frozen.
Her mother's face had lost all color.
“What does that mean?” Nessa asked.
Her mother didn't answer.
“Mother.”
She looked at her.
“It means the First King has reached them.”
“Reached who?”
“The wolves.”
Another howl rolled through the mountain.
This one was louder.
Nessa felt it inside her chest.
Riven moved toward the tunnel.
“We're leaving.”
Darian nodded.
“Agreed.”
Nessa looked at her mother.
“What about you?”
Her mother shook her head.
“I can't.”
“You're coming with us.”
“I can't leave this place.”
“You've been trapped here for five years.”
“I've been keeping the seal stable.”
Nessa looked at the stone gate.
“You said it was closed.”
“It is.”
“Then why are you still here?”
Her mother looked away.
“Because I am part of the seal.”
Nessa stared.
“What does that mean?”
“My wolf was bound to the gate. If I leave, the seal weakens.”
“Then we'll find another way.”
“There may not be one.”
Nessa stepped closer.
“I just found you. I'm not leaving you here.”
Her mother reached for her face.
Nessa flinched.
The movement hurt her mother's expression.
“I know you're angry.”
“I am.”
“You have every right to be.”
“Then don't ask me to walk away.”
Her mother smiled sadly.
“You sound like your father.”
Nessa frowned.
“I don't want to sound like him.”
“You don't.”
Her mother lowered her hand.
“You sound like yourself.”
A violent tremor shook the chamber.
Dust fell from above.
Riven grabbed Nessa.
“Move.”
They ran.
Darian led them through the narrow tunnel.
Nessa looked back.
Her mother remained near the gate.
“Come with us!”
Her mother shook her head.
“Go!”
Nessa stopped.
Riven turned.
“Nessa!”
She looked at her mother one last time.
“I'll come back.”
Her mother smiled.
“I know.”
Then the tunnel collapsed between them.
Nessa screamed.
“Mother!”
Riven pulled her away before another section of stone fell.
“Nessa, we have to move!”
“She was still there!”
“I know.”
“We can't leave her!”
“We aren't leaving her forever.”
Darian shouted from ahead.
“There's another passage!”
They ran.
The mountain shook repeatedly.
The howls continued.
Nessa could hear them growing closer.
When they finally reached the upper chamber, Maris was gone.
Only the Blood Council's broken weapons remained.
Darian stopped.
“They've left.”
Riven looked around.
“Or they're waiting.”
Nessa walked toward the entrance.
She could hear something outside.
Footsteps.
Hundreds of them.
Darian whispered,
“No.”
“What?”
He looked at her.
“They're here.”
The doors burst open.
Wolves flooded the courtyard.
Not ten.
Not twenty.
Hundreds.
They surrounded the entrance.
Nessa stepped backward.
Riven moved in front of her.
“Stay behind me.”
The wolves didn't attack.
They simply stood there.
Silent.
Watching.
Then something strange happened.
The first wolf lowered its head.
Another followed.
Then another.
Within seconds, the entire courtyard was filled with wolves kneeling before Nessa.
She stared.
“What are they doing?”
Darian looked stunned.
“They're submitting.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
“I didn't tell them to.”
“You don't have to.”
Riven glanced at the wolves.
“Can you control them?”
“I don't know.”
“Try.”
Nessa swallowed.
She looked at the wolves.
“Stand.”
Every wolf rose at once.
Nessa stepped back.
Riven looked at her.
“You just commanded hundreds of wolves.”
“I didn't mean to.”
“That doesn't matter.”
A deep growl came from the forest.
Every wolf turned.
Nessa felt the change immediately.
Fear.
Not from herself.
From them.
“What are they afraid of?”
Darian's face tightened.
“Him.”
The wolves began retreating.
Nessa looked toward the forest.
A shadow moved between the trees.
One wolf.
Then another.
Their eyes were glowing red.
Riven drew his weapon.
“These aren't ordinary wolves.”
Darian shifted.
“They're controlled.”
“By the First King?”
Darian nodded.
“Probably.”
The red-eyed wolves charged.
Riven transformed.
Darian followed.
The courtyard exploded into chaos.
Nessa stood behind them as wolves collided.
She heard snarls.
Claws striking stone.
Then a wolf broke through the fighting and came straight for her.
Nessa lifted her hand.
“Stop.”
The wolf froze.
Its body shook.
Nessa could feel something fighting inside it.
Another presence.
Something trying to push her command away.
“Leave.”
The wolf stumbled backward.
Then it screamed.
Nessa grabbed her head.
A voice filled her mind.
They are mine.
She dropped to her knees.
“Get out!”
Riven reached her.
“Nessa!”
“He's controlling them.”
Riven looked at the wolf.
Its eyes had turned silver.
Then it attacked him.
Riven barely avoided the claws.
Darian slammed into it from the side.
The wolf hit the ground.
Nessa felt the connection break.
The wolf collapsed.
She looked at it.
“Is it dead?”
Darian shifted back.
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“It lost consciousness.”
“Because of me?”
“Because you broke his control.”
Nessa stared at her hands.
“How?”
Darian shook his head.
“I don't know.”
A horn sounded in the distance.
Riven turned toward the forest.
“More are coming.”
Darian looked at him.
“How many?”
“Too many.”
Nessa stood.
“Then we leave.”
Riven looked at her.
“Where?”
“Anywhere away from here.”
Darian pointed toward the mountain.
“There is an old route north.”
Riven nodded.
“Then we're going north.”
They moved through the courtyard.
Nessa glanced back at the mountain.
Her mother was still inside.
She wanted to go back.
But something told her that if she did, she might never leave.
They entered the forest.
The wolves followed.
Nessa noticed that the ordinary wolves kept their distance.
The red-eyed ones didn't.
They followed silently through the trees.
Darian noticed too.
“They're tracking us.”
“How do we stop them?”
“We don't.”
Riven looked at him.
“What?”
“They aren't following us.”
Darian pointed at Nessa.
“They're following her.”
Nessa stopped.
Every wolf stopped.
She looked at them.
“Why me?”
Darian shook his head.
“They can smell your blood.”
“Then they'll keep coming.”
“Yes.”
Nessa looked toward the northern trail.
“Then maybe we should find out where they're going.”
Riven frowned.
“That could be exactly what the First King wants.”
“Maybe.”
Nessa looked at him.
“But if I can control them, I need to understand why.”
Riven studied her.
“You're willing to use yourself as bait?”
“No.”
She looked at the wolves.
“I want answers.”
Darian smiled faintly.
“You really are our mother's daughter.”
Riven didn't smile.
“This isn't a game.”
“I know.”
Nessa turned toward the path.
“Let's keep moving.”
They walked for almost an hour.
The forest grew thicker.
The moon disappeared behind the trees.
Then they reached a clearing.
In the center stood a stone monument.
Darian stopped.
“What?”
He stared at the markings.
“This shouldn't be here.”
Riven approached.
“What is it?”
“A boundary stone.”
“For what?”
Darian touched the carving.
“The First Territory.”
Nessa looked around.
“What does that mean?”
Darian looked at her.
“This forest is outside every modern pack's territory.”
“Why?”
“Because no Alpha owns it.”
Riven frowned.
“Then who does?”
Darian looked toward the wolves.
“I think we're about to find out.”
A low growl came from behind them.
Nessa turned.
A woman stood between the trees.
She wore a black cloak.
Her eyes were silver.
She looked directly at Nessa.
“You shouldn't have come here.”
Riven stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The woman ignored him.
Her gaze remained on Nessa.
“You're the awakened one.”
Nessa frowned.
“How do you know me?”
The woman smiled.
“Everyone knows you now.”
Darian stepped beside Nessa.
“Stay away from her.”
The woman looked at him.
“You're the other half.”
Darian's expression hardened.
“How do you know?”
“Because we felt you awaken.”
Riven raised his weapon.
“Who are you?”
The woman finally looked at him.
“My name is Sera Veyne.”
She looked back at Nessa.
“I serve the First Blood.”
Nessa's stomach tightened.
“The First King?”
Sera smiled.
“No.”
She pointed toward the darkness behind Nessa.
“The First Queen.”
Nessa turned.
Nothing was there.
When she looked back, Sera was gone.
Only one sentence remained, whispered through the trees.
“Your mother isn't the only one who survived.”
Nessa stared into the darkness.
Darian grabbed her arm.
“Nessa.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
His expression was grim.
“I think we just found another secret.”
Riven looked toward the forest.
“Which one?”
Darian answered quietly.
“There was never supposed to be only one First King.”
A howl echoed through the trees.
Then another.
And this time, the wolves didn't bow to Nessa.
They bowed toward the darkness behind her.
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