#musicvibe - Storytime, Nightwish
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Kayden POV
“Hi.” Evy greeted me when I came down the stairs.
“Hi”. I frowned. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be studying with Valeria today.”
Evy shrugged.
“Tyson said that Valeria left early this morning.” She replied. “He sounded a little secretive and wouldn’t tell me any details.”
I shrugged.
“Maybe it’s something with MI6.” I suggested. “Valeria can be a bit secretive about the career she used to have. Maybe something happened and she just wouldn’t talk about it.”
“Maybe.” Evy replied hesitantly. “It was a little weird though. And Tyson kept hanging out with that woman that came here yesterday.”
She looked at me pleadingly, and I rolled my eyes.
“Fine.” I muttered. “I’ll talk to Tyson about it. It sounds a little weird to me too so I want an explanation as well.”
“Thanks.” Evy smiled. “I’ll go find Garrett. I’ll see you later.”
“Laters.” I replied before making my way over to Tyson’s office.
I knocked on the door and went inside. I immediately saw Tyson sitting by his desk with the woman leaning against the desk next to him. They both looked up when I came inside.
“Hey Ty.” I said. “So I heard Valeria left. What’s up?”
Tyson shrugged.
“I’m not sure.” He replied. “She doesn’t always tell me everything.”
I frowned.
Something was… off.
The Tyson I knew would be out of his mind with worry for Valeria. Last time she left for a mission, he paced the room until she came back again. He didn’t eat, he didn’t sleep and he was completely consumed by worry.
But this time, Tyson seemed completely unbothered.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.” Tyson replied blankly.
“Okay.” I mumbled. “Drills are all done this morning, I’m heading over to update the patrol schedules. Anything you want to add?”
“Yes.” Tyson replied. “We’re closing the border.”
I stared at him in confusion.
“Ehm… What?”
“We’re closing the borders.” Tyson repeated. “No one is coming in or out.”
“Why?” I asked. “What happened?”
“Just do as you’re told!” Tyson growled, and I felt his aura wash over me until I bared my neck in submission.
I glanced at the woman next to him, who was watching Tyson’s every move. Even though I went through every memory of school together, I couldn’t figure out where he was supposed to have met her.
I was sure that I had never seen her before in my life.
Yeah, something was definitely wrong here.
”Right.” I muttered before turning and walking out the door again.
Just as I was about to leave, my werewolf hearing picked up something that made me stop in my tracks.
”She’ll stay in the dungeon until execution…”
I started walking away so that they didn’t think I was eavesdropping, but the little I heard sounded unnerving.
First I mindlinked Warren, the head warrior, and gave him the new orders. He also seemed surprised at the decision to close the border, but reluctantly carried out the order while I made my way to the dungeon.
I just had to see for myself what was going on.
The dungeon had been empty since we had extradited the vampires that attacked Valeria. Alex, who was now king of the vampires, had taken them off our hands and given them suitable punishments.
I opened the door to the dungeon and hesitantly walked inside.
My heart caught in my throat when I saw Valeria sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest. Her face was swollen and bruised and her dress was stained with blood. I saw chains shackled to her wrists and ankles and bolted to the wall.
”Kayden?”
Valeria looked up, and I saw the pain in her eyes.
”What happened?” I asked and frantically searched for the keys to the cell. ”Have you seen the keys? We need to get you out of here.”
Valeria shook her head and winced when she sat up straighter.
“Tyson has the keys.” She whimpered.
I stopped looking and crouched down in front of the bars.
“I don’t know how much time we have.” Valeria whispered. “So I need you to listen to me, very closely.”
I nodded, my eyes wide in disbelief.
“Look. I don’t know who that woman is, but I think she has spelled Tyson or something.” Valeria said. “He’s completely under her control. He’s the one who put me in here.”
“Then we have to stop her.” I replied.
“It’s not that simple.” Valeria frowned. “If you try to take her out, Tyson will do everything in his power to save her. He’s like her own personal bodyguard right now. Could you take on Tyson?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t think there’s a wolf in this pack besides you that can do that. Maybe Tyson’s dad, but he’s on the other side of the world.”
“That’s why we need another plan.” Valeria nodded. “I don’t know how to stop her, but maybe we can get some help from Alex and Violet?”
I sighed.
“Yeah, that ship has already sailed.” I muttered. “Tyson closed the borders. No one is allowed in or out.”
Valeria’s eyes went wide.
“Oh no.” She whispered.
She tried to crawl closer to the bars and growled when the chains stopped her, but I still saw the desperation on her face when she looked at me with pleading eyes.
“There’s something I need you to do.” She whispered. “Until we figure something out, you need to stay close to Tyson. Do everything he asks of you and make it seem like you’re on his side with everything. If Celeste suspects you, she might try to get rid of you too, so you have to sell it.”
I shook my head and stood up.
“No, I can’t do that.” I replied. “What if she makes him ask something extreme of me?”
“Kayden.” Valeria snapped. “What does the Beta do when the pack is under attack?”
I gulped.
“Protect the Alpha.” I whispered.
Valeria nodded.
“That’s what you have to do now.” She said softly, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “Don’t let her take him from us. I already lost him. I can feel him doing things with her. Things that betray our bond.”
She stifled a sob and rubbed her face.
“Promise me, Kayden.” She whispered. “No matter what you have to do, or who you have to hurt, you have to remain the link that Tyson has to us. Without it, we might not be able to get him back.
This is my command, as your queen.”
“What about you?” I asked. “You’re not giving up, are you?”
“I’ll try to reach out to Tyson whenever he comes down here.” Valeria replied. “But I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”
“Don’t give up.” I said encouragingly. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
Valeria nodded, but she didn’t really look convinced.