Black Moon Rising

Chapter 9

Carter POV

I woke up in a strange, small room. I had been stripped of everything but my boxer briefs. I paced my small cell, my heart pumping in my ears as fury coursed through my veins. I can’t believe that I allowed us all to walk right into this trap. Alexi promised to uphold his last promise to my father. He was my godfather for goddess sake.

My fury mixed with frustration as I felt the wolfsbane continue to flow throughout my body. I was weak and my limbs felt heavy. I couldn’t hear anything coming from the small barred window of the cell. I could barely see a thing, the only light coming from that same window, but I knew that my cell was small. We had to go underground as the smell of damp earth filled my nostrils. The wolfsbane was keeping me from mind-linking Jasmine, too.

I roared in frustration, pounding the wall. “Alexi, you f*****g COWARD! Where are you?!”

I was met with nothing but silence. After what felt like hours, I slumped on the floor, feeling defeated. If I’m going to get out of here and find Jasmine, I need a plan. Looking around at the tiny dark cell, I couldn’t begin to even think of how the hell I could get out of here. It looked like digging was going to be my only chance, but with the wolfsbane pumping through my body, I knew that was futile.

I put my head between my knees, trying to figure out anything that could help me. I closed my eyes, my head suddenly feeling heavy. I was awoken suddenly by a foot kicking me awake. Startled, I scrambled backwards against the wall, eyeing the approaching figure suspiciously.

“Carter.” It was Alexi. I lunged at him, forgetting that I had no strength, determined to tear his throat out. He easily pushed me away. “Now, now. That is no way to treat the man who willingly took you in.”

“You lured us into a trap, you f*****g coward. Where is she?! Where is Jasmine?”

“One thing at a time, young man. It seems you’ve been keeping a secret from me. Had I known what a powerful she-wolf your mate was, I think that would have changed the terms of our deal. All of the packs around these parts of the country know that you are being hunted. There is quite a handsome reward for turning you both in. More so for your mate, Jasmine, you say? I haven’t had the pleasure of speaking to her just yet, but it’s on my list of things to do.”

“What do you want with her?” I seethed. “She has no power, no wolf. She is a mere human. Whatever you have heard, you are all mistaken,” I said, lying through my teeth. As long as she kept that necklace on, I could pray to the goddess that it would help protect her from this.

Alexi laughed humorlessly. “You expect me to believe this? Sebastian is rarely wrong about these kinds of things, and he seems quite determined to catch her. The only reason you are still alive is because you are her mate, pathetic as you are. It’s hard to believe you are of Alpha blood.”

“Why don’t you give me the anecdote and I’ll show you what kind of Alpha I am, old man,” I taunted.

“Fun as that sounds, I have to be off,” Alexi said breezily. “I’ve a lot to do.” He gave me a wicked grin. The door behind him opened and he quickly stepped out, slamming it behind him. “Oh, and Carter? The ground and walls of your…simple accommodations… have been infused with wolfsbane. Without a bed or chair…. Good luck.” With that, his face disappeared from view, his footsteps receding before I was once again left alone in the quiet.

That motherfucker. I trusted him. My father trusted him to care for me after he passed on and he stabbed me in the back. I felt shame as I thought of the other people I had brought here, not knowing what was happening to them. I may not have officially stepped into the Alpha title, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel fiercely protective of them. They are still my people, the only ones I have left. All I could do was pray to the Goddess that they were safe.

“Goddess, please. Please help us. Help me. I have no idea what I am supposed to do from here. I don’t know how to get out of here, but I am not ready to die.”

I stood in the middle of the room, determined to try and keep as little of my body as possible from touching anything. I tried to figure out an escape plan but everything that came to mine was easily thrown out because I knew it wouldn’t work. I had no idea what was even on the other side of the door and I couldn’t risk anybody else’s life. Alexi was clearly unstable and I am smart enough to know that he is capable of anything.

I was starting to give into my despair and I hated myself for it. As an Alpha by blood, I am better than this, but the situation seemed impossible. My thoughts became more and more negative when out of nowhere I noticed a small light in the corner of the room. The small light stood suspended in one spot, before growing rapidly, the Moon Goddess appearing out of thin air.

“Selene!” I whispered hoarsely.

“Carter,” her whispery voice greeted me in return. She looked around the room, a frown distorting her features as she took in the room around us.

“Where is Jasmine?” she asked.

“I don’t know where she is.” I quickly filled her in on what happened when we arrived here, and her face twisted into rage. “Wolves do not do this to their own kind. We are better than this! Of all the evils that there are in this world, and we are destroying our own kind!” Her eyes seemed to glow even brighter as her anger grew. “Where is the rest of your pack?”

“I don’t know. Alexi said this room is infused with wolfsbane and that has cut off communication with everyone.”

At this point, Selene’s eyes were glowing so bright that I was unable to look her in her face. I could feel her energy starting to roll off of her in waves, the room heating up quickly. Her feet left the ground, her palms up and fingers spread. The room filled with an ever-increasing humming noise until I couldn’t handle it anymore. I threw my hands over my ears, hunching over myself. Through squinted eyes I watched as she absorbed the wolfsbane from the walls and ground around me. A few moments later, I could feel the wolfsbane leave my body as her energy flowed through me and I felt my strength return.

I immediately tried to mind link Brennan but was met with nothing. I had a feeling that he was stuck in a room similar to mine. I could only hope that everyone was okay.

The room started to dim and I turned around, Selene’s feet back on the ground. Her features were still twisted with rage but she seemed to have calmed down a bit.

“I don’t want anyone to know that I am here. I need Jasmine to prove herself without people being scared that I am helping her on her course. Or you, for that matter.”

I nodded my head, not really paying attention. Fabian was finally back and he was going absolutely bonkers wanting to rip Alexi to pieces. I was doing my best to ignore him but he was all over the place, mostly worried about Jasmine.

I tried mind-linking Brennan again but was still met with a wall. Next, I tried Petra, then Jasmine. Same thing, no way of getting through.

“Let me help you,” Selene said, entering my mind in her wolf form.

I froze, not expecting to see her. I had no idea that I could share my mind with more than one wolf at a time.

“Anything is possible when you’re a God,” she said, amused. “Now, let me take control. Let’s find your mate.”

I let her take control, sitting in the backseat of my mind with Fabian. It was an eerie feeling to be sitting on the sideline with my wolf for the first time ever. We both felt a little awkward with nothing to do but our attention was quickly taken as Selene kicked the door open, making it fly and shatter against the opposite wall. She walked out into a short hallway, facing a stairwell. We could hear shouting coming from above us and I knew we had been found out.

Selene crouched, ready to spring into action as the first figure appeared at the top of the stairwell. It was Stephan. A menacing smile graced his lips as he took us in, crouching low and preparing for a fight.