Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-Dorothy-
“How much time do we have before the attack?” 1 bounced a grumpy Elias on my knee while Ignatius paced back and forth in front of me.
It had been a few weeks since Angie and Fae had tracked down Johan, and the vampires had since grown far more brutal
with their attacks
They were still targeting smaller, weak packs, attacking only the most vulnerable of prey, but Igantius suspected that they would be turning their attention to larger enemies in the coming days
“I’m not sure,” my mate muttered, pressing his fingers in his temples in frustration. “But a bigger attack is coming, they’re moving on to the next stage of their plans.”
“What about the imitation Johan I asked, grimacing at the mention of the fake savior. “His resurrection is still just a rumor to most, but we need to get him out of the picture before it becomes public knowledge that he’s “alive””
If word were to get out that Johan had seemingly survived the battle with the Bielke, we would lose what was left of our allies, and people might start viewing us as weak. If Johan warped the public perception of our battle with the Tally, the Belke would become a prime target for our enemies.
Elias chewed on my finger like a dog with a bone, dribbling saliva all over himself in the process. I was inclined to ignore this, however, considering he had spent the latter half of the day trying inconsolably.
Both of the twins were uneasy, and even little Amehe had thrown a tantrumn this morning for no apparent reason, wailing Imudly when Ignatius had tried to leave the room. Now, she followed after her father, her little legs moving rapidly while she tried to keep up with his long striding steps.
“Angie and Fae have yet to report back, Ignatius said warily. The last I heard they were working on a plan to expose the Take. But that vampire who attacked Angie is making life difficult for them”
I grimaced at that. Angie and Fae had described the black-haired vampire as some kind of obsessed monster. He could have killed Angle on the spot, but he didn’t. He regarded her as a kind of trophy. I didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he got ahold of her again.
Ignatius pulled his cell from his pocket, skimming through hundreds of emails and texts about the recent vampire attacks. As more folk turned to the Bielke for protection, Ignatius wound tighter and tighter, his sanity sitting on a knife-edge because of all the pressure.
“Have you heard anything from Rita yet?” he asked suddenly and I shook my head. Ever since he had come back from his study that evening. Ignatius had been insistent that I get in contact with Rita.
He wouldn’t disclose why, but he wanted to know that she was safe wherever she was. He wanted me to warn her to be on guard
But my godmother had gone silent some time ago, and I had no way of contacting her at all. More than anything I wanted her by my side now. I needed guidance and I longed for the wise words of the old bird who always brought me comfort.
“Kita could be anywhere. She doesn’t have a phone and her last letter came from a private address
Ignatius groaned loudly, startling Elias who immediately stiffened and began crying all over again. I rocked the distraught toddler in my arms, meeting Ignatius’s concerned gaze.
Considering the immense pressure he was under, I was hesitant to push him for information. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that my mate was hiding something from me, and it left a bitter taste on my tongue.
I knew it had something to do with what he had found in Elliot’s study that evening, but I had gone through these records. myself and turned up nothing that could have Ignatius acting so oddly
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Unless he had gone out of his way to hide the evidence, a thought which only served to deepen my suspicion and unease.
Igantius checked his phone again, and whatever he read spurred him to action. “I have to go. Angie is on Belile territory. They have reason to believe that’s where the vampires intend to strike next.”
“So close?” I leapt to my feet with Elias in my arms. “Belile is just beyond the forest!”
The Belile pack was a large, mostly neutral group located near the edge of Bielke territory. They had pledged their allegiance to us after the Tally war and Ignatius had promised them protection in return. If the Belile shifters were to fall, it would be a clear sign of the Bielke’s failure. That could not be allowed to happen..
“Stay here” Ignatius had already pulled on his coat, pulling me, Elias and Amelie into a tight embrace before hurrying down. the stairs. “Plato will be over in a minute, don’t answer the door for anyone else.”
“I can’t just sit here!” 1 called after him, but Ignatius was already out the front door, slamming it shut behind him.
I sat down in a huff and both Elias and Amche crowded onto my lap with tears and snivels. For some reason. Ignatius insisted on having Plato play security guard full time. It would seem my mate had forgotten that I had once entered battle at his side.
Granted, the war with the Tally had nearly cost both of us our lives, along with the lives of our children in my belly, but we had come out of it victorious.
It was cruel to ask me to sit on the sidelines this time around. Now more than ever we needed to prove to everyone that the Bielke stood united against our enemies. As the Bielke Luna, it was my duty to protect my people.
By the time Plato arrived. I had worked myself up into a furious rage, and I snarled when he stepped into the playroom
Plato was unphased by my fury, and merely rolled his eyes. “Between you and Ignatius. I’m beginning to wonder if my very presence is a pesterance.
“I’m sorry.” I swallowed my anger, giving the poor shifter a sheepish grin. “We’re both a little on edge right now
“No kidding.” Plato huffed while he got down on his haunches beside me and ruffled Elias’s hair.
r. “What’s got these two s0
ipset?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted, handing Elias over to Plato so Amelie could have more space on my lap. They’ve been like this for the past few d
days, nightmares and all. It’s like they can sense something is wrong around here.
“They’re not the only ones having nightmares” Plato muttered sardonically, and I raised a brow in question.
He looked embarrassed for a second and kept his eyes fixed on the ground.
“It’s nothing really, I guess this vampire ordeal is getting the best of me. Every night I hear these voices, calling to me. speaking over me. I try to shut them out but they’re overwhelming. Every morning I wake up on the floor in a cold sweat.”
1 eyed him warily, recalling how he had described the vacant, dreamy eyes of the shifters at Johan’s gathering. “What do the voices tell you?”
I hadn’t taken the time to truly examine the shifter since he got back from his mission.
eyes. His mouth was Plato, who was usually so jovial and relaxed, now had deep worry lines that creased the corners of his set in a hard line, and he no longer carried himself with a carefree disposition. He looked worn and ragged, with dark circles under his eyes,
There was a dead, empty glaze to his eyes when he answered. “They promise the downfall of the Bielke.”
My skin prickled, goosebumps breaking out on the back of my n*eck. Plato’s dreams could be written off as simply that, dreams. But what if it was a sign of something more? Were there already vampires on Bielke territory?
I barely had time to process any of that before my cell began to ring, startling both me and Plato. I fl*pped it open, pressing the phone to my car. “Angie”
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Chapter 117
“Get your ass down here, Red!” The she-wolf was breathless and yelling over the sounds of battle. “Ignatius doesn’t want you involved but we need a healer, How quickly can you get to Belile turf?”
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