[ After several hours - At the Bloodfang pack]
Velor literally stumbled out of the car as he sprinted through the gates, his boots kicking up gravel in his wake... he ran regardless. He hadn’t even parked his car properly... tossed the keys at one of his guards
His chest heaved, he looked a little exhausted...his muscles burned, but he didn’t slow down...like every second counted.
Clutched in his hand was a small glass vial, its contents clear as crystal but shimmering with faint, swirling sparks...like captured starlight. The liquid sloshed dangerously as he ran, but his grip was iron. He held it against his chest. He hadn’t risked everything just to spill it now.
He took the stairs three at a time,but his mind was already racing ahead to Autumn’s room. He had to break the curse... he had to... it was now a war against his own ego.
But when he burst through the door...
No Autumn. No healers. No wives. No nothing...
The floor mats were shredded as if by claws. The rugs had visible claw marks and were overturned and rolled in places. The air smelled of burnt herbs and something acrid...like the smell that hangs in the air after lightning...after a thunder strike.
Velor’s blood ran cold. So much wreckage!!
The bed had been overturned. Pillows shredded. Drapes torn from their hooks, lying tangled on the floor. Broken glass crunched beneath his boots as he stepped in, stunned.
"What the hell...GUARDS!" His roar shook the walls. "WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?!"
Footsteps pounded down the hall, and Niva skidded into the room, her braids disheveled, her face pale.
"Velor??!!" She gasped. "Thank the Moon you are finally here! We had been trying to reach you for..."
"What the fuck happened here?"he snarled, advancing on her. "Where is Autumn?"
Niva held up her hands, her voice steady but urgent. "Calm down. She is safe. She is in the basement."
"The basement?" Velor’s eyes blazed. "Why? What the hell..."
"The curse started manifesting,"Niva cut in, her tone sharpening."Very...very badly. She was convulsing, levitating...crawling over the walls and the floor...we couldn’t even contain her...She had even started frothing from her mouth..." After a heavy sigh and pause,she added. " It was TERRIBLE! SCARY! Even the healers and the witches couldn’t stop it.They said they didn’t know what kind of power held her. But the Seer..."
"Seer?What Seer?" Velor’s voice dropped to a deadly whisper.
"A woman came to the gates," Niva explained quickly. "Said she had foreseen Autumn’s and her babies’ death. She stopped the convulsions, but she said we had to move her. Said daylight was dangerous for her. No outside energy. The basement was the only place."
Velor’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth would have ached. "And you just left her with some strange Seer?Is that what you have learned ..."
"Velor,relax...She is not alone," Niva snapped. "Serra and Mara are with her. The healer too. But Velor..." Her eyes flicked to the vial in his hand, widening slightly but he quickly put it inside his pocket and started walking.
Velor was already striding past her towards the door.
Niva grabbed his arm." Velor, wait..."
Velor yanked his arm free and shoved past her, heading straight towards the basements. "Whatever...I am going down..."
" No, Velor! Wait! I mean...is that...?!!"
" I figured as much." Niva picked up her pace beside him. "You have always been stubborn."
They swiftly descended a narrow staircase as empty stone walls echoed their footfalls.Niva’s eyes flicked to the vial in Velor’s hand once more.
Velor didn’t look at her, purposefully averting his gaze.
But she stared at the glimmering glass like it was something out of myth... dangerous yet fascinating.
"You went to get that?" she asked again, voice quiet, disbelieving. "You really went to get that? For Autumn?"
Velor finally stopped, briskly,turned around and nodded once. "Yes! So what?"
A slow exhale escaped Niva’s lips. "That’s sacred lake water, Velor. Only the oldest packs use it anymore. It’s not even legal to extract it anymore...how did you...?"
"I pulled a few strings."
"You broke half a dozen treaty terms just to get that water," Niva corrected and interpreted his sentence, her tone turning into something between shock and awe.
"So what,Niva? I am the Alpha of this pack! I make my own rules. " Velor’s eyes didn’t leave the hallway ahead.
"Nothing...just that...I have never seen you care for anyone ," Niva said softly.
The silence between them stretched, save for the clink of the vial against Velor’s finger
Niva stared at him, something unreadable flashing in her eyes."Hmm. Alright... let keep going... Shall we? "
Velor didn’t dignify that with a response. He was already moving, his strides eating up the connecting hallway( that led to the first tier of the basement)as he headed for the stairs leading down.
Niva kept pace beside him, her breath uneven.
As they reached the lowest level of the basement, the air grew colder, damper.
" The Seer said the curse wasn’t just tied to her soul... it was feeding on her! So it’s much more difficult to release her from... "
" We will break it! " Velor walked faster.
The torches tere burned low, their flickering light casting long, twisting shadows of themselves and raced ahead of them.
And then they were plunged into absolute darkness!
" What the fuck!!! Why aren’t the lights working here? " Velor buckled but his Alpha vision immediately adjusted to the new light situation.
Niva struggled but Velor held her hand. She looked a little surprised herself. " I don’t know. Maybe it’s part of the Seer’s treatment. Let me mind link Serra... "
But just then... suddenly... a shriek tore through the silence.
High. Piercing. Agonized.
Velor and Niva froze for half a heartbeat...just long enough to exchange a single, horrified glance.
The sound came again, sharper this time, and Velor’s blood turned to ice.
Because it wasn’t just a scream of pain.
It echoed up from the darkness below.