The Alpha’s Mate Who Cried Wolf novel Chapter 83

Chapter83
Part of me is excited and wants to see Alec, but the other part feels guilty and thinks of Magnus.
We come to a standstill in front of the dark wooden door.
‘What do these symbols mean?’ Alpha Bennet inquires:
‘If the dark ones on the other side escape their cells, these markings will prevent them from exiting through this door.
‘Like an invisible forcefield?’ He asks.
‘Yes, it will also harm them, inflicting severe pain and injury if they try to force themselves through it.
As Yiselda opens the door, he responds, ‘I see. Alec’s sandalwood and sage scent waft out the door, past me. My body is telling me to run to him. I’m still exhausted from nearly drowning this morning. I muster my strength to keep my feet from running to him. My fists clench, and I walk behind everyone, so they don’t see me struggling to fight myself.
Grimghouls snarl at alpha Bennet and the others. I see I’m close enough for them to grasp me through the bars, yet they don’t seem bothered by my presence. I’m curious as to why they wouldn’t attack me.
‘What are these vicious things?’ ‘I’ve never seen them before, Alpha Bennet adds, taking a step back.
‘Grimghouls, with their razor fangs and claws, they can rip someone to pieces in seconds, Yiselda adds. Alpha Bennet trembles.
Alec’s stare is scorching through me as we approach the Shadow Reapers, I smile at Lilac and keep my eyes down to avoid staring at him. Unlike the Grimghouls, the Shadow Reapers approach me. Yiselda gives me a strange look, and I shrug. They retreat to the rear of the cell as Reaper lets out a caw.
I’m a Shadow Raven. They are drawn to me,’ Reaper explains.
Oh,’ I say out loud, receiving more strange looks.
Yiselda explains to Alpha Bennet how they lurch down your throat and take over your mind and body, causing hallucinations.
‘I can barely see them in the dark,’ he says.
‘Illumini,’ Yiselda casts the spell of light, illuminating the cell. You can sec the Shadow Reapers now. They don’t seem to enjoy the brightness and scramble to the back corner. They are human silhouettes with black mist emanating from them in the same way as Reaper does. ‘Dimulous,’ she says, their cell now once again dark.
‘I supposed it’s time for you to meet their master, the vampire king,’ Yiselda says, walking towards Alec’s cell.
They approach the cell. I can see out my peripheral vision Alec’s hands clenched around the bars, and his head is wedged between them. I remain behind everyone, keeping as much distance as I can. My hormones are raging as a result of his scent, and Alec appears he is also struggling to hold himself back as his hands tighten around the bars and beads of sweat form across his forehead as he watches me.
‘This is the vampire king?’ Alpha Bennet sneers.
‘Yes, it is him,’ Yiselda confirms.
Alec suddenly focuses on Reaper on my shoulder and begins to laugh hysterically.
‘Hello, Reaper. It’s been a long time, my old friend,’ he smiles.
Reaper caws
‘You know the vampire king?’ I ask him,
‘Did I not mention that?’ He mind-links.
‘Um, no, you did not tell me that. Care to explain?’
/ Ipha Bennel scoffs, Interrupting the mind-link between Reaper and me, ‘He looks as weak as a wart on a toad’s rear and only looks to be around twenty years old?’
Alec hisses and Nashes his teeth at Alpha Bennet, causing him to back away. Alec then returns to staring at me intently.
Appearances can be deceiving, Alpha Bennet says, ‘He has been here for a long time, and his powers are phenomenal. It took the entire coven to get him in here using multiple spells at the same time. Yiselda says.
‘How long has he been in here?’ Alpha Bennet asks.
‘More than seven hundred years.
My heart sinks at the thought that Alec has been alone here for so many years. Finally, I look him in the eyes. As his eyes burrow into mine, my heart beats faster. It’s as though we can peer into each other’s souls. He has a sad and longing expression on his face. His eyes close, and he breathes in. I realise he is taking in my scent and is definitely feeling the same urges as me. It’s evident to me he wants to hold me and touch me. I blush and look away before he opens his eyes.
‘So, this vampire king here had let all these dark creatures on the loose to kill everyone seven hundred years ago?’
According to the stories I’ve heard, he was once a magnificent King until he went mad after losing his blood flame Juniper to humans.’ She was a witch and was burned at the stake only a few days after Alec and Juniper met!
Llet out a gasp and stare solemnly at Alec. It’s hurting him hearing the story. I can see it and sense it.
‘Forth of vengeance, he summoned Shadow Reapers and Grimghouls and ordered vampires out to slay all humans.’ Werewolves attempted to defend humans by preventing them from invading human territory. Thousands of werewolves had perished, and the war was slipping away from them. Witches rushed in to aid, and we’ve been able to keep him here ever since, but with great
difficulty and many more deaths. The vampires vanished and have been in hiding ever since. However, I have heard rare stories of
their necks. Vampires are still around. It’s just that no one has ever lived after seeing them to tell the tale of their existence. After a few centuries, werewolves had forgotten the vampire king, and he became little more than a terrifying fable, told to their pups each night. Werewolves eventually turned on us and almost wiped us all out.’
I’ve unknowingly moved closer to Alec’s cell. My hand reaches towards his cheek. I have to touch him. Yiselda takes my wrist, looks at me strangely, and pulls me back towards her. Her grasp on my wrist is tight.
Now that you know he exists, you understand how important it is that we survive so that we may continue to keep Pandora’s Box sealed from the rest of the world.
‘Why don’t you just kill the king and those creatures?’ Alpha Bennet asks.
‘The vampire king cannot simply be killed. Even if we starve him, he doesn’t die. Instead, he becomes erratic and loses his mind. Although they don’t like sunlight, it also does not kill them.’.’
‘What about a stake to the heart?’ Alpha Bennet suggests.
‘Well, if you want to go in the cell and risk your life trying to stake his heart, be my guest. But, even then, we don’t even know if that will work,’ Yiselda says. “You’d probably be dead before you could blink since he has incredible strength and speed and would drain your blood in minutes.
‘What about all those creatures then?
‘They weren’t always Grimghouls and Shadow Reapers. The Grimghouls are the Pixies of Silverfay Forest, where they and familiars reside. They are the only ones left to exist, and Shadow Reapers are souls from the dead that need to be returned to their resting place. For many years, I’ve been researching spells in the hopes of reverting the pixies to their original forms and returning them to Silverfay Forest, as well as returning the souls of the shadow reapers to their resting places. Hence, why witches before me chose to seal them all in this dungeon in hopes of restoring them back and keeping the vampire king under control, but now if you are satisfied, we shall return to Shadow Crest?’
Alpha Bennet’s face contorts in thought as he stares at Alec, who won’t take his gaze away from me. Alpha Bennet looks between us, perplexed as to why he is so interested in me.
All right then, let’s go back to Shadow Crest, he replies.