5. The Sinister Green

HAAALLO FROM THE OTHER SIIIIIDE!

I'm alive darlings! Man, I missed you guys!

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!

Dedicated to sarcasticfries for being the absolute sweetheart that you are! Thank you for all your support honey!

The amazing cover above was made by B_roken2! Thank you so much doll! Its pure perfection! I love it! (If you changed your username please do let me know honey)

DO NOT COPY MY WORK!

This chapter is unedited so please excuse the grammatical errors. Enjoy!

____

Recap

The golden glow from the lamp post that had been about to disappear into the mist had suddenly come to halt at a distance, somewhere in the midst of the trees.

And there it stayed, motionless, like a firefly suspended mid-air, its state of paralysis somehow far more foreboding than its locomotion.

It didn't last long though, as the very next second the golden light started moving once again, the thumping sound from its stump hitting the ground hard resounding through the silent woods.

And I stared at it in utmost horror as I realized, that now, it was coming back.

And it was coming right at me.

****

Suzzanah's POV

Oh no!

I stumbled away from the shrub I had just tripped over, ignoring my throbbing arms and legs as I stared aghast at the fast approaching demon lampstand and its caped master.

There was no doubt about it. They had heard me. They had heard my cry from when I had just fallen. I had stupidly given myself away just when I thought I was safe.

And now they were coming for me!

Oh God no!

My head jerked from one side to the other as I desperately searched for a place to hide before they got too close. I knew that they had probably heard me but I still wasn't sure if they had seen me yet. And if not, I still had a chance of escaping.

Barely.

My eyes hurriedly scanned my surroundings but all I saw was trees, shrubs and more trees. If I ran, they either catch me or I'd get even more lost than I was now and maybe end up running into another cannibalistic organism.

But if I stayed here and hid in the vegetation, that darned lampstand's light would definitely give away my location. Especially if its master was a supernatural, which I was pretty sure they were. What was I supposed to do?!

The thumping of the lampstand was now much louder and faster than before, just like the thumping in my chest, as I ran to the closest tree.

Shoot! I'm in trouble!

WHAT?!

I gasped in shock realizing that I was still mindlinking Zuerien and Alpha Penson, and had just transmitted that thought right to them.

What do mean, heart? What's wrong? Zuerien's serious and worried voice asked me urgently.

Oh darn, darn, darnnn!

I-I...I'm-

Heart, where are you? What's happening? Are you alright?! Zuerien said, his voice rising along with his panic that I could feel coursing through my veins and intermixing with my own.

Suzzanah, can you hear us? Alpha Penson asked immediately afterwards, his voice tense and very unlike his usual calm self, Do you know where you are?

NO!

I desperately wished that they couldn't hear my frenzied thoughts as I fisted my hair, hyperventilating.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, it hazily occured to me that if Zuerien and Alpha Penson were asking me if I knew where I was, then they were already aware of the fact that I was no longer in my room in the hotel. But I didn't have the time to contemplate the hazards of that fact right now with a million other thoughts running through my mind, making me feel crazed and a little bit dizzy.

I was alone and lost and being hunted down by the possessed relative of a damn streetlight. How exactly was I supposed to expect my mate to stay sane if I told him that?!

I could already feel his intense emotions of extreme worry searing through my body. One wrong word and he'd completely lose it and I was not in any position to even be able to help calm him down.

Oh God! What the heck was I supposed to say?!

And more importantly, what the heck was I supposed to do?!

Suddenly the possessed lampstand's light shone through the trees and into the clearing like a flashlight, wandering from one side to other- searching.

And my heart nearly stopped.

GAAAAHH!

Without another thought, my hands involuntarily grabbed onto the tree trunk I was hiding behind. My fingers dug into the rugged bark followed by the ridged soles my shoes, and I lifted my body off the ground and onto the ginormous tree in front of me.

And just like that, I found myself climbing a random tree while being lost in a random forest once again.

Ah, how nostalgic!

I was well aware that the last time I had done this, I had ended up on the ground with my calf muscle split open and my skirt hitched up to my butt, looking like some mad masochistic call girl.

And I had also been rescued by a very large and charming wolf who happened to be my soulmate.

But the difference now was that I was not wearing a skirt but jeans. And my dearest mate was not here to save me.

The thought of Zuerien brought forth an immense feeling of helplessness and longing over me, but I did my best not to think about it and not let it overpower me.

Without halting for even a second, I climbed like my life depended on it, because well, it probably did. My arms and legs worked tirelessly as fast as they could, heaving me higher up the trunk. The chapped wood of the old tree trunk sliced into the skin of my palms but I felt no pain, the anxiety having numbed all other senses.

My limbs immediately felt the strain from the unplanned exercise but they continued to move rhythmically up the trunk, trying to reach for only the thickest of branches to avoid the risk of them breaking under my weight.

I cringed everytime the wood cracked and curved underneath me, despertely praying that I could stay tree-borne at least long enough to avoid falling right in front of the demon lampstand and its cloaked commander.

Or on them, for that matter.

The wind was picking up all around me, blowing my hair into my face and making it harder for me to keep at my task. Gasping for breath, I stopped for a second, slumping against the tree trunk before me for support.

Even without looking down, I knew I was pretty high up in the air now seeing as from where I was, I could see the tops of several trees around me. Panting as silently as I could, I scanned the scenery at eye level and all of a sudden, I caught a glimpse of an object in the distance that didn't blend into the general tree-covered landscape, drawing my attention despite my stressful state.

There in the distance, I noticed, nearly being camoflaged by the thick canopies of foliage, was the unmistakable framework of a small wooden cottage. It was a woody dark brown- probably unpainted- and very old looking. I couldn't see it clearly but I could make out something like a chimney arising from the roof that disappered into the nearest tree.

I blinked trying to figure out if what I was seeing was real or just a mirage but when the structure remained unchanged and unwavering in my sight, I realized that it really was there.

And then it clicked. Before I had attracted unnecessary attention towards myself, the cloaked figure and its lampstand henchman had been making their way right towards that cottage!

Immediately, out of reflex, my eyes shot to the ground underneath me and when they assessed the insane distance I was at from it, I instantly felt giddy. But knowing that I couldn't afford to get light headed in my current state, I forced myself to stay clear-headed.

Bending over cautiously, I peered into the clearing on the other side of the tree through the gaps between the branches and the foliage, as carefully as I could.

In the few seconds that I had spent climbing like a mad ape, a thick grey mist had covered the clearing making it harder for me to see what was going on down there.

I squinted trying to get a better view, concentrating as hard as I could. The fog made everything rather hazy but I thought I could make out some movement down below. I leaned over some more, staring right at the spot where I had seen that flicker of motion.

Suddenly, a bright golden-yellow light illuminated the misty clearing and my breath caught in my throat.

It was that demon lampstand!

The golden beam moved from one side to the other, slowly, meticulously, successively illuminating every corner of the clearing as it went.

Searching.

My fingers dug into the wooden trunk before me as fear gripped my soul. With the sudden outburst of golden light, my vision improved and I caught glimpses of what looked like dark shadows moving in the clearing underneath me.

Shadows

I shuddered involuntarily at that word, instantly feeling my apprehension rise. What if the person underneath that cloak was a Shadower?! What was I supposed to do then?!

My panicked thoughts were interrupted when the wind abruptly started to pick up and the mist in the clearing started seeping out of it and into the rows of pillar like trees surrounding it.

Within a matter of seconds, the fog had diminshed enough for me to be able to make out more than just shadowy figures, and I found myself staring aghast at an ominous dark cloak fluttering in the wind.

My throat ran dry at the sight of its pitch black cape swaying wildly, re-exposing the dark skirt underneath it which fluttered along with it. The hood of the cloak however stayed strikingly undisturbed as the figure stood with its back towards me.

I bit my lip hard, biting back a frightened whimper at the sight of the caped figure standing threateningly in the center of the clearing. The demon lampstand was planted just a few feet away from it, turning its glowing 'head' slowly to the right.

The dark figure followed the light with its gaze, turning its head to the side but not enough to give away its appearance. It then turned its head to the left of the clearing, and the lampstand obediently illuminated the same.

It knew someone had been there, I realized. It was looking for me!

An unconcealed wave of anxiety washed over me, followed by another and then another, progressively increasing in intensity. Although the cloaked figure down below hadn't done anything hostile yet, I couldn't help but feel nervous.

My palms were slippery with perspiration, but I held on as tight as I could, afraid that even one wrong move would give away my presence. I could feel my heart was racing wildly in my chest and my stomach turning and twisting inside of me.

Tension tore through my veins, making them pulse visibly over my arms and forehead as I unknowingly panted for breath, feeling like I would die of anxiety any minute.

But despite my dire situation, I immediately sensed that there was something amiss about my body's overtly incapacitating response to my predicament.

I was worried, I established.

Way too worried.

Something's off...

Trying as hard as I could to try and calm down, I continued to observe the dark figure scanning the clearing systematically. It searched patiently, cautiously, meticulously, but never once used any form of supernatural energy to try and find me, which although I was grateful for, I also found rather odd.

Why? Why wasn't it using its powers?

The more that thought clawed at my brain, the more my apprehension grew and although in my mind I was extremely thankful, my body was flooded with nothing but dread and fear.

Intense, crippling fear.

Something's off...!

Sweat dripped down the side of my face as a few more minutes passed, painfully slowly. I watched on anxiously as the dark creature searched every nook and cranny of the clearing.

Guardedly.

The demon lantern dutifully illuminated every inch of the large clearing till there was not a blade of grass in it that hadn't been scrutinized under its golden light.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any more precise with its searching, the cloaked figure turned and abruptly raised it head high, its shadowed countenance now staring up into the thick foliages of the trees.

SHOOT!

My eyes went wide in horror and a silent gasp escaped my lips before my body whirled around, out of the creature's line of sight, my back slamming into the thick trunk behind me which gave me cover.

Oh no! Had it figured out that there was someone hiding up in the branches? Was this it? Was this the end? Had I been found out?!

I gulped hard and a strangled breath escaped my lips.

Had it sensed me?

Had it seen me?

Where was it now?

Was it coming for me?!

My body trembled and shook as I slowly turned my head to the side. My breath came out in silent pants as I shakily leaned forward and peered into the clearing again to confirm my suspicions.

It didn't take me even a second to locate the dark figure that still stood in the midst of the clearing. But its gaze was now directed towards the rows of trees planted opposite to the one I was on.

It's back was to me and I was yet to see its face but something about its stiff stance told me that if was tense. As though it had discovered something that was potentially dangerous, as though it had sensed something that- to it- posed a threat.

I frowned as I stared at the back of its hooded head in confusion, and when the cloaked figure started to walk towards those trees and away from where I was, my eyebrows flew to my hairline.

Was it...was it leaving?!

I leaned forward some more in disbelief as the cloaked figure motioned for the demon lamppost to start come along with a flick of its hand. The were-lamp-thingamajig immediately started to hop once again, overtaking its master and bouncing into the darkness amidst the rows of trees once more.

I watched with my heart in my throat till the figure reached the edge of the clearing, and it was only a few seconds after it and its glowy companion had disappeared into the woods that I finally let myself relax and slumped onto the branch underneath me.

"Ahhh!" I panted heavily, clutching my chest.

My heart was still beating thunderously inside of me and I was sure that if the creature down there had been a werewolf, it would have been able to hear it.

I gave myself time to calm down, all the while keeping an eye on the spot where I had seen the caped figure disappear a few minutes ago. But even after several seconds had passed, unconcealed waves of fear continued to wash over me, making it hard for me to relax.

Rubbing my chest, I glanced in the direction of the little cottage that the figure had been heading towards before I had interrupted its journey. And despite the extremely close call I had had just a few minutes ago, I had an unexplainable urge to go and see what was in there.

Perhaps it was that anticipation that still had me out of breath. Perhaps it was the apprehension of what I would find in that cottage that was keeping me from being able to calm my nerves. Was that it?

No matter how I looked at it, I realized that the extent of panic that I was currently feeling was nearly impracticable, especially now that the threat had passed. I had been in similar dangerous situations before, but the magnitude of the emotions I was feeling right now was just far too intense, far too overwhelming.

Far too infinite, to be solely my own.

I was scared, yes, I didn't deny it.

But not this scared.

Not me.

Oh no

The truth hit me like a ton of concrete bricks in the face and I gasped out loud, my hands flying to cover my mouth, my eyes going wide in horror.

Zuerien!

The instant I thought of him another ginormous wave of unfathomable anxiousness flooded my system and all my blood gushed to my head, momentarily making me dizzy. It was so powerful that it made my heart rate shoot to its zenith, and it was so consuming that I was left completely and utterly breathless.

It was...the endless extent of my mate's concern for me.

And before I had even recovered from the daze, my mind blanked and my mate's frantic voice echoed within it, loudly.

SUZZANAH!

Fear and relief exploded into my veins, my mate's emotions intermingling with my own like salt blending into with water. And my heart hurt at the sound of the extreme worry sewn into his voice.

Zuerien!

His gasp echoed throughout my mind before a dizzying onslaught of shock and hope washed over me.

HEART! HEART, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

I was shocked by the profound sense of reassurance that his voice alone brought me and I closed my eyes, trying to savor the feeling and concentrate harder on the feeling.

Zuerien, I can! I can hear you! I cried out in reply.

Thank God! He breathed out, sounding like he had just been at the verge of losing it and God knew I would have given just about anything at that moment to be back with him.

Baby, are you alright? He asked me anxiously, What happened?!

All the events that had transpired just a few seconds ago flashed before my eyes in fast forward and instantly, I found myself at a loss of words.

Should I tell him?

Suzzanah?!

I'm here! I replied immediately, not wanting to worry him any more than he already was, but still wondering how on earth to tell him everything without getting him to go into a fit of panicked rage.

Heart, please tell me you're okay, he begged and my chest constricted, overwhelmed by the urge to embrace him.

Zuerien, please don't worry, I'm- I glanced again down into the clearing and then into the woods around it, hesitating, I'm okay

Then what did you mean when you said that you were in trouble earlier?!

I cringed, biting my lip hard; had I said that out loud?!

What happened heart? He asked desperately, Please tell me what went wrong. Why did you suddenly block us out?

Whaaat?!

My face instantly scrunched up in shock, Blocked you out? But I didn-

My words abruptly got cut off when two more familiar voices that suddenly sounded simultaneously through our mindlink.

Suzzanah?

Luna?!

Alpha Penson! Cole! I exclaimed stunned.

A third voice suddenly joined in.

Is that the Queen?

Marco? I said, recognizing his voice instantly.

QUEEN! Thank the Lord! At least we managed to get in touch with one of you! He breathed out.

What?

Heart, can you hear us?

Zuerien, yes I can! I said, nearly shouting the responses in my head over all the commotion.

I don't think she realized that she blocked us out earlier, Alpha Penson said, probably to Zuerien, through the mindlink.

I did WHAT?! I cried out in horror.

You abruptly blocked me and the Alpha out when we were mindlinking you a few minutes ago, he replied, and no matter how hard we tried to get through your barrier, we couldn't.

I gasped in shock as I realized that I had apparently unknowingly done so earlier while I was concentrating on hiding from the caped figure, Oh my God! I'm sorry, I had no idea-

I thought something had happened to you, Zuerien breathed out, When you suddenly blocked out the mindlink I nearly had a heart attack

Nearly? Marco and Cole asked incredulously.

Marco, could you reach him? Zuerien suddenly asked, ignoring their comment.

Reach who?!

NO! Marco exclaimed in aggravation, And I have no idea why!

Before I could ask who they were talking about a sudden gust of wind crashed into me, momentarily distracting me from the ongoing mindlink as it brought with it a faint yet evident aura of some form of supernatural energy. It instantly made my skin prickle and my body tingle uneasily, leaving me feeling strangely jittery.

And then it was gone.

What was that?

My gaze immediately turned frantic again, searching everywhere for any approaching threats, but found nothing. I frowned, swallowing hard.

What the heck was happening?

Suzzanah?!

Luna, can you still here us?

Suzzanah?

Queen?!

Cole, Alpha Penson, Marco, Zuerien, I can hear you all! Please calm down! I cried out, feeling utterly lost with the sudden subsequent cut-offs and barrages of voices.

ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE ALRIGHT?! All of them asked me in unison.

For the last time, I'm fine you guys.

Four relieved sighs echoed through the mindlink and I breathed deeply, silently thanking the heavens for the incredible stroke of luck I had just had.

My hands and legs ached terribly from having kept them strained in the same uncomfortable position for too long and I took that opportunity to change my position and stretch a little when Zuerien suddenly asked.

Heart, where are you?

I almost slipped off the branch I was sitting on.

Oh shoot.

Uhhhhh, my eyes wandered my surroundings as I raked my mind to try and find a suitable answer.

I knew that Zuerien and the others already knew I was no longer in the hotel so there was no point in lying. Might as well tell them the truth and hope Zuerien doesn't lose it.

What were the chances of that happening?

Heart?

I-uh...I'm...I scratched my head as I pulled myself to my feet once again with the support of a few nearby branches, trying to get a better look at my surroundings. And no matter how I looked at it, only one reply came to my mind and I cringed before squeaking out, I'm in the woods

WOODS?!

All four of them shouted through the mindlink at the same time.

She's in the woods! She's in the WOODS! Marco cried out, sounding quite thrilled, contrary to the freak out I had expected, leaving me utterly confused and even more so when he shouted, King where are you going?!

To look for her! Zuerien replied through the mindlink and I immediately sat up startled.

But Alpha! We don't know which woods she's in! Cole stated the very same think I was about to.

Exactly! I replied.

Rino, contact Rino immediately! Zuerien shouted, ignroing our comments.

Argh, alright! Marco responded, Although I do hope you are aware that in this department, he is not very reliable

What department exactly?

Just do it! Zuerien snapped.

Even if she is in Dublin, where in the woods could she be? Cole added, asking all the right questions.

On a tree, I replied reflexly and the mindlink suddenly went deathly silent.

What?

All four voices deadpanned in unison and it was then that I realized my mistake.

Oh darn.

Oh no, Alpha Penson said apprehensively.

Please don't tell me, Cole added just as anxiously.

Damn, Marco breathed out.

And then,

Suzzanah...

Kill me.

You're on a TREE?! Zuerien shouted, AGAIN?!

I cringed, headbutting the tree trunk repeatedly. Stupid, stupid!

Um...uh...well, you know...uh-yeah

BLOODY HELL!

I jumped at his furious roar, Zuerien, please don't be mad

Too late for that, Marco commented nervously, RIP cousin

Cousin?

But why a tree?! Cole asked frantically.

Were you thinking of trees before you teleported Suzzanah? Alpha Penson asked me.

What? No! I replied confused.

But you mean you were teleported from your room onto a freakin tree?! Marco cried out.

Oh darn.

Uh...no. I... I wasn't, I said nervously, fumbling horribly with my words, I-well I was teleported, to the middle of the woods and I-uh, I saw this tree and I well...you know, I...just sort of...climbed.

YOU CLIMBED?!

Ai yai yai

I squeezed my eyes shut, Eeeee-yes, I squeaked out nervously.

SUZZANAAAH! Zuerien cried out in exasperation.

I'm sorry, I...I was lost!

Why does being lost immediately make you want to climb the nearest tree Suzzanah?! Zuerien shouted.

It doesn't!

Then why?!

Because-

I stopped short, my voice dying in my throat automatically. If I told my mate I climbed to try and escape a potentially dangerous caped magical creature with a possessed demented lampstand sidekick, Zuerien would explode like the sun.

Suzzanah?!

AAH! Yah! Because...I...wasn't thinking!

Obviously not

Zuerien! Stop making me sound like a rebellious pest. This is only the second time I've climbed a tree since I started working at the Royale Industries.

The outcome of last time's climbing adventure should have kept you from doing so forever

I shook my head at his overprotectiveness.

How high up are you? he asked, his voice tense.

U-uh...um...I gulped at the sight of the very very distant green grass, P-pretty high up.

Goddammit!

Alpha, please stay calm, Alpha Penson said.

How the hell am I supposed to stay calm?! She's on a freaking tree again!

You make that sound like some sort of unhealthy addiction of mine

Suzzanah, not one word!

I huffed as he spoke to Alpha Penson, John, perhaps we can contact the League of Magic. I want Suzzanah out of that goddamn tree and back on the ground immediately

League of Magic?! I cried out horrified.

I suppose we could do that, Alpha Penson replied.

Or I could just climb back down

NO!

All four of them shouted together making me slump with an irritable sigh.

Do not move from where you are Suzzanah, do you hear me? Just stay put. We'll find a safer, more secure way to get you back down. Something that will ensure no abrasions, cuts, blood or broken bones at the end of your descent.

What do you want me to do till then? Lay eggs and sit on them?

Just sitting will suffice

Smartass

I turned my head and cautiously glanced back into the clearing and all around it. Still no sign of the caped figure or it's lighthouse minion, which meant that this was a good time to get back on the ground and make a run for it.

But I didn't even know where I was. Where would I go?

My gaze involuntarily made its way to the little cottage that the caped figure had been heading towards before I interrupted its journey and compelled it to look elsewhere.

Bad idea!

I knew. I knew that. And yet I couldn't dismiss the strange invisible pull that was drawing me to that cottage. Perhaps it was just the curious cat inside of me having a sugar rush and trying to get me in trouble again, but I was having a hard time drawing my attention away from that cottage and I had no idea why.

Any word on Rino yet? Where is he?

Zuerien's statement made me tune back into the mindlink. I was aware that I had disappeared right in front of Rino's eyes and although I knew that Rino wasn't exactly the type to freak out and lose it like Zuerien, I did know that he was probably worried about me right now and I couldn't help but feel guilty about it.

No clue, Marco replied, He isn't picking up his phone and the hotel staff as well as the Ashford Pack members stationed around it say they can't find him anywhere in the hotel. Its possible he teleported too.

WHAT?! I cried out shocked, Rino could have teleported too?!

I immediately started looking around frantically to see if he had appeared somewhere close to me. But no matter how I strained my meagre human vision, all I could see were trees, trees and more trees.

There is a possibility, Yes, Cole replied.

B-but I don't understand, why did this happen all of a sudden? I asked absently, still exploring the woods around me, Why did I telepor-

My voice caught in my throat as Marco cleared his throat uncomfortably and Zuerien growled lowly in irritation.

RIP cousin

Prophecy...I breathed out remembering Marco's words from earlier, and three sighs from Cole, Alpha Penson and Marco filled the mindlink.

That's right, Alpha Penson replied.

It was an accident, Cole added.

Before I could ask anything else, the sound of distant thunder suddenly caught my ear and I raised my gaze to look at the heavy, grey heavens above me. A stark contrast to the clear, sunny skies that had welcomed us in Dublin this morning.

I gulped uncomfortably. That meant there was no way I was in Dublin anymore. So where the heck was I? And where was Rino?

Suzzanah, can you hear me? Alpha Penson asked.

Yes Alpha, I replied, nervously.

Alright, listen dear one, I want you to think and tell me, he said, what was the last thing you were thinking about before you got teleported to the woods?

My brows knit together, Huh?

Think hard, he told me, Were you by any chance thinking of being in another city or country?

I shook my head, N-no?

Are you certain?

Y-yes but, I don't understand why you're asking me this...

Because your very last thoughts before you were teleported were probably what determined where you were teleported to, Zuerien replied.

I started, What, really?!

That's right, so please think hard, Suzzanah. Its the only way we'll know where to look to find you, he told me, Was there a specific place or time or memory you were thinking of at the exact moment that you were teleported?

Try and remember, Alpha Penson said, Not even for a minute did you think about a different country or place, perhaps a memory from you past?

A memory...

I wasn't thinking about a different country or city or anything in particular...

But...

Were you thinking of going into the woods then? He asked, Perhaps you were admiring the veiw of the hills from your room?

My eyes widened, I was for a bit...but...

But? They all asked me in unison anxiously.

But that wasn't my last thought before I was teleported.

No?

No...I replied, I was-

A sudden harsh gust of wind crashed into me, abruptly cutting me off as yet again it brought with it a very evident and palpable aura of a supernatural power. It instantly made goosebumps form on my skin and chills tear down my spine, leaving me shuddering and alarmed as I recognized that power.

Magic.

A loud gasp escaped my lips, and my head shot from side to side, trying to locate the source of it.

What's going on? What's happening?!

Suzzanah? Heart! Zuerien cried out, What's wrong?!

I-I don't know, I replied honestly, feeling baffled and scared once more.

Tell me what's going on! Are you in danger?!

Annaaa

An abrupt soft echo like cry sounded in my mind distantly, making it harder for me to concentrate on what Zuerien and the others were saying through the mindlink.

Suzzanah?!

Annaaa

Oh God! What is that?

Zuerien! I...I can't-

Annaaa, Annaaa!

Can't what, heart?!

I can't think!

Aaannaaaa

Who was that?! What the heck was going on?!

My senses involuntarily turned to the distant whisper like echo and attempted to zero in on it and identify it, despite my conscious efforts to try and concentrate on answering Zuerien.

Annaaaa

Queen?!

Suzzanah!

Luna?!

Heart! HEART!

Annaaaaa

Argh! Stop it! I can't think!

All these voices sounding in my mind together started to make me extremely dizzy. My hands flew to my head and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to gain some semblance of order back when yet again, out of nowhere, I felt a fresh wave of magic wash over me with the wind.

But unlike earlier when it had left me feeling apprehensive and anxious, this time I found all my senses redirecting themselves towards it, dulling the voices echoing in my mind.

Wait a minute...

In the midst of the chaos of that moment, I found my body growing more and more in tuned with the magic that was flowing in far more generously with the harsh gale, every passing second.

Thunder sounded yet again, much closer to me than before and the winds grew even colder, as though foretelling the coming of a powerful storm.

HEART! SUZZANAH!

I jerked in alarm, my attention diverting back to the unsteady mindlink I was having a hard time maintaining, Zuerien!

Baby can you hear me? Are you okay? Zuerien asked desperately but before I could even attempt to formulate a reply to his question, several other random questions filled the mindlink through Cole, Marco and Alpha Penson, none of them making any sense whatsoever to me.

What's happening with the Queen, King?

The mindlink is unstable! She isn't able to maintain it, Zuerien cried out worriedly.

Zuerien, I can hear yo-

What if something's happened to her?!

Alpha calm down! She's okay, Alpha Penson said, She's probably just having a hard time trying to stay tuned into the mindlink. She's still new to this after all.

But I can hear you guys!

Goddammit! This is my fault! I should never have left her alone!

Zuerien!

It was then that I realized that although I was able to hear them, they weren't able to clearly hear my responses anymore.

Alpha please don't worry. She told us she wasn't thinking of any place in particular. That probably means that she is still in the woods surrounding Dublin! Alpha Penson said.

I'll inform the Beta of Pack Ashford to gather a team of his best trackers and fighters and find her immediately! Cole added.

But what if she isn't in Dublin?! Marco asked worriedly.

FIND HER NOW! Look everywhere! I don't care if you have to tear the entire world apart to do so, I want my mate back in our territory and out of harms way immediately!

Yes Sir!

Zuerie-

And what about the Alpha?

Rino is still missing too!

Tell them to keep looking for him. Have you been able to reach the other guy yet?

Who?

And is she with him?

WHO?!

Where the hell did the two of them go?!

WHO ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?!

Annaaaa

My heart rate immediately spiked once more at the sound of that distant shout-like echo.

Oh no! Its back! That creepy voice is back!

Annnaaaa!

Who was that?! Who was calling me?!

I knew that whoever that voice belonged to wanted me to acknowledge their cry, but I didn't know what to say. And then an extrememly nerve-racking thought occured to me making me nearly shriek in terror.

Oh God! Please don't tell me it was the ghostly blue-green eyed man I had seen a couple of weeks ago!

NOOOO!

ZUERIEN!

They've dispatched their teams into all the fours woods. If she's here, they'll find her soon, Cole said.

But what if-

Marco, would you stop suggesting grave scenarios for my mate before I rip your head off?!

I-I'm sorrry King, but we have to consider this. What if she was teleported to the Shadow side of the woods?!

The mindlink suddenly went deathly silent once more and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

Shadow side...

Goosebumps formed over my entire body as a shiver of dread tore down my spine. Panic started to seep into my system and my hands started to tremble.

No...oh please no...

The air grew colder, icier with every passing moment, adding to the ominous inclination of my predicament. And I didn't know what to do.

I'm scared...Zuerien...I'm scared...

My hands started to feel numb from the cold and my teeth started to clatter. To make things worse, I could no longer hear my mate's voice through the mindlink, only occasional comments from the others.

This isn't looking good. We need to find a way to get back in touch with the Luna immediately, Cole said gravely.

I think we should contact the League of magic like the King said, Marco suggested, They will be able to help us find her

League of Magic...

Forced to be but a mute auditory spectator of the events that were now taking place, I listened on quietly, while nervously glancing around myself, rubbing my arms up and down to try and retain some of my body heat.

I absently changed my position several times, shakily getting onto my feet and then settling against the branches once more, torn between wanting to get back on the ground and stay tucked inconspicuously between the thick foliage of the tree.

The wind continued to pick up and the skies grew darker with every passing second, as though foretelling the coming of a powerful storm.

I shuddered at the thought of a random shadow sneaking up on me any minute, and forced myself to keep calm, barely keeping track of the conversation still taking place in my head.

That's a good idea! Cole replied, They should be able to help us find Prophecy too

And Rino, Marco added.

I don't think Rino has left Dublin, Alpha Penson said.

What? The other two asked, sounding surprised, How can you be so sure?

Can't you tell by the weather?

That one statement from Alpha Penson was all it took to get all my wandering attention flew back to the mindlink.

What?!

You're right, Marco said, making my breath hitch, Rino is definitely still in Dublin

And he's definitely worried, Cole added, It'll rain soon

My eyes shot back up to the sky and my pulse immediately sped up. The weather had worsened even more to the point that the sky was nearly dark now.

It'll rain soon...

I needed no further clarification. That statement from Cole said it all.

Dublin. I was still in Dublin!

The realization triggered an involuntarily rush of comfort through my body before I was distracted by the low rumbing of contained thunder sounded intermittently from all directions, like the threatening growls of a hungry predator.

I had seen this. I had seen this before.

The suddenly chilly winds.

The abruptly changing weather.

And...that voice...

Annaaa

My eyes widened, that name...

Annaaaa

There was no doubt about it.

ANNAAAA!

I knew this!

In the sudden split second that that thought occured to me, it struck me like resounding thunder all around me. There were only two people in the whole world who called me by that name.

And Karina...wasn't this patient.

So that meant this was-

RINO?!

The minute I opened my mind to that constant resounding beckoning, the distant voice became crystal clear in my mind till I could hear it as though he were standing right next to me.

ANNA!

It really was him!

ANNA! Oh that God! You can finally hear me! Rino cried out making my hands fly to my mouth in both extreme happiness and shock.

The third time, I thought, this was the third time he was able to mindlink me despite not being a werewolf.

The first was when I had heard his voice in my mind when I had been locked up in that closet a few days ago.

The second was when we had both mindlinked Karina simultaneously while we were all in the bedroom of Zuerien's cottage during the Annual Games.

And now.

Third time.

Anna?!

Rino! H-how?!

I don't know, but that isn't new! Wait, first- are you okay? Where are you? Does the Wolfa know?!

I'm okay Rino, I replied, overjoyed that he was alright and that there was finally someone I could reach via mindlink, I'm lost somewhere in the woods. Zuerien knows but I can't reach him via mindlink

THE WOODS?! He too had a similar reaction to the others, You're in the woods! I knew it! I knew!

What? My jaw dropped, B-but how?

I just did! Like I know when I'm hungry

Ignoring the urge to smile I asked, But where are YOU?!

I'm in the woods too! He replied making a surge of joy flood my body, Hang in there Anna, we'll find you!

We?! I asked absently, relishing in the feeling of reassurance that his being in the woods brought me.

The Wolfa and I, he told me immediately making my heart lurch forward.

W-what, I breathed out.

He's here Anna, he told me strongly, The Wolfa is in the woods too

Zuerien!

And just like that an overwhelming feeling of relief far more intense than before flooded my body, charging every part of my being.

Zuerien was here.

He was in the woods! Zuerien was in the woods!

We'll find you, Rino repeated, And even if I don't, he will. So just hang in there!

My mate was coming. My Zuerien was coming.

I released the heavy breath I didn't even know I was holding in, instantly feeling half of my fear melt away. Almost instantly I felt rejuvenated and far more confident than I had a few seconds ago.

Rino was right. Zuerien would find me. I was sure he would.

There was no need for me to be afraid.

Letting that realization sink into the deepest part of my being, I grabbed onto the nearest sturdy branches and hauled myself to my feet again, getting ready to begin my descent. It would be easier for him to find me on the ground that up in the trees.

As I assessed the way back down I asked, Rino, do you know where you are?

Not really, he replied, But I'm pretty close to a stream

I frowned raising my head and searching the landscape to see if I could see any stream. Unfortunately I couldn't.

Okay, and? I asked.

It feels like freshwater

RINO! I cried out horrified, Do you know where you're going?!

Uh-huh, he replied, Towards the stream

Why?

That's where you'll be

What?!

But I'm not- I-I can't see any stream around me for miles!

That's okay Anna, he replied, I can't either

Goodness gracious!

I scratched my head, feeling extremely worried about Rino now. What was he saying? And where was he going? What if he ran into unplesant company?

OH GOD! Forget about me! Someone save Rino!

Rino you-

Before I could tell him to forget about finding me and try and find his way back to the city, a ginormous burst of energy suddenly crashed into me with the wind and my mind blanked at the intensity of the magic it brought with it.

The same magic I had felt before.

Disoriented, I tightened my grip on the branches around me, waiting for the intense energy to die down. But it didn't. On the contrary it came in increasing bouts with each gust of wind, growing stronger and more distinct with every onslaught and the more I concentrated on it, the more I became aware...

That the source of this magic...was getting closer.

Even though that realization made a palpable rush of adrenaline flood my veins, I found that strangely enough, it didn't strike fear into my system. Because as the intensity of the magic that the wind kept carrying to me grew stronger and clearer, another fact became remarkably evident to me.

This magic...felt alarmingly familiar.

I knew this aura.

The very second I established that, an immensely powerful wave of magic crashed into me with the wind, and I finally recognized the source of it.

In a flash my head jerked up, and my eyes shot open to find two shockingly familiar human figures suddenly suspended weightlessly in the air just a few feet in front of me.

One of them -the female- was facing me, the other - the male- had his back towards me.

"What is going on?!" the female amongst the two shouted at the male heatedly, "Why the hell do we keep teleporting? And why the hell do you keep coming with me? Who even are you?! And most importantly, how the hell are we f-!"

Her voice abruptly caught in her throat and suddenly both their heads jerked to side simultaneously and their gazes zeroed in on mine together.

And my browns orbs met two pairs of eyes- one bright green and one dark grey.

PROPHECY AND ASHFORD?!

I watched on flabbergasted, too dazed to form legible sentences as feelings of astonishment and disbelief flooded my body. Their features contorted in shock in perfect sync with mine, Ashford's body whirling around in the air to face me, face thunderstruck, while Prophecy's lips parted wide in shock.

And then they both lunged at me at the same time, hands outstretched, reaching for me, as Prophecy shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing throughout the woods.

"QUEEEE-CHOO!"

I barely had the time to even blink before Prophecy's loud sneeze filled the air, bouncing off the tree trunks, echoing everywhere, and Alpha Ashford's face contorted in absolute exasperation.

And Prophecy's face scrunched up in horror as she continued to reach for me desperately, "No no no no no NO! Not yet! Wait! Queeeen-!"

In a flash, the two familiar figures in front of me vanished into thin air once more, but I had no time whatsoever to wallow in denial as the very second they disappeared, my balance abruptly faltered, and I knew that immediately a mistake too grave to correct had been made.

It all happened so fast that I didn't even have time to cry out for help. As my feet slipped and my body was thrown forwards, a sickening crack sounded from underneath me, breaking the ominous silence like shattering glass and before I could even blink the branch underneath gave way.

And I was falling.

My hair flew up over my head and cold wind hit my back with a force so strong that I almost found myself being lifted back into the air by it. The feeling of falling felt so familiar and so nostalgic that for a second the gravity of my situation didn't even register in my mind.

But the minute it did, it brought so many emotions forth all together that I was caught too breathless to even let out a scream.

Fear, horror, shock, dread, panic, desperation and...pain- they seared through my veins like fire, so hotly that for a minute I could almost smell that burnt scent, till all I could do was gape in horror, watching the thundering grey sky get farther and farther away from me.

Till all I could desperately hope for...was that my mental turmoil and tumultuous emotions wouldn't pass through to my dearest mate, and destroy him from the inside.

I waited for my body to make contact with some sort of hard surface, but shockingly I never landed on or collided with any thick sturdy branch on my way down.

My hands were spread out, reflexly trying to grab onto anything that I could use as leverage to grab onto. But the more I tried to hold onto them, the more they slipped out of my hands only to encircle my limbs like thick braided ropes.

All of a sudden, my body was assualted by a commixture of leaves and elastic appendages that draped all around me. And where I expected my body to make contact with hard, rough ground, I found instead my body coming to a rather propulsive halt before abruptly recoiling and being thrown back into the air as though I had landed on a trampoline.

This time I did let out an audible shout as I was launched briefly into a thick leafy branch before I fell back into the net of elastic creeper-like outgrowths that I realized had wrapped all around me as I had descended, breaking my fall.

And I was left dangling in the air in a tangled mess of vines and foliage just a few feet away from the ground- shocked, disoriented and-

Not dead.

Loud and heavy breaths of air escaped my lips as I gasped like an asthmatic having an acute attack. My hand, that was still tangled in the vines shot to my chest, clutching it tightly, feeling my heart pummel into my ribs like a jackhammer.

"Oh God!" I panted breathlessly, "Oh...huh...argh, shit!"

I quickly squirmed against the vines, releasing myself from their supportive pull. My legs came undone first and I landed on the grass on my feet before falling to my knees, my hands upper body still being held hostage by the rope-like appendages of the tree.

Still gasping for breath, I managed to get myself out of them before collapsing against the grass, pressing my head into the cool, moist ground.

Too close...that was way too close!

"Oh thank God", I breathed out turning to face the faraway sky, "Oh...man!"

I groaned softly, feeling the pain that had been subdued by the shock up until then slowly resurfacing, but when a short while had passed and the ache was still quite bearable, I tiredly pushed myself off the grass, forcing myself to sit up.

I quickly examined my body, scanning my limbs and counting my fingers and toes, making sure they were all there. Apart from a few small cuts and abrasions, I miraculously didn't seem to have any major injuries.

The part of me that had taken most of the damage was my flowy white cotton shirt which had a clean long slit across the back of it all the way up to the middle of my shoulder blades from where my bra hook was peaked out in what could have passed for a disastrous fashion statement.

Oh for the love of-!

"Argh...I'm done!" I cried out in aggravation, "I'm just so done with this day already!"

Still silently muttering curses to the clothing Gods out there, I quickly closed up the gaping slit across my back by tieing the two fluttering ends of my shirt together in a clumsy, messy knot.

Once I was done I sighed. Pulling my knees to my chest, I laid my head against them for a few moments, waiting for my heart to slow down and my brain to start working again.

I still couldn't digest what I had just been through.

"Man! You...are one lucky mortal, Suzzanah", I told myself before raising my head to look back up at the great height I had fallen from, "To think you just survived a fall from-"

My words got cut off and a loud gasp escaped my now widely parted lips at the shocking sight of tree above me. Right in the center of all the leaves, branches and sprigs of the tree was a gaping hole that led all the way up so that through it I could see the grey-blue sky. It looked like a carefully sheared path through the thick foliage of the tree.

One that I was absolutely sure, hadn't been there when I had climbed it.

And also one that was strikingly shaped like me, or atleast what I would have looked like...as I fell...

What the heck happened?!

I quickly pulled myself to my feet, groaning when my limbs and back protested heavily against the movement, but my eyes stayed glued to the view above me.

Turning my head from side to side, I tried looking at the sight from different angles, and the more I stared, the more it looked like the tree had intentionally and selective displaced parts of itself to allow me a clean fall down.

Was that why I had never crashed into any of the thicker, larger branches as I had fallen even though I was sure I had used them for support when I had climbed? Was that why a fall that could have landed me in the hospital with fractured bones had only given me a couple of abrasions?

And where the heck had those vines come from anyway? I didn't remember seeing them when I had climbed.

"How?" I asked myself out loud as I walked to the trunk once more, narrowing my eyes at the 'me-shaped' tunnel leading through the tree's leafage.

Despite still feeling light-headed, the blackened edges of the branches closest to me instantly caught my eye, the slight hint of the scent of burnt wood caressing my senses, before I jerked my head down towards the ground.

Except for a few fallen leaves, there was no sign of the missing foliage on the ground anywhere around me. It was like whatever had been in my way as I fell had been incinerated into thin air.

It couldn't be...

Reaching down, I bent and picked up one stray leaf closest to me, wincing at the pain in my side as I brought the leaf close to my face. One half of it was still green and well curved while on the other was jagged, torn and lined with black.

Soot.

"Zuerien", I breathed out in awe at the sight of the leaf that I knew now, hadn't been cut but had been seared.

He did this. He burnt away everything in my way so that they wouldn't injure me when I collided with them. Immediately my head whipped from side to side and my body whirled in all directions as my eyes searched desperately for the sight of my mate.

But he was nowhere around.

Yet somehow, I was sure that his was his doing. I didn't know how but I was absolutely certain of it.

My heart instantly welled with an overwhelming urge and need to see him again, but at the same time it brought forth a surge of confusion as I looked back at the leaf in my hand.

How had he known that I was falling?! And how had he known where I was falling from?!

But most importantly, if he had known then why had he incinerated all the foliage? An unhindered descent from that high up in the tree would only have made my final impact with the ground far faster, harder and far more powerful.

And painful.

Unless of course he knew that the vines would prevent me from hitting the ground. But that, once again, was an extremely far-fetched idea.

The easiest way to figure things out would be by getting in touch with Zuerien via mindlink, but before I even had the chance to concentrate on re-starting the mindlink with my mate as well as reaching out to Rino again, a sudden chill ran down my spine and something like shooting lightening suddenly seared through my soul.

An aura.

Again.

My body reacted on reflex and whirled around instantaneously, my eyes wide and searching for the source of that striking presence. And all my senses immediately set off on high alert.

Because I was no longer alone.

Something else was here.

Another rush of an unknown feeling washed over me making me shudder, because the more I concentrated on the aura, the stronger and more evident it seemed to become.

A strangely magnetic aura.

Was it Prophecy?

Anticipation immediately flooded my body at the thought of it being Prophecy again and I found myself putting all my energy and effort into finding the essence of that aura.

It had a heavy element of magic intermixed with a subtle hint of soul.

"Its not Prophecy", I found myself saying, my voice a bare whisper as I remembered how Prophecy's aura had felt- like a gust of propulsive wind, sprinkled with the fluctuating scent of volatile magic.

So where was this new aura coming from?

My eyes scanned the woods around me both cautiously and nervously, my heart rate spiking at least 10 beats every second. I felt like any minute now something would lunge out of one of the several thousand misty rows of trees surrounding me and drag me with it into the darkness.

But what baffled me the most was that even though this intense presence was freaking the hell out of me, it was also drawing me in, beckoning me with an undeniable vigour.

It took me only a couple of seconds to find the one dark row of trees where the intensity of the aura felt the strongest. I placed a hand over my heart anxiously and swallowed hard.

Zuerien...I'm really sorry...

And although all my sane parameters were screaming at me to stay the hell away from that route or just to turn and run in the opposite direction, I soon found myself limping across the clearing and right towards that misty road.

Please...be near...

When I reached the tree that bordered the edge of the clearing and marked the beginning of that path, I grabbed onto it, stopping for a moment.

What are you doing Suzzanah?

I stared down the foggy, dark tree-franked path before me, knowing full well that this was a really bad idea. But the unseen force pulling me towards the root of that powerful aura was too strong for a feeler such as myself to ignore.

Call it what you may- gut feeling, woman's intuition or just moronic insanity- but I knew that nothing would stop me from finding the source of that presence.

And whoever it may be.

Gulping hard, I exhaled a ragged breath before carrying on into the row of trees before me. Zuerien would be furious, I knew, but he would also likely be used to it by now. I hoped he wouldn't mindlink me now because I wouldn't be able to lie to him about what I was up to, nor would I be able to tell him the truth.

But just in case things go wrong...you'll find me...

Right...Zuerien...?

I felt extremely selfish for hoping for something like that. Zuerien was worried sick about me and here I was voluntarily walking into trouble. But the thing was, most of the time I got into trouble even without doing anything. So maybe, just maybe, what I was doing right now wasn't all that unforgivable...

Zuerien...I'm sorry...

My heart constricted inside my chest at the thought of my mate. Had it really been just about half an hour since I had seen him? It felt like an age ago.

So...sorry...

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I quickly tried to mindlink Rino again, but I couldn't reach him. It was like I was simply repeating his name in my head. Worry immediately clawed at my mind and I desperately prayed that he was alright.

Rino...wherever you are, just please be safe bud...

As I walked, I felt the aura intensifying slowly and my anticipation heightened.

"You're either really brave, or really stupid, Suzzanah", I told myself.

It was definitely the latter, I knew, but that didn't keep me from continuing on. After all, most people only lived once, but then there was me- the 'nine-lifed' feline of the human race- facing death almost on a daily basis and still managing to come out kicking and cackling.

That in my opinion was either formidable skill or incredible luck. But either way when you got a power like that, might as well put it to good use.

And so several dozen limps, huffs and pants later, I found myself standing about 10 feet away from my final destination, with my palms sweating profusely, heart beating erratically and my breath stuck in my chest.

And all I could think of was, 'I should have known'.

The cottage.

I had no idea why my feet had carried me here, but I didn't object to the decision because something told me that even if I hadn't made my way here on my own two feet, I'd still have ended up here somehow.

Why?

Just a feeling.

A very strong feeling, and somehow that seemed like reason enough, regardless of being ridiculously thoughtless.

The cottage looked a lot bigger now than it had from the tree, its wooden framework towering over me like a wall, strictly restricing entry. The aura that had been powerful enough to lure me all the way here was no longer growing in intensity but had settled into a persistent plateau of energy which seemed to have almost mingled with my own such that now, I could literally sense it everywhere.

Did that mean that the source of it really was hiding inside this cottage?

And even if it was, what was it to me?

What are you doing Suzzanah?!

My mind was asking all the right questions but still refused to acknowledge the gravity of the answers. Because something about what I was doing felt necessary, and it was enough to keep me driven.

My eyes immediately zeroed in on the door straight in front of me before falling to the ginormous rusty old metal lock hanging over it, sealing it shut securely.

Well that rules out the front door, I thought as I cautiously approached it, scanning my surroundings anxiously to make sure no one was around. I felt like a thief trying to break into someone's house while they were away, which wasn't really very far from the truth.

My eyes scanned the windows, but the blinds were drawn and I couldn't see what was inside. Gulping, I stepped forward before hesitantly extending my hand, fingers hovering over the wooden door.

Although my skills were still quite meagre, I knew that I possessed the ability to sense magic, especially if I concentrated hard enough. And although I could sense a faint hint of something supernatural coming from inside the cottage, I didn't really sense any kind of magical barrier over the door.

Trusting in my instincts, I bit my lip before pressing my hand against the wood. When nothing happened even after a few seconds had passed, I bent forward and pressed my ear to the large rounded door.

I tried hard to concentrate on picking up any movements or sounds coming from inside the cottage, but I couldn't hear anything but my own heart sounding like a hammer against a gong. And after a few more seconds I pushed away before lowering my gaze to the lock again.

I knew that despite being rather old school, even in this age it still signified that the house was probably uninhabited for the time being. And although I wasn't certain, the possibility made a rush of disappointment wash over me. After all...I was expecting otherwise.

Because...

Stepping away from the door, I gazed up at the wooden cottage, my eyes settling on the two glass windows revealing dark drawn curtains on the other side of them. I then lowered my gaze back to the windows next to the front door. And my eyebrows rose.

Worth a shot!

Not allowing myself to contemplate for too much longer, I tried to slide my fingers between the two windows, but it didn't work. They were closed far too tightly. Grabbing onto the window panes, I tried to pry the windows open with hefty pulls. They rattled slightly, but remained sealed.

Damn!

Not wanting to create a ruckus, I pulled away before searching for any other means of entry into the cottage.

Maybe there was one at back?

And thus began my jog around cottage to get to the back. A large part of me couldn't help but wonder, why the heck I was going through so much trouble to sneak into the house of a complete stranger!

Who are you? Freakin goldy locks?!

Cringing at my own self-chiding, I turned the corner and my eyes immediately zeroed in on the two glass windows at back. With my heart in my throat, I rushed to the closest one and tried to pry it open. It didn't budge.

After 2 more unsuccessful tries, I hurried to the last window, glancing around nervously to make sure no one was nearby. And on reaching, I instantly gasped at the sight of the tiny opening between the two closed windows. Through the opening, a ray of sunlight shone onto a little potted plant placed on the window ledge inside.

A gap. That meant I could open this one!

Not wasting another second, I got to work. I slid my pinky finger into the opening. It was a tight fit but I managed. Sliding the pinky of my other hand in as well I pushed the window hard, desperately praying that my little fingers had even just a fraction of the power that my mate's fingers possessed.

Come on, come on, come on!

To both my absolute shock and delight, the window actually gave in just enough for me to be able to slide in two more fingers of each hand. And then with one mighty thrust, the window caved and came open with a rugged grunt.

It worked!

Instead of celebrating my victory, I immediately looked all around me to make sure no one had seen or heard me. When I had confirmed that my little trespass had gone unnoticed, I grabbed the dark curtain inside before pulling it aside.

The inside of the cottage immediately became bare to my eyes and after making sure that there was no one in the room, I lifted myself onto the window sill. Being extremely careful not to disturb the potted plant, I carefully pulled my feet in before lowering myself onto the floor.

When my feet touched the ground inside, I waited anxiously for some kind of alarm to go off, and when it didn't I slowly pushed myself off the ledge and into the room before finally releasing the breath I had been holding in.

I did it. I was in!

I couldn't believe it. I was really in!

Zuerien! I did it!

My heart was beating wildly inside my chest as I took the opportunity to finally look around the house. To my surprise, the inside of the mysterious and ominous cottage was actually rather...ordinary.

The room was rather small, making even the minimal furniture in it make it seem congested. There was one table, three chairs around it, a displaced deep violet velvety carpet on the floor, two large wooden shelves placed against the walls, and books.

Lots of books.

Goodness gracious!

I gaped at the sight of the numerous numbers of books and stray papers laying everywhere on the table, on the chairs, in the shelves, on the floor. Even on the ledge that I had just climbed over!

It wouldn't take a genius to tell that this was probably a study. A very messy study. I could hardly move without stepping on a paper.

Ai yai yai

But then...books were a good sign...

Because...

I bit my lip before promptly turning and closing the curtains behind me. The room immediately darkened, but it didn't take long for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Cautiously, I started to walk towards the table, making sure I didn't step on anything but the floor. Once I reached it, I noticed that apart from the plethora of books, there was also a tray of unfinished bread on the table and a glass of what looked like water.

So the owner of this cottage is alive. Thank heavens that I at least managed to establish that much! Apart from the obvious fact that he or she was probably also an overly ambitious scholar.

Or just a genuinely shabby organism.

And now that I had gotten in, taken a little look around and discovered a thing or two about the inhabitant, I could only ask one question to myself.

Now what?

The aura that had been powerful enough to draw me all the way in here had now blended into the enviroment around me, no longer striking me as a force I couldn't resist.

Almost as if its purpose of getting me this far had been accomplished.

So what the heck was I supposed to do now? Jump back out of the window and go climb another tree?

What are you doing Suzzanah?!

Chewing on my lip nervously, my gaze wandered till it fell to the ginormous book laying open on the table closest to me. Leaning in, I tried to read what was written on the page, but alas, I couldn't, as it was in some kind of ancient rustic language that I had never seen before.

And it gave off a rather phantasmal vibe.

What is this?

Frowning I let my eyes wander over the rest of the books that lay in heaps and bundles on the table till they fell on one large book that had a title I could actually read.

'Cor-E-ssentials'

The Body and Mind

What does that mean?

Underneath the strange title was a a circular symbol with an intricate, mysterious looking design carved into it, and a tiny star in the center.

Hesitantly, I reached out and touched the book. It felt rough and old against my fingers, somehow sending a shiver down my spine. Uncertainly, I opened the book to the front page which also held the title of the book. Right at the bottom of the page it read,

'In loving memory of Elaine Eronas- The First Enchantress'

Enchantress? Meaning...a magician? Had I just invaded some kind of forbidden magic coven?

Another chill ran down my body and I gulped as I turned the next page only to discover that from there, once again, most things were written in a language I didn't understand.

What was this book?

I noticed a leaf sticking out of the center of the book, like a bookmark and opened the book to that particular page. There was a paragraph in the same unfamiliar language, above which was the pictorial depiction of a small plant that looked extremely familiar.

My head immediately shot towards the window I had gotten in through. The picture looked a lot like the potted plant on the ledge, only difference being the plant in the book had golden leaves.

Returning my attention to the book once again, I noticed something written in english underneath the picture.

Sana Aurora

Was that what the plant was called? At that moment I wished I had my phone so that I could take a picture of this book and the plant and show them to Alpha Penson when I got the chance, but since I didn't, I'd have to make do with my memory.

If I managed to get out okay that is.

I suddenly had an urge to leave this place while I still had the chance, but the minute I did, the aura that had drawn me here seemed to suddenly amplify in intensity, making my head whip towards the door.

That's right. I'm here to search, I told myself, To search for the source of that captivating aura

Gathering all my courage, I made my way out of the small study, tip-toeing cautiously into the next room. After making sure that no one was around, I walked into what looked like the living room.

I realized that the front door I had first tried, opened into this very living room. It was once again, a rather messy and peculiar room, compactly furnished with a decently sized couch, a rocking chair, a little tea-table with a candle holder, a small lampstand and an unusual flower vase filled not with flowers but some green bushy shrubs.

Also, shocker! Another rack full of giant books.

The oddest thing however would be the several round-bottom baskets full of strange roots, herbs and vegetables that were suspended, with the help of ropes, from the ceiling in random places of the room, making them fairly easy to crash into.

What...?

Apart from the little study I just came out of, the living room also led to a tiny kitchen which was composed of a small regrigerator, an even smaller stove, a large number of baskets filled with more leafy greens and another long line of shelves, probably filled with utensils and cuttlery.

By the end of my exploring, I established that the owner was probably some kind of wierd supernatural botanist.

Or a fiercely passionate herbivore.

Once I had completed examining all three rooms, I realized that the only potentially dangerous thing in this house was probably the little lampstand in the corner of the room, which was already giving me palpitations.

Or...it could be hidden upstairs where the bedrooms probably were.

But it most likely wasn't a human being.

As I had expected, that fact didn't really make me feel any better. And deep down I knew the reason for that.

Because...

Having established that the source of that aura had to be up the stairs, I slowly made my way towards the staircase, despite feeling anxious enough to have a panic attack any minute.

What are you doing Suzzanah?

I think even subconscious had realized that asking that particular question was futile so by the time I reached the foot of the stairs, the question my subconscious had for me, had changed. And it asked me,

Why are you doing this...Suzzanah...?

Why?

Because...

Reaching out, I touched the rough wooden railing of the stairs, taking deep breaths to calm myself. My eyes suddenly fell to the wall behind the staircase, where there was a mirror which- despite the dim lighting- gave me a vague visual of my appearance.

I looked like an electrocuted mountain lion.

My gaze immediately zeroed in on the streak of silver hair standing out like a lightening bolt amidst the rest of my dark, dishevelled tresses.

A silver streak that I had dyed just this morning before we started for Dublin so as to not attract undue attention to myself. And it was back already, screaming but one word.

Luna

That's right. I was a Luna. The Luna Queen. And the senses- the intuition that had compelled me to risk my life and come all this way, also belonged to that Luna Queen. I could not deny it. And I could not...doubt it.

Especially when the answer to why I had come had been clear to me from that very moment. The moment Zuerien had uttered those words...

'...your very last thoughts before you were teleported were probably what determined where you were teleported to...'

Because I remembered. I remembered all too well what my very last thoughts before I teleported had been. I felt a peculiar warmth spread across my back as I exhaled slowly through my mouth and took the first step up the stairway.

And then...I froze.

All of a sudden my body went deathly still, paralyzed right to the tips of my fingers and toes except for my eyes which immediately shot to the mirror once more.

And my heart stopped at the sight of the dark caped figure now standing right behind me.

Oh shit!

My eyes went wide in absolute horror, goosebumps forming on my entire body as my eyes stayed glued to the shadowed figure of the creature standing behind me. The warmth I had felt on my back earlier intensified to fiery heat, and my breath caught in my chest.

I was dead meat.

"Nèra irey nischt ana undralé theen"

A frigid, raspy, unfamiliar whisper sounded lowly from behind me, and my blood ran cold, my body trembling in fear.

Zuerien...!

The searing heat spread from my back down my limbs and up my neck making me gasp in terror.

Oh God! What's happening?!

"Nèra irey nischt ana undralé theen", the voice repeated in a voice that was now louder, firmer.

Darker.

And panic drenched my mind, not just because of my predicament but also...because I understood them.

I understood the words it spoke, even though they were in a language I had never heard before.

'Nèra irey nischt ana undralé theen'

'You should not have come here'

"P-please I-"

"Nèra...en grave rehein men'ara", she glowered lowly.

You made a grave mistake.

Before I could let her words, or the fact that she was indeed a woman, sink in, she started mumbling a series of strange words and I almost screamed when in the mirror I saw it raise something like a staff up in the air to strike me.

SHIT!

Mustering all the strength in me, I forced my frozen body to move and whirled around just as the creature brought her staff down on me shouting,

"Bridièré!"

My hands shot out to shield myself, hitting the shaft of the staff and displacing it from its original target but its red, glowing head still made sharp contact with my chest, just below my collar bone before slipping out of the caped figure's hands and falling to the ground with a thud.

But I was too late.

Instantly the heat flowing through me intensified to such an extent that my entire body started to glow a bright blinding red and a gust of wind burst forth from underneath me.

Everything happened so fast that I didn't have the time to feel pain or regret or even to say a prayer. My body was abruptly propelled into the air at the same time that the caped figure gasped out loud, both her hands flying to her face, covering the lower half of it, in shock.

"Oh my God!" I heard her muffled cry of disbelief and despite my heavily disoriented state, my head shot down to look at her once more.

And I found myself staring back thunderstruck...at two pairs of eyes.

The first pair- unfamiliar, too dim for me to even make out the color of her irises, and yet wide in horror, instantly striking a strange chord with me.

The eyes of the cloaked woman.

And the other- a striking green, glowing brightly even in the dark. A pair that I knew I would never forget, even till the end of time.

After all, they were far too familiar.

The eyes of the dark shadow that had risen up, out from within the shadow cast by the cloaked figure on the floor.

My lips parted in absolute disbelief, my heart frozen in my chest, my gaze never straying from that of the two dark figures beneath me untill a blinding light suddenly surrounded me, obscuring everything in my sight.

A blast of explosive energy then burst through my body and all breath gushed out of my lungs before I felt completely weightless once more.

Bridièré

The powerful word echoed distantly in my mind, its meaning weighing down on me heavily.

Begone...

And although I had no idea what would be become of me now, all I could think of as I was sucked into the abyss was...

Zuerien...I found her...

****

A/N

My darlingsss!

Its been too long! *hugs everyone with elastic Helen Parr arms*

I'm really sorry for having been away for so long. As most of you know, I've been extremely busy, but I took a day off from work and decided to catch up on some writing and finally check my social media notifications.

I apologize for having worried you. And I'm just so grateful to all of you for not giving up on me and sticking with Shadowed Hearts.

I go back to work on Tuesday and the coming 3 weeks will be super busy for me so I probably wont be updating for the next 3 weeks. I'm really sorry.

But I will NOT abandon Unconditionally. So please be patient with me, my sweethearts. I'll update again as soon as I can.

And I'll do my best to keep you guys notified.

Now that we've got those details out of the way...

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER?

I know its probably confusing as hell right now but this still is the beginning of book 2. More will be revealed in the upcoming chapters so I hope you're excited. The thrill has just begun.

Just in case you're wondering, the language spoken by the cloaked figure was one I came up with myself loool.

And btw...new ships anyone? *grins and wiggles eyebrows*

If you enjoyed this chapter please do VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE!

Until next time,

All my love

May