41. Insidious

I really really love you guys.

A lot. You're like my babies sometimes. *sigh* okay enough of that crap. Lets move along.

Maybe 8 chapters left! I kinda want to end on an even number so we will say 50 is the end. Maybe. Lol

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Nova

Finally..

Making sure I wasn't seen was easy considering every member was currently at the pack meeting. Alpha must have reached his wolves because i hadn't heard any commotion so far.

Stepping off the last natural carved step of stone, i crept inside the dark cave, or 'cellar' slowly, as if i were awaiting for someone to catch me.

The stench of rotting flesh and bodily fluids took precedent over the smell of mold and earth in the air. The torch that had been left by the entrance last time I came to this barbaric death cell had been replaced by a small LED flashlight which i held in my shaking hand.. producing a smaller circumference of light.

Standing in the corridor, not yet quite inside the large stone cave.. I could see the pond inside refelcting an aqua coloured light.. even at night. It disappeared through the stone wall.. as if it connected to the lake above. How it produced so much bright light was beyond me..

Cold and damp.

Shivering from a slight breeze that came from some deep crevice of the cave, I stepped past the wall , embarking on my journey to talk to Deacon. I could hear whispers almost as if the echoes from the deep dome like cavern were playing tricks on me.

Shining my light, i noted Deacon's cell.. he was huddled inside, rocking back and forth. Seeming frail and weak just from the few days he had been in here.. he seemed to be talking to himself.. mumbling.

The poison must have still been in his system.. just now working itself out.

I walked straight to Deacon's cell quickly... my footsteps echoing along with the drip of water inside the musty cave. The smell of decay became more concentrated as i approached the wall of cells. The eerieness of this cave made me feel uneasy.. the quicker i got this over with, the better.

"Deacon?" I whispered, shining the light on him as i crouched down to the stone floor, my chuck taylors dirty from the filth that resided down here.

His head snapped up, revealing pupils that were blown out, hiding the blue of his iris. A low girl erupted from his chest. "Where have you been?" His forehead creased in anger.

My brows creased as I frowned at him.. confusion replacing my fear. "Deacon whats wrong with you?" I leaned my head forward to peer through the bars as the light shone upon his pale form. He flinched as the light hit his eyes, a roar emitting from his throat as he came at me with a quickness, crashing into the bars which had me jumping back, frightened as I screamed and fell backwards on my ass. The flashlight i once held went skittering across the stone floor.

Gasping i gaped up at him, his eyes wide as his hands gripped the bars.. breathing heavily. "Leave Nova.. something is wrong with me." He grounded out.

I pushed myself off the ground, dusting myself off as i stared at him, assessing his form. "Deacon whats wrong?"

A cackle sounded out, echoing through the air. "Its the poison working itself out of his system. He's been drinking it for a while.. it has built up inside him." An amused feminine raspy voice called out.

Glancing down the row of cells, there Anita stood,

only she wasn't inside her cell..

She was standing outside.. not forty feet away from me.. leaning against the cell door with her hip, the silver chains that once adorned her wrists lay on the ground in a heap as she examined her nails, dark eyes meeting mine with a smirk on her painted lips.

I felt the fury inside me come to a boil with a slight tinge of worry.  "How did you get out!?' I screamed.

She tskd at me. "Not so loud.. the guards will surely hear you and you would be in such trouble " she mused as she pushed off the wall and began taking tentative steps toward me.

My wolf was on alert, my claws and teeth coming out.. ready to protect us. "Stay back witch!" A growl from my throat vibrated outwards. Anita haulted, confusion written on her face before a broad grin began to form as she sniffed the air.

"Calm down. I just want to talk. Your friend there.. Deacon.. he's in some serious pain. Withdrawl from a poison such as red lockheed is a terrible thing.. it causes death." A blank mask. She was telling the truth.

I cut my eyes to note Deacon was now leaning against the wall, sweat pouring down ghostly pale skin. Whipping my gaze back to Anita who watched me carefully.. not moving.. my lip snarled, showing my teeth. I was becoming extremely angry at this devil woman.. every day it grew.  "Then tell me how to fix him."

Her pouty lips rose slightly in a small smile. "I will. First I want you to make a deal to leave here and never return. Give your mate up for Grace. Let her be happy." She pursed her lips.

I eyed her suspiciously. "Didn't you hear? My brother Nic is the next Alpha.. not Zaryn. Nic is Blake's first son.. with my mother.. and i dont make deals with the devil." I spat at her.

Anita frowned.. surprise on her deadly beautiful face. "Nic? Grace's mate? Hes an alpha..." she pondered, pushing her black hair behind her shoulder. "Well.." she breathed out a breath of laughter. "This changes everything." A grin appeared on a mouth that never smiles..

She was up to something..

Watching her.. she moved her hands to retrieve two bags in her pocket.. her teeth biting on her bottom lip as she peered up at me in thought before straightening herself, head held high. "I'll make you another deal then. I'll help Deacon.. but i want you to do something for me."

I frowned at her. "Or i could tell the Healer Daisy that he needs help and she can fix him without your assistance." I countered with a glare

A piercing laugh as she threw her head back. "No dear. I don't think so. You see? Daisy works with the Moon's gifts.. I work with darkness. She wouldn't know where to begin on how to fix the poor boy. He's knocking on deaths door as we speak and I have the antidote here." She raised her hand, wiggling a bag of herbs.

Snarling at her, i stepped closer. "What do you want, witch."

Anita became serious all of a sudden.. taking a few steps so she was right in front of me. "I want Grace to be happy. You may think what you like about me.. but i have lived with guilt for years Nova." Her black orbs seem to lighten only slightly.

"Once upon a time, My sister.. Grace's mother.. i was jealous of her. I wanted to be a Luna.. the dark powers had me drowning in them. When Conrad met Cilla, he saw her as weak.. he refused to mark her until she trained to become a warrior.. became strong. What Grace told all of you about the letter she had left her was true.. cilla became emotionally distraught.. all the females he would have to his chambers became too much. One of the females was I. I was so jealous of Cilla.. my own sister. I wanted her place..  i tried my hardest to become pregnant but what I didn't know then is that i was barren.. a seer and healer.. dipping into dark power.. i would never bear children." A faraway look came over her as i stood stock still.

" Meanwhile Cilla knew of our affair.. she also was so busy training with Ben that she was so unhappy.. drowning in her own depression. She began having an affair with Ben.. he showed her love. He impregnanted her during her heat and she panicked.. so despite the hatred she held for her mate, she seduced Conrad so he wouldnt think twice about it. Conrad finished her heat off with her.. when they discovered she was pregnant.. Conrad left me and the other females alone.. for a while.."

Just like my mom.. similar..

"When Grace was born, I had become enraged with Jealousy. I seduced Conrad and we picked up again as he did with other females. I just wanted to become pregnant and bear his mark to be Luna. I didn't love him.

She knew of my betrayel to her. That i owed her.. after Grace was a month old, Cilla's depression had become so bad. She thought Conrad would be a horrible father but he loved Grace. Just not Cilla.. He was so happy. But Cilla wasnt. She couldnt live with what had happened and not being able to be with Ben, so she slit her wrists with a silver blade. I found Cilla before she went to meet the moon... She begged me to be there for Grace. Told me i can have what i wanted now.. in that moment, the darkness cleared and I realised it was all my fault. I promised her i would make sure Conrad never found out her secret.. that i would leave him alone and care for Grace.. that inwas sorry..i cried the last time that day. Until Ben was slaughtered.. " her eyes seemed to tear up as i listened intently.

"From that moment on, i lived with guilt over my betrayel and i tried to be the best i could to Grace.. treated her as my own. Conrad kept me around for that purpose only. He was destroyed by how he had treated Cilla after she killed herself.. he regretted ever dishonoring his mate. As years passed.. Grace discovered the letter that i never knew existed. I never knew Ben and she had an affair until Ben told me once Grace brought the letter to me after her first shift... after she had confronted Ben. From then on all I have done was make sure that Grace could be happy. Her mother wanted her to run.. but i needed to keep her safe. I knew her mate could be anyone.. so i trapped Zaryn without her knowlege. She has been innocent in all of this.. doing my bidding because I wanted to stay with her. Your pack never knew about a healer becoming dark.. and i was lucky. But Grace would have never had a good life if she was mated to just any wolf.. financially speaking. And neither would I. Anyone would take a look at me and know i was evil if they had knowlege of it.. i wanted to keep her close..  I was wrong to think that way. I should have let her go.. but i was selfish. Ben and I fell in love after working side by side to benefit Grace and... we just thought we could find her a mate and still live happily together." She finished, glancing away.. not wanting me to see her true feelings. That she harbored them.

"Why are you telling me this?" My claws and teeth had long gone away.. and now i was merely curious. She was an insidious female.

She faced me.."Because i want you to know that Grace isnt to blame. It was all me. She poisoned Deacon because I forced her to. She accosted your wolf because i told her to. She had all faith in me and i let her down. Now im ready to meet the moon.. or hell... but i want to use my final moments on earth to make sure Grace is safe. Shes a sweet girl.. pure. And i have solely damaged her unknowingly. I... i just wanted to protect her. The affair with Conrad was a mistake. Becoming immersed in darkness was a mistake. It only happened because of my greed and jealousy of my sister.. she was the favorite and i couldn't live with that. She always had everything but I was damaged to begin with.. having two gifts from the moon takes a toll on a wolf.. and now this is my final request. To make sure Grace isn't harmed for my wrong doing.. to make sure she is happy. That no one blames her for the things I've done. I want to leave this wretched place with some sort of surety." She admitted, his voice shaky.

My eyes squinted at her. "Where does that leave me..."

She simply shrugged. "I want you to pass the word around.  People will listen to you. Make them understand Grace isnt to blame for any of this. She never wanted to do any of it. She didnt want to be apart of coming between you and Zaryn. She has always wanted Nic from the moment she saw him.. i however.. i wanted more for her." She walked past me toward Deacon's cell, stopping to turn her head towards me as she handed the bag of herbs to him before she faced him with all seriousness.

"Put this bag in your water. Let it sit for ten minutes then drink it. You'll be good as new." She whispered.

"Wait!' I stepped forward, panic rising inside of me. "How do i know youre not killing him!?"

Turning to face me, she rose a brow. "Now how would that benefit me or Grace?"

She had a point. Deacon scurried further in the cell, dumping the packet into a cup of water as he sat.. mumbling to himself.

"Now.." the steps of her heels on the stone floor echoed, bouncing off the walls as she approached me.. no threat intended. Watching her with curiosity, she stopped before me.. dark eyes shining with a hazel golden color.. "all that needs to be done are two things. Grace needs to lose her pup with Zaryn and-"

Backing away i held up my hands. "I'll have no part in that." My eyes widened.

She smirked. "That's not what i want you to do. All i want you to do is spend time with Zaryn. Go to him. At once."

I looked at her questionably. "Wha-"

Suddenly she grabbed me, whirling me around to face away from her as she held my back to her front with a silver chain around my waist that burned into me. the pouch of herbs was gone and in its place, a vial of liquid in her hand being opened and forced into my mouth as i gagged, struggling..

"Shhh. Just swallow." Her words were light.. whispered.

My eyes were wide, my arms struggling to grasp at anything i could grab but there was nothing. I couldn't breathe.. the silver burning into me as i struggled..

giving up, just wanting to be out of her hold, a sucked in air, taking the bitter tasting oil in my mouth as i did so and swallowing it involuntarily.

I began coughing, choking on the bitter flavor as she let me go, falling onto my hands and knees, the silver falling away from me.

"Your heat will come on in a few moments. You'd better run little wolf or one of the males will find you." She grinned manically.

My eyes shot open as i swallowed the last lump in my throat.. the oil going down my esophagus. Turning to look at her whilst on my knees, i felt the anger pulse but my wolf didn't respond to my agression. "What did you do to my wolf!?" I glared up at her.

Bending down, she sunk to my level. "The tea you've been drinking daily to hide your scent from males.. its similar to the tea i used on Grace to mask her heat completely. But you can sense your heat. Grace could not.. Now the oil you just drank.. its reversed the scent masking brew you've been ingesting. Infact, it makes your scent that much more delectable. Also.. according to your natural scent.. your heat will start any moment now, dispersing the scent of your heat far and wide." She smirked in a way i wanted to claw it from her face.

"You didnt!?" Gaping up at her, she nodded.

Ignoring my question, she glanced around. "If you go to that corner in the back of the cave," her long finger pointed past the pond to the corner that lie in black shadows.. " theres a little wedge in the rocks. You can slide your body past and it will take you to the cave entrance behind the waterfall. Hurry you dont have much time!" She sing songed.

"You bitch!" Pushing myself off the ground, I was about to attack her but the sound of the cellar door at the top of the stairs made a creaking noise, signifying someone was coming. Not wanting any accidents to happen, i ran past her as she slipped back in her cell, running all the way to the edge of the cave, past the aqua glowing pond.

Feeling along the stones, i began to feel anxiety creep up.. where was this exit?

If my heat hits.. ill be trapped.. any unmated male will sniff me out and ill turn desperate for them.. this couldn't happen!

Holding in tears of frustration, my hands savagely felt around, nicking myself on sharp edges and corners. Blood ran down my hands in ribbons as i felt along frantically, a cackle sounding behind me high pitched.

"Hurry little wolf! Here they come!" Anita laughed loudly from her cell as I cried out in anger and panic.

This can't happen. It can't.

Then i remember her promise to me.

I'll ruin your life one last time.

Finally as i moved, i felt an opening.. a breeze blowing through drying my tears that signified it was the tunnel.

Just as the steps down the stairs became closer, I wedged my body into the tight space between two sharp slabs, scraping my stomach on rocks as i slinked through. I didn't care or even register the pain, too caught up on getting out of there..

My skin began to heat up but i forced myself to keep going.

This could all be a trap but i couldn't risk it. A heat was a dangerous thing.

Shuffling through deeper, it began to get colder and dark.. so dark i couldnt see. My chest heaved as I tripped over a step down, falling chest first into a wide open space.. the tunnel, or crevice, had finally ended, sending me into another dome like cavern room but only this one was a lot darker than where i once was.

How did Anita even know about this cave?

Scrambling up on my hands and knees, i dusted my dirty hands on my pants.. the sound of the waterfall seeming close.. I walked and walked.. slowly as my hands felt out around me.. feeling along for any objects jutting out.

It was pitch black.. complete darkness. I felt trapped.. not knowing where to go.. which way would lead me where i needed to be..

Claustrophobia.

What seemed like maybe five minutes later, the cave seemed to lighten slightly and the raging fear inside me crept down to a minimum. As i peered above me, I could see the glow from the moon shining through a crevice in the ceiling of the cave. I just need to keep walking.. don't panic dont panic..

Pushing along, i ran into many rocks which i couldn't see.. but as I moved forward, the sound of water became closer and closer.. feeling along the wall of the cold dark cave, i fianlly saw moonlight coming into view meer feet in front of me.

My heart sped up in triumph as I raced forward towards the now visible cavern. Rounding the corner, I stopped as relief washed through me.. i made it.

There in front of me was a curtain of cascading water... illuminated by the full moon.. the most beautiful sight i could ever see. A wonderous peace settled over me, being out of that death maze.. i will never do that again. Ever. Fear was coming off my skin in thick waves.

My heart slowed to a steady rhythm as I walked forward, sticking my hand out if the mouth of the cave to feel the cool water on my skin. It was gorgeous. Such wonders the earth holds..

Anita had been right.. I came out exactly where she told me I would.

But what was the point?

Im stuck here.. I can't leave and risk anything happening...she knows i wouldn't.

How would i go see Zaryn like she asked if she was just going to make sure I was stuck?

"Damn it" Sighing heavily, i dropped down to the cool stone floor and laid on my back as i closed my eyes. Unless i wanted to trekk back through that horrendous dark cave, i was stuck here.

The sound of the water splashing began to faulter and move as if something had passed beneath its fall.   Lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling.. i felt tingles and sparks surge through my body, causing me to shoot up.

Lips parted, eyes turning wide, i came face to face with Zaryn who was soaking wet.. his shirt clung to him like a second skin and he had a picnic basket in his hand...

Oh no Anita you didnt....

"Zaryn?" Shock and disbelief in my voice as eyes blue as skies met mine.

"Hey. I got your letter to meet you.." he smiled shyly.

Dun dun dun!

Oh nova you are in for it now! Anita.. you bad girl. We know your naughty past and now u r setting up our girl to fail..

But will it happen??

Can he hold his wolf back??

There are many ways this can play out..