Chapter 48

Flora’s P.O.V

I ran through the tunnel as fast as my legs would take me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I escaped the place that had been my home for the past two years.

But never in these two years had I thought that Andre, a mere soldier, would be able to overthrow Malachi and take control of Lindersay. He was no ordinary soldier and his men were trained far better than any of us had expected.

Malachi was the son of the Moon Goddess herself and he was extremely old and powerful. For Andre to have the power to remove Malachi from his position meant only one thing…Andre was somehow related to the Moon Goddess herself and his coming to Lindersay and being my destined mate was no coincidence. It was all planned.

The Moon Goddess was involved in everything right from the start and she had no intention of fulfilling her promise. Instead, she was going to sacrifice Malachi and Ezra at the altar to bring back her lover. That had been her goal all along. That had been the reason why she hadn't appeared or given us any signs to show us she’ll be keeping her side of the bargain.

Clay and I proved to her that our love could withstand even the curse of the Gods, but it wasn’t enough for her. She had betrayed those who worship her, who turn to her in case of danger. Then why should we worship a Goddess who trampled on our faith?

I saw a faint light at the end of the tunnel and knew that the opening was nearby. The tunnel came to a stop about ten meters ahead and when I looked up, I saw an opening, but it was partly closed with a wooden trap-door and filled with vines and roots. There were also cobwebs and insects crawling around but I tried my best to avoid looking at those.

But when I reached up to climb, there was nothing to climb up with. Sighing in frustration, I strapped my bow over one shoulder, securing it tightly before extending my claws and digging them into the concrete to find a hook. The sound of my claws scraping against the concrete made me cringe but I shook off the uneasiness and began to climb, occasionally using a larger root for support. Once I was at the top, I fisted my hand and punched the trap-door, making it fly out of the way.

Moonlight streamed in through the opening and I climbed out safely, landing on the ground on my feet. I looked around the place trying to determine where I was and it looked familiar. This opening was near to the herb patch that the maidens and I often came to collect medicinal herbs from. I took a whiff of the air and the scent of rosemary and mint hit my nostrils almost immediately.

Good. I wasn’t lost and I was far enough from the castle that the patrol guards wouldn’t be able to scent me. So without wasting time, I sprinted to the abandoned mansion, that I now know used to be the pack house to the WoodlandHunter wolves. One of my hands rested on the dagger that Ezra had given me and I kept it ready in case I got any unpleasant surprises jumping at me from unexpected corners.

Once near, I approached the mansion with caution. The scent of Clay’s pack was strong here and I could scent some of the wolves I had been trying to heal, but the scents weren’t new. They weren’t here and haven’t been for some time now.

And then I scented it…Clay’s scent. It was fresh like he had been here only a few hours ago. Without thinking, I started to chase it. I had to get to Clay no matter what.

I ran past the mansion and into the woods behind. It brought back memories of the day Malachi himself had to shoot Clay to save him from Andre. Clay had said that past the thick canopy of forest giants and cinnamon trees, there was a stream that would be able to mask our scent and past that stream were the hills.

The caves! Clay and his pack must be living in the caves there! It was the only explanation I could find, but if I was wrong, I was going to be in big trouble, because the scent from the cinnamon trees was already covering up Clay’s scent…and once I crossed the stream…the scent will be completely lost.

Shit!

The forest came to an abrupt halt and right in front of me was the stream Clay had told me about. It was wider than I had imagined and the water currents were mild. I stepped foot into the water and almost pulled back. The water was freezing!

Balling my hands into fists, I started crossing the stream and by the time I came out on the other side, I was almost completely soaked and my teeth were chattering together from the cold. I hadn't expected it to be so deep; the water had risen almost to my neck.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I started walking once again. I couldn’t stop now, not when I was so close. I could see the hills in the distance already. The land on this side of the stream was rocky with lesser trees. There were tall grass and boulders all over the place and I tripped more than once of protruding roots and stones, but kept going.

The moonlight helped me find my way and so did my advanced night vision. Just when I was only a few hundred meters away from the hilly region, I heard it…his voice.

“Flora?” the voice came from nearby and I whipped around to find him standing a few feet away from me, as he came into view from behind a large boulder.

“Clay!” I was running into his arms the next instant, feeling safer than I ever had.

Clay engulfed me in his arms tightly, chanting my name over and over again as he kissed me on the side of my face, my shoulder, my temples, wherever he could reach me without breaking the embrace.

“Oh God! Clay, you’re alright!” I held onto him tightly, feeling the texture of his skin under my palm to make sure he was truly alright. “I knew Malachi had a plan, that he would never let anything happen to you, but I had to see it with my own eyes.”

I pulled back slightly, looking at his chest where he had been shot, touching him with my hands. But there wasn’t even a scar left. Mercy had healed him well.

“How are you here?” Clay asked, cupping my face with his hands. “How did you find me?”

His voice was concerned, but his questions helped me snap out of my distracted state. It helped me remember what I was truly here for and that time was running out.

“It Malachi.” I told him urgently. “Andre has Malachi detained somewhere and no one can find him. Ezra and the other Lunar Maidens have shut themselves inside the shrine. Lindersay is a mess and thing are about to get even worse. Tomorrow is the Blood Moon and Andre plans to sacrifice Ezra and Malachi to the Goddess.”

“No!” His word was a growl, his eyes suddenly turning gold…and for an instant, I saw the red rim disappear before it appeared once again.

This was it…this was what I had been looking for! Clay was close to regaining his normal form!

“We need to hurry.” I told him, taking his hand in mine. “Take me to your pack, Clay. It’s time to bring them back. It’s time to heal the rogues and their Alpha.”