Chapter 83 Soulless

Chapter 83 Soulless

"I CAN'T!"

"I said, yes you can just like you did before."

"I barely got through it the first time a-and Simon was the one that found me in the woods- AH!"

"Yeah, but I wasn't there with you before. Now I am." He cups my face so I can focus on him. "I'm here with you now and I can help you get through this."

"H-how?"

"Listen to my voice." I let another blood curdling scream as I feel knee cap snap. "Hey, hey. Focus on me."

"It's kind of hard to, when every bone is breaking in my body."

"I know but you have to try. Block everything out, our surrounding, the sound of the wind. Just look into my eyes and listen to my voice."

I take in a deep breath and close my eyes for a second before opening them again. I am met with his deep chocolate brown eyes staring at me.

"That's it. You're doing it." He smiles. "Now, I want you to let it in."

My panic kicks in again. "What?!"

"Let it all in. Trust me."

I shake my head. "No, I can't do that."

"Elle, you trust me, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Then do it." I look at him with pleading eyes, begging not to make me do this. I can't let the pain in again. I have felt enough pain for a lifetime, I don't think I can go through another.

"I get it, you're scared but I'm still here with you. We both are, me and Damon are right here for you and Eva. We're not leaving you. We'll be here every step of the way."

"I promise it won't hurt." Still not wanting to it, I shake my head being stubborn. "Ok, you love nature." He states. "Focus on that. Let nature be your guide, baby."

Taking his word for, I look down trying to get my breathing under control. "Ok." I tell him. "I'll let it in." I let in the fresh air, feeling myself calm down again.

Let nature guide you. I repeat in my head.

I claw my hand through the dirt feeling myself transition. It's happening, more bones rearrange, my claws grow even longer and so does my teeth and my white fur coat my entire body.

He was right, there wasn't any pain. It didn't hurt.

I slowly look back up to see Andrew's black wolf staring at me. "See. It was easier, wasn't it?." He says through our mind link.

"Yeah." I admit.

Andrew walks up closer to me and begins to rub against me and I, him. This is our way of marking each other with our scents. It's for dominance for each other and also showing affection.

He's mine and I am his.

I whine, enjoying this moment we're having under the moonlight. I feel at peace just being here with him. In the middle of grooming each other, we hear howls from a distance.

It's faint but we picked up on it, so we both howled back in response.

"Where is it coming from?"

"This way." I say before running off in the direction we came from. I got a confirmation it was the right way, once we heard another howl.

They seem to be by the base of the mountain and this just made us run even faster. Knowing Nikolaos, could have his soldiers right now and could attack whoever is out there. We were finally close to the barrier and we come to a stop, searching for anyone.

"Elle, I need you to stay in the barrier. I'll check who it is."

"No." I whine. "I am not letting you go out there by yourself."

"I don't want the demons to-" Andrew stops, hearing the howl again and runs off in the direction and out of the barrier.

"Andrew, no! Please come back."

"I'll be fine. Just stay where you are and watch out for any attacks." He closes our chain and I stand there not knowing what to do. I stand there looking in the direction he left, hoping to see him return again but I am disappointed when I don't see him.

I begin to pace back and forth while whimper, worried something bad happened to him. What if this was some trap.

Oh goddess!

"Andrew?" I call out but he's not answering.

Yeah, I am not waiting anymore.

I run in the same direction as Andrew and sniff out his scent. A few seconds off searching, I stop as I hear movements behind me.

"Andrew?" I call out through the mind link but still no answer.

It's not him.

I stick my ears straight and bare my teeth, ready for anyone to attack. Caught off guard, I turn around as I hear more movements behind me.

I try to sniff out for their scent and I am hit with blood and death. It's similar to a demon's scent but their scent is mostly based on death. This is more like a vampire.

Great.

Getting a bad feeling as if someone is right behind me watching, I tuck my tail between my legs and howl, hoping Andrew hears me.

I turn back around to see a tall figure standing in the dark staring at me. The person's eyes-

Before I could even react, he disappears. My heart is beating out my chest as I feel like that was I thought it was.

Could it?

Hearing something running towards me, I take guard.

"Elle, I told you not to come out of the barrier. What happened? Did you see anything?" Andrew, asks.

I am now in relief to know that he is ok but also mad, because he wasn't answering my calls. Something could've happened to him.

"I-I" I stuttered barely able to get anything out but Andrew stops me.

"Come on, we'll talk back at the cottage. We just need to get back in that barrier. Now!"

Agreeing with him, we both quickly get onto the mountain and just realizing how windy the place is. And just on the mountain.

The spell!

I almost forgot about it. I guess it's finally working.

"Come on."

We got to the cottage as fast as we could to see Simon and Jeremiah outside looking for something. They spot us and relief is visible on their faces.

"There you guys are."

"What the fuck was all that commotion for?" Jeremiah asks as we pass them.

As soon as we got inside, they quickly got both of us some blankets. Andrew was the first to shift and he wraps the blanket around his waist. He then waits for me to shift and quickly covers me with a blanket.

"What happened and where is Lyra and Rhea?"

"They are still out there doing the spell."

"Why did you leave them?"

"We heard wolf howls and went to check who it was." I frantically look around the room, confused and out of my mind. My heart is race, my fingers and toes are cold and I can't stay in one spot. "W-where is Cora?"

"She fell asleep a few minutes ago. It was hard getting her to calm down with all the howling and wind blowing, but she's ok now." Simon informed.

"So who was out there?" Jeremiah asks handing me a cup of hot chocolate. I quickly wrap my hands around the cup in desperate need for them to be warmed.

"I don't know. I searched and I didn't see anything." Andrew says looking down confused.

"Elle, you look flushed. Are you ok?" Simon asks and it immediately got Andrew's attention.

"Baby, what did you see out there?"

"W-what?"

"You howled for my help. What happened out there?"

Taking a huge gulp, I look at all of them as if scared to say it. "I think I saw him." I whisper, afraid to say it out loud.

"Nikolaos?"

"No.... Cristian."

Everyone falls quiet of hearing his name. I take a small sip of my hot chocolate and wait for someone to say something.

"Are you sure it was him?"

"I-I don't know. He was in the dark, I could have barely made anything out but..." I pause just remembering his eyes staring at me. They were dark, not their usual ocean blue.

Just....Soulless.

"But what, Elle."

"He looked me in the eye for a split second and this familiar feeling just came over me."

"Are you sure it wasn't just one of Nikolaos demons?" Jeremiah asks.

I shake my head. "No, this was a vampire. I'm sure of it."

"But this doesn't make any sense, you heard an howl and then Cristian is the one lurking in the bushes like some peeping tom?"

"They wanted to lure us out and they did. They almost got , Elle." Andrew stated with anger clearly in his voice.

"Yeah but... for nothing?" Jeremiah says unsure. "If I know anything. I know that Cristian can be ruthless when it comes to killing, but being brain washed by Nikolaos for who the hell knows how long.... you should be dead right now."

"Or maybe he remembered me and changed his mind. Rhea, said we can't save him but I think we can. He's still in there. I know it." I look at them with pleading eyes, hoping they see my point and desperation.

"I may not show it but I am actually fucking scared." Hearing Jeremiah say that caught me by surprise because he has never shown fear, not even the slightest. "Not just for my life, for all of us. Including demon washed Cristian, all the rogues back at the castle who are still confused on what to do with their lives and that baby girl in there that's sleeping."

"If Nikolaos can bring back our families from the dead and use them against us then I'm fucking scared of what he can do to me with just a drop of his blood. And he wants more even power from a new born baby?!"

All that he said was true and all of us are scared but I allow the anger to take over me. It makes me forget about my fears and it makes me stronger. I can't let the fear control me.... anger does.

ELIZABETH'S POV

Hearing Jeremiah speak about Nik, set anger and annoyance in me. I remember all the pain he caused me and my family and he's still out there trying to destroy it even more? No.

And I am also annoyed that we're just standing here.

"Nice story but can we please acknowledge the fact that my mother and Lyra are out there trying to bring my family back while you're in here playing confessions."

That caught them off guard. "Elizabeth?" Simon asks.

"You pick faster each time. Congratulations." I smile.

"What's with you?"

"Well, I don't know." I shrug. "My family is being brought back to life to help get the big bad Nikolaos down and you all are in here talking about it instead!"

"Fine. We'll go back out there."

"What about the baby?" Andrew asks.

"I'll watch her. You guys go." Simon volunteers.

"Great! Let's go." I walk off, heading to the door but I see Andrew hesitating from the corner my eyes. I roll my eyes turning around and grab him by the blanket around his waist and drag him behind me.

"I said let's go."