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“What now?”
“It’s just the alpha’s building and the caves,” he admitted. My body tensed at the mention of the caves. I don’t know how the Grave Alpha managed to dig out an entire dungeon of cells down there but he’d connected the cave to the main building.
My hand slipped into Callum’s and he glanced down at me, eyes shadowed and shoulders just as tense as mine.
“Let me handle those,” Leven said. He gave us one last look and kissed Vanya before yelling out to a group of wolves to join him.
“It won’t be the same,” I told Callum. “We can do this building.”
“Tell that to my nightmares,” he muttered darkly as he turned us to face the front door. “I never doubted my strength until I lived through this.”
“Your strength was exactly how you lived through this. Not only did you inspire hope when it was long dead, but you followed through, Callum. I couldn’t have come back without you.”
He turned to me then, dropping my hand to rest his on my cheek. Butterflies danced in my stomach as our gazes met. He leaned in slowly, giving me a chance to pull away. We’d given details but I could tell he still worried about my trauma. But I never mated before him, so I hadn’t been forced to endure what the others had. I nodded once to reassure him and closed my eyes. The moment his lips touched mine, it was like everything in the world slowed down a bit. My mind was always a whirl of thoughts and worries, and now it was blessedly silent. The only thing I could focus on was the feel of his full lips against mine. We fit together perfectly.
Our kiss wasn’t hurried, but sweet and sinful. My cock started to stir in response, but I ignored it. There wasn’t time to fuck, and this was not the place to be aroused. Not that I didn’t hope that would happen soon. He sensed my hesitation and pulled away, giving me a soft smile.
“Come on,” he urged with a quiet tone that gave away how affected he was. He held his other hand out for Vanya who came over to join us. She’d given us space, and I was shocked that she didn’t look uncomfortable or territorial when she stepped back in. And me being me, I couldn’t help but say something snarky to break the tension rising in me.
“Well, if a simple kiss was all it took to up your confidence, Alpha, I’m excited to see what more would do,” I teased. He barked out a shocked laugh. We hadn’t had a lot of opportunities for me to joke around or hold my usual sarcasm but spending time with them brought it out easily.
Vanya started to speak but magic tingled along my skin, and I hissed out a warning.
“Hold up.” Pride swelled in my chest as they listened to me, pausing and glancing around for whatever danger I’d perceived. I wasn’t used to anyone taking me so seriously. Up until capture, I was always thought to be the underdog, only able to do basic magic and nothing more. With them I didn’t have to use my magic to impress them. I was simply enough on my own.
“Do we have anyone good at dispelling hexes?” I called out to the crowd waiting on the grounds. No one spoke up and I took a deep breath, knowing I had no other choice but to try. “This isn’t my expertise either but I’ll give it a shot.”
“You’ve got this,” Vanya encouraged. I didn’t bother to call her out on the fact she knew nothing about magic, I just took her vote of confidence and let it urge me on.
Not wanting anyone to get caught in the crossfire I stepped forward without them and held my hands out in front of me, forming a diamond as my thumb and forefingers connected. It was something they taught witches as kids, a way to channel magic through the opening of your hands, and I hoped it still held true as an adult.
My magic responded easily, slamming into the barrier surrounding the door. The acrid stench of dark magic filled the air as it sizzled to life, the barrier becoming visible the moment it was challenged. A cold feeling creeped over me as it fought back like it was a living thing. Every hair on my body stood on end at the static charge in the air. I kept my focus strong, my magic unwavering as I pushed it forward, intent on overloading it until it snapped out of existence.
Sweat formed on my brow and my body started to ache in response to the intensity I was wielding my magic. Just when my internal energy started to drop, I felt two hands rest on my shoulders. Maybe it was my connection to Callum or just their sheer confidence in me, but it helped me regain my strength, sending one last blast into the barrier. A fissure formed in it, spreading out until it let out a loud pop, disappearing completely.
My hands dropped to my sides, and I was relieved to notice I wasn’t overly exhausted after using as much magic as I did. “I think we’re good. I can’t promise there won’t be other traps and hexes inside, but we can at least open the door now.”
We all exchanged grim looks before Callum pulled me behind him and gestured for Vanya to do the same. She let out a laugh and turned to me.
“He’s always doing that, you get used to it.” It was nice knowing someone would be around to protect me, and he’d been doing it since he met me so I wasn’t shocked either. “There has to be something here from the Grave Alpha. Notes. Something.”
“He was careful. I doubt we will find much unless he wants us to,” I disagreed. She frowned at that and I felt a bit guilty about dashing her hope. But I was realistic, we couldn’t underestimate him.
“He has to slip up eventually,” she defended weakly. Neither of us called her out on her attempt at hope. We’d need some optimism to counter my negativity.
The bottom floor was mainly just a house. There was a kitchen and a sitting room and not much more. Nothing stood out and it was militaristically clean, not a thing out of place. We also didn’t hit any more hexes so there was that at least.
“Why the fuck did they choose this location?” Vanya muttered. “And why make it look like an expensive house inside. It’s a fucking compound.” I snorted at that.
“I’m pretty sure both the Grave Alpha and Straya would never lower themselves to living like their guards and prisoners,” I added. “They collected money and status and weren’t afraid to flaunt it.”
“It wasn’t his fucking money. He stole it as he took down packs and covens alike,” Callum growled.
Vanya gestured to the stairs leading up. “Come on, he may not be careless but maybe his guards were.”
“Speaking of,” Callum said as he stopped. “Where is the guard building? They clearly weren’t staying here.”
“They weren’t in the caves with us either,” I agreed. “Or the sheds. We cleared them all and would have noticed.”
