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With my wolf’s help, we gathered as much light as we could through our connection with the Moon Spirit then pushed it down my left arm. Heat infused my skin as my markings began to shine brighter and brighter. The darkness pounded against the light that I was forcing into the metal.
The blackness growled around me, furious that it was losing its hold on the wolf inside the cage. The dark wolf within howled its excitement as it paced close to the bars, ready to get out. My wolf and I continued to pump light into my arm, and slowly, the bars of the cage started to fade, turning from dark metal to wispy shadows. When they were see-through, Ledger’s wolf approached, swiping its leg through the lightening shadows. The residual darkness evaporated at the wolf’s touch.
It was free.
Wasting no time, Ledger’s wolf yipped and growled while running toward the door I’d come through earlier. Holding my arm aloft in order to keep the darkness at bay, I backtracked into the other room. Once at the entrance, I sent out a blast of brightness. The shadows scattered, withdrawing into the deep recesses of Ledger’s mind.
I couldn’t leave knowing there was a possibility it could corrupt him again. With the Moon Spirit’s guidance, I built a barrier made of light to block the entrance to the other room. The darkness couldn’t get out without hitting the wall, which would make it dissipate. It was crude and crooked, but it would have to do.
Turning, I searched for the cage that contained the boy but found both were gone. A much older man was on the floor where the cage used to be, his arms wrapped around the wolf that I’d helped set free. The man looked up, and I saw the same eyes as the boy’s staring at me from an older version his face.
“Thank you,” Ledger said, emotion filling his gaze as he clung to the wolf in front of him. “We couldn’t do it on our own.”
“We’re a pack now.” I shrugged like it was no big deal.
The tunnel began to fade around us as he and his wolf became acquainted with each other. There was no telling how long they’d been separated in their own mind, but the aftermath of that sort of abuse would leave its mark on anyone. He had a long road ahead with healing and accepting what had been done to him. It wouldn’t be easy, but I knew that our pack would rally and keep him safe while he worked through it.
‘Time to go,’ my wolf nudged me.
‘How?’ I didn’t know how we were going to get back.
‘Mate,’ my wolf said, but I could hear the silent ‘duh’ in her words.
I reached for the bond I had with Rylan. Warmth and love enveloped me when I dipped my conscience into our connection. I closed my eyes, welcoming the feeling of my mate surrounding me. I buried myself in it, never wanting to leave this place where I belonged.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rylan
As soon as Pearl touched my cousin’s head, her body froze like she was suddenly made of stone. She wasn’t breathing, and her body grew colder and colder with every passing minute that felt like an eternity.
I paced behind her and Estella, waiting for any sort of sign that they were in trouble and needed help. Estella seemed to be aware of her surroundings, plus she wasn’t completely frozen like Pearl was. She still breathed and blinked, but her eyes were unfocused like she was seeing something that Deacon and I couldn’t.
“What’s taking so long?” Deacon growled, frustrated by the lack of any clues.
“How long have they been like this?” I made a mental note to enforce a time limit if there ever was a next time.
“Maybe ten minutes.” His gaze bore into the side of Estella’s head, like he could will her back just by looking at her.
“That’s a long time,” I murmured, approaching Pearl so I could check on her again. No change.
‘How long will this continue for?’ My wolf was just as antsy.
‘Who knows.’
He didn’t like my response very much but didn’t say anything.
I tried reaching through our bond, attempting to get any sort of sense about what was going on. The bond was silent, empty. Like Pearl had pressed pause then never returned. It was intact though, which was the only consolation I had.
Sighing, I did my best not to obsess over everything, but that was easier said than done. The truth was, I was utterly obsessed with my mate to the point of distraction. The only thing that had existed in that secret place had been us, but now, I needed to think of others.
I was ashamed to admit that I wasn’t looking forward to the pack monopolizing my attention. Things were easier when it was just Pearl and me. However, I couldn’t ignore the pack since I was the one who technically created it. I had a responsibility to each and every one of them. For the time being, they were safe and protected, but who knew how long it would last?
Another ten minutes went by, and my wolf was now pacing in my mind. I kept Pearl in my line of sight, my senses tuned to any changes she might make.
Without warning, all three of them gasped. I was suddenly by Pearl’s side, gathering her in my arms when her body went limp. Deacon caught Estella as she too went limp. Movement in my peripheral drew my attention. Ledger’s head moved sluggishly, rolling on his neck like he’d forgotten how to lift it on his own.
Pearl shivered, jerking my focus back to her. Her skin wasn’t as cold as it had been, but she was definitely chilled. There was a pile of blankets by the door, so I grabbed one and tossed another to Deacon. I wrapped the warm material around my mate then squeezed her against me, sharing my body heat.
