ze groaned as he woke up. The ringing in his ears persisted, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. He remained confined in the dungeon, and it was no surprise. Sandro wouldn’t release him easily, especially after what had transpired.


    Now, Sandro was aware of Arabe’s location, and ze couldn’t help but feel responsible.


    The truth had been extracted from him through torture, yet he believed it was his fault for not resisting.


    But then again, resisting would be tough when your weakness was exploited against you.


    He scowled at the several marks lining his skin and the unyielding chain that kept him restrained. Trying to break free only resulted in difort- burning sensations that sent a jolt of electricity through him as well as a brain freeze.


    “Fucking bastard,” ze snarled, kicking a pebble and wincing.


    The chain not only hindered his escape but also suppressed his abilities. Now that Sandro knew his identity, escaping would be an uphill battle.


    ncing at the hay-covered floor, ze’s phone rang. He unlocked it with his toe upon seeing Annalise’s name.


    “ze,” Annalise said.


    “What’s happening?” ze asked, noting the urgency in her voice with just his name mentioned.


    “I spoke with Janice, and there’s an iing danger,” Annalise whispered.


    “What is it, Annalise?” ze grunted.


    “An infiltration, ze,” she revealed before the call abruptly ended.


    ze stared at the phone longer than intended before pulling on the chain. Despite the current discord with Sandro, he couldn’t let the vi be infiltrated without taking action.


    “Let me go!” ze growled, panting as he strained against the unyielding chain.


    No response. “Fine,” he grimaced. “I understand you’re following the orders of that witch and Sandro, but I’m the only one who can help. If we’re under attack and I’m not guarding, everyone will be at risk!”


    ze puffed out a breath. Or maybe he was stupid to put Sandro first after all that he was going through. The creaking door caught his attention, knowing he was alone in the room. Sandro typically dealt with intruders from before, leaving ze curious about the unexpected visitor.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Closing his eyes, ze inhaled deeply, recognizing the scent of cinnamon before snapping them open.


    “Annalise,” he grunted. “You shouldn’t be here.”


    “Neither should you,” she retorted.


    “You don’t know why I’m here,” ze insisted.


    “I know, and I don’t think you deserve this. Besides, it serves Sandro right. It’s the reason he makes enemies,” Annalise said, snatching a key from a stand near the cage.


    ze hadn’t realized there was a key there until now. If he had, he could have tried his best to reach for it rather than make things difficult for himself.


    “You’ll get in trouble,” ze warned, watching as she entered the cage.


    “Not more trouble than you’ll face if the Vi is destroyed under your watch,” she reasoned.


    Annalise spoke the truth. Sandro would want him to keep watch, even though he was chained-a twisted mindset.


    After Annalise unlocked the chains he had thought to be magical, ze flexed his bruised wrists, feeling the pain. He wondered if Brianna had added something to the wolfsbane coating since it was barely healing.


    “You should freshen up,” Annalise suggested, but ze shook his head.


    “I doubt anyone cares how I smell when I’m fighting for their safety,” he said, raising a brow.


    “No, I don’t think so,” she agreed.


    “Come on,” ze urged, rushing out of the room with Annalise close behind.


    He stood by therge gate at the De Luca’s Vi, straining to detect any signs of attackers. But then, he saw no sights or scents indicating trouble.


    After an hour, seeing no one, ze headed towards where he stationed Annalise, with the intent to be with the children in the vi.


    He stopped as Annalise hurried towards him, her eyes filled with concern.


    “What’s wrong?” ze asked.


    “Janice called again…”


    “And they’re not attacking anymore? Because they’re definitely not heading this way,” ze observed.


    “No, they’re not,” Annalise replied, biting her lip. “The problem is, their destination is the pack where Arabe is currently staying.”


    “The Sapphire Shadows?” ze rified.


    “Yeah, that’s it.” Annalise nodded. “And from the way Janice sounded, it seems like they’re already there and…”


    Ignoring Annalise’s voice, ze returned to the room, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and dialed Arabe’s number to ensure it wasn’t a trap.


    “Come on,” he muttered impatiently, but there was no response.


    Trying Thalia’s number, believing she would be close to Arabe, ze received the sameck of response.


    “Thalia!” he gritted his teeth.


    Perhaps they were truly under attack. ze discarded his ripped vest, donned another, ran a hand through his hair, and walked back to the gate.


    “They’re an hour away, and…”


    ze didn’t wait for Annalise to finish. He sprinted towards the nearest car, a white Porsche Panamera.


    “I’lle with you!” Annalise yelled.


    “No, stay back. If Sandroes looking for me, tell him where I went,” ze instructed. He reversed the car before speeding out of the opened gate.


    Arriving quickly, thanks to exceeding speed limits and encountering no traffic, ze found a safe spot to park the car. He jumped out, turned off the ignition, and rushed toward the silent pack house. It felt deserted, and his narrowed eyes scanned the surroundings.


    “Arabe!” he called out, but there was no response.


    Entering the first building he saw, ze navigated through several rooms until he halted near a door. Turning the knob, he entered to find Thalia.


    Arabe, Sandro, and an unfamiliar woman were locked in each other’s arms.


    Thalia stood up as soon as she noticed him. “What are you doing here?”


    “I’ve been trying to reach you,” ze murmured, his gaze fixed on Arabe.


    Thalia frowned, reaching for her phone. Her eyes widened as she saw the five unanswered calls. “I am sorry; I must have been too preupied with my thoughts.”


    “You look awful, Cole. What happened?” Thalia inquired, scrutinizing him.


    “It doesn’t matter. You’re safe, and so is she. But what’s going on?” ze asked.


    “They’re in some kind of trance or time-traveling? I wouldn’t know, but risse said she’s taking them to the past,” Thalia exined.


    ze gripped Arabe’s hand, attempting to shake her, but she remained unresponsive, like trying to move a stone. “How do we snap them out of it? Arabe is in danger.”


    “It’s no use. I’ve tried everything, even dousing them with water, which was an awful idea,” Thalia said, pointing to the water on the floor.


    “We just have to wait for them to return to us,” she added.


    “That’s if there’s enough time,” ze murmured.


    Despite not wanting to dwell on the potential consequences, he was determined to protect Arabe with his life until she snapped out of whatever trance she was in.