Chapter 106


    -Dorothy-


    The morning after we discovered the journal, Ignatius and I stood before the remains of what had once


    been a secret cottage in the woods. We tracked down what was supposed to have been Elliot’s old


    cabin, only to find that the entire building had been burned to the ground some time ago. Barely any


    evidence of the building remained, except for a few charred bits of wood and what was left of the


    floorboards. The forest had long since reimed the small piece ofnd. Moss grew over the


    ckened ground, burying the truth beneathyers of green.


    Ignatius suspected that this was where Elliot had been hiding the vampire woman. After closer


    inspection of the journal, we were able to piece together a few facts about her. Her name was


    Morgana, and ording to Elliot, she was gorgeous and intelligent, and powerful. Ignatius had rolled


    his eyes at this


    “Clearly” 1 muttered, turning on the spot to look around the dense foliage, “Elliot really didn’t want


    anyone to know about Morgana. Nob*dy would have found this ce if they didn’t know to look for it.”


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    I turned to study my mate. Ignatius was staring intently at the wrecked cabin with a furrowed brow, his


    arms folded tightly against his chest. A vein in his forehead pulsed like he was straining to hold back a


    roar.


    “What is it?” I asked, walking over and attempting to uncross his arms. “Don’t worry about the cabin.


    I’m sure there’s more information out there, even if we can’t find anything here.”


    Nothing good could havee from that kind of union,” he grewded, stiff as a stone against my


    attempted affection.


    “Morgana had a hold on Elliot’s mind, I ventured gently. “Whatever happened, it seems like he


    regretted it.”


    “Don’t pity him!” Rather than wrap his arms around me, Ignatius turned away, striding back the way we


    hade with his shoulders hunched. “Whether she was toying with him or not, Elliot wasn’t a victim.


    They were in a struggle for power, clearly Morgan was stronger”


    It was a dark thought. I had only known Elliot briefly, and he had disliked me from the start. I hadn’t


    been too fond of the old alpha either. But he never struck me as weak, at least not wak enough to be


    led on by a woman in the woods.


    Whoever this Morganady had been, she was c nning enough to slip past Elliots defenses, smart


    enough to scramble his mind. And bold enough to birth his child.


    “Ignatious,” I struggled to keep up with my mate, traipsing through the woods behind him. “What if the


    child did survive? What if they’re out there somewhere!”


    “I’ll kill them.” was the growled response, with enough venom to send chills down my spine.


    I sucked in a breath, practically running behind Ignatius to stay within earshot. “You can’t-


    “If they pose a threat to the shifters, to our people, they’re dead, Morganna had that child for a reason.


    And whatever that reason was, it can’t have been good.”


    We burst from the treeline then, Ignatius angry and ashen-faced and me, breathless and sweating.


    Ignatius climbed into his car, flinging the passenger door open for me to join him. Rather than drive off,


    he gripped the steering wheel, resting his head on his outstretched arms. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t


    need to. I knew my mate well enough by then. I knew that this mystery was eating away at him.


    I leaned over, wrapping my arms around him and sighing deeply. “It’s going to be okay. Remember


    what you said to me? Whatever happens, we’ll fare it together”


    Ignatious remained tense for a moment, but then his shoulders slumped and he sighed. I couldn’t see


    his face, buried in the crook of his elbows So 1y on my back and wormed my way onto hisp,


    looking up at him. That was enough to score me a small suule, and Ignatious leaned down to nt a


    k*ss on my nose. “What did I do to deserve someone so sweet?”


    I reached up to caress his check. He leaned to my touch, closing his eyes and letting me sooth him for


    once


    “You’re the best leader the Bielke have ever seen, Ignatius,” I murmured softly, running my thumb over


    his lips. “And the best mate could ever have asked for. Don’t cut off the people who care about you.


    We’re all on your side here”


    He opened his eyes, his piercing gaze just as striking as the very first time we met. Ignatius didn’t


    speak, staring at me intently like he desperately wanted to believe me. My words were a lifeline to him.


    “Elliot’s gone,” I whispered. “He can’t hurt you anymore. And whatever he did here, with that woman,


    I’m certain we’ve already faced the worst of it.”


    Ignatius nodded slowly, fatigue lining his features as he sighed. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been on edge


    whatever my father had done. But this, I could never have prepared for this.”


    We were interrupted by Ignatius’s phone chiming and both of us started upright at the sound. Igantius


    pressed his cell to his car, immediately on high alert. I watched the icey mask slip back into ce, and


    my gentle mate was lost to me once more


    After a minute, Ignatius put down the phone, kicked the car into gear and reversed out of the cul de sac


    we had parked in “Angie’s back early, this spells bad news”


    Angie and Pae were waiting for us outside the town hall. Their expressions were strained, and their


    smiles didn’t reach their


    They stood beside the beat-up white van, still packed with all of their traveling essentials. They must


    havee straight here. Whatever news they had brought, it was urgent. I felt a sinking feeling in my


    stomach the second I stepped out of the


    “Angie” I hurried over to the two she-wolves, and flung my arms around Angie. “Why are you back


    already! What happened to taking a break?”


    “We had toe back.” It was Fae who spoke, wringing her hands and dancing from foot to foot in not


    right.”


    Angie exined what she and Fae had witnessed during their travels. Unease was spreading throug


    small alike. More vampire sightings had been reported, and shifters were mysteriously disappearing


    were never found, but trackers had stumbled across mutted animals; bears and deer, foxes and rabb


    blood and ditched in the wilderness. And always covered in the lingering stench of metal and rust.


    “It gets worse, Angie stated gravely. She eyed me warily, like she was afraid of my reaction. “It’s just


    like we are talking about Johan. He’s idolized by many shifters, they think of him as a martyr or some


    kind of under


    “But they’re not just rumors, Fae whispered. She looked to Angie, who nodded slightly before


    exining. “We we camping near the Khall pack recently and.” She took a steadying breath.


    “Something happened.”


    ethings


    I slipped my fingers into Ignatius’s hand, urging him to unclench his fist. His fingers relented, sping


    my hand tightly we listened to what Fae had to say.


    “The Khall were on edge. They refused to let us onto their territory. And it seems they’re not letting


    anyone out either. They’re guarding themselves against something”


    I frowned at that. I had been trying in vain for the past few weeks to get in contact with Anita. My old


    caretaker resided in the Khall pack. She usually called every few weeks to check in on the children and


    me. But recently. Anita had been silent and none of my calls to her cell ever connected,


    Fae noticed my expression and nodded. “It would seem the Khall have cut off the outside world. So we


    camped a little way oll to keep an eye on things. Two nights ago there was some kind of disturbance in


    the forest. We heard wolves howling, and something bad all the animals in the area tearing past our


    tent. And then there was a fire


    “Forest fires happen all the time,” Ignatius offered through a clenched jaw


    This fire was started by a burning shifter. Fir and I were trailing the noise when we watched a ming


    man barrel through


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26


    the trees, burning everything as he went. We got out of there pretty quickly after that.”


    “How do we know this has anything to do with Johan But my fears were already all but confirmed.


    Angie hung her head, passing a hand over her eyes. “The gatherers in the forest, They were chanting


    his name.““


    Before either of us could process this, a new member joined our party. to came roaring down the


    road on a motorcycle he’d gotten from go d knows where. He brought the bike to a half right in front of


    us, churning up clouds of dust around our


    fect.


    We all stepped out of the way while to scrambled to attention 1 hail never seen him look so


    disheveled. His clothes were torn and dirty, his face streaked with mud and dried blood.


    “Thank go d you’re here?” He scrambled over to grip my mate’s shoulders, and heaving in deep


    breaths. He was struggling to stand. “I came as fast as I could”


    Ignatius h ooked to’s arm over his shoulder, holding him upright, “What happened?”


    -1 followed a couple of shifters into the forest, near Khall territory, I saw him! I saw him with my own


    eyes!”


    I swallowed, hard. But the stone lodged in my throat would not budge. “Saw who?”


    “Johan. to wheezed, and nearly toppled over in exhaustion. “Johan is alive”


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