Chapter 112
The pack's journey to Lucian was a long and arduous one, as they decided to walk on foot.
Winding through dense forests and over rugged mountains. They had been traveling for days, feet aching and their bodies weary, but they pressed on, driven by a sense of loyalty and duty to their pack leader.
As they walked, the trees grew taller and the air grew thick with the scent of damp earth and delaying leaves. The soldier Bob led the way, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance, his ears perked up and alert.
Behind him, the rest of the pack followed, their faces set with determination, their hearts filled with a sense of purpose. They were a diverse group, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses, but they were united in their devotion to Lucian and their desire to reach him.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the landscape, the pack caught sight of a sprawling palace in the distance. Its walls were high and imposing, its towers reaching up towards the sky like giant's fists.
The pack's pace quickened, their excitement growing as they drew closer to their destination. They could feel Lucian's presence, a powerful and magnetic force that drew them in like moths to a flame.
Finally, after hours of walking the pack reached the palace gates, their hearts pounding with anticipation, their senses on high alert. They knew that they were close, that Lucian was just beyond the walls, waiting for them.
They were no securities at the entrance, they all got into the hall and stood in wait for Lucian's presence.
Booby had find away to leave them alone in the room, while Gwen never followed them in the first place.
The doors suddenly slammed shut in front of them, the sound echoing through the dark filed their ears.
The pack was caught off guard, their momentum carrying them forward even as the doors closed, leaving them mere inches from the entrance. They made a stop, their feet screeching against the floor, their bodies jolting to a sudden halt.
A pack member let out a growl of frustration, his eyes blazing with anger and disappointment.
The rest of the pack looked on in shock and confusion, their ears ringing from the sudden slamming of the doors. They had been so focused on reaching Lucian, and now it seemed that they were being blocked at every turn.
As they stood there, frozen in shock and uncertainty, the sound of locks clicking into place echoed through the air, followed by the ominous creaking of wooden beams as the doors were barricaded shut.
The pack was trapped, locked out of the palace and denied access by Damian. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with a mix of anger, frustration, and desperation. What were they going to do now?
"This is all made up!" Kendra stated to them.
She was glaring at the shut down room.
She tried not to fret because she was certain they had been tricked.
"Welcome!" They heard Damian's voice call.
It was clear to them now that they were truly tricked by the soldier Bob, who appears to be missing.
The pack's faces fell into dismay as they stood before the locked palace doors, a collective sense of regret and remorse washing over them. They thought back to Greg's warnings, his urgent pleas to beware of Bob, who he had claimed was an imposter.
At the time, they had dismissed Greg's concerns, thinking him paranoid and overly cautious. But now, as they stood locked in the palace, they realized that Greg had been right all along. Bob's betrayal had caught them off guard, and now they were paying the price.
"We should have listened to Greg," a man muttered, his voice heavy with regret. "We should have believed him." The rest of the pack nodded in agreement, their expressions somber and chastened.
They had been so blinded by their trust in Bob, so convinced of his sincerity, that they had ignored the warning signs and dismissed Greg's concerns. Now, as they stood facing the consequences of their mistake, they couldn't help but wonder what might have been if they had only listened to Greg.
The pack's regret was palpable, a collective sense of "what if" that hung in the air like a challenge. They knew that they had learned a valuable lesson, one that they would not soon forget. Trust had to be earned, and blind loyalty could be a dangerous thing.
As they stood there, locked in the palace, the pack couldn't help but think of all the times they had doubted Greg. They had thought him overly cautious, too quick to suspect betrayal and more so for being a human.
But now, they realized that Greg had been right all along.
"We need to find a way out" Abigail brought up the suggestion.
As they began to search for a way into the palace.
The pack's regret was still palpable, but it was no longer debilitating. Instead, it fueled their determination to make things right. They would find a way into the palace, and they would protect Damian at all costs. They owed it to themselves, to Greg, and to their pack leader.
Unfortunately for them, few seconds later the ground opened and swallowed them.
They fell into the basement below them.
They landed hardly on the floor. Most of them hurt their heads and body parts.
While they were still wallowing over their pains, a troop of soldiers attacked them.
Their feets and hands were bounded to the concrete wall.
Most of them tried to understand the scenario. But Kendra reminded them that Damian was still in charge.
It was so sad for the pack. If only they were a lot more vigilant, they would have picked up something fishy about Booby's character.
He was in a haste to take the back to the palace and gave no understandable excuse at all.
Even when Greg tried to reveal this fact, they ignored him and thought that his only being human not to trust him.
Many of them had tears rolling down their cheeks while others stayed strong, believing that Lucian would come to their rescue.
They hope he does, as he had never failed their expectations.
Damian walks in on them suddenly. His eyes looking red as though worn out by tears.
"This war is over, I won" he proclaimed before them.
They had confused expressions as to what he was saying?
"What are you talking about?" one of them summoned the courage to ask.
"Yeah! Our alpha would save us" Abigail chipped in.
Damian began to laugh wickedly. "You really think your alpha is still moving freely? Really!" he nodded his head sideways as he mocked.
He snapped his fingers to his guards and asked them to bring Lucian in before them.
"It's impossible, Lucian couldn't have been caught".
Murmurs spread out among them as they were shock to hear that Damian had caught their alpha.
It was so unbelievable how Damian boasted of his achievement against Lucian.
They swallowed hard and waited for the soldiers to bring in Lucian.
The pack's expressions were a mixture of shock, concern, and outrage as they gazed upon Lucian, their alpha, being dragged before them by the soldiers. Their eyes widened in horror as they took in the sight of Lucian's battered and bruised body, his fur matted and dirty, his eyes sunken with exhaustion.
The pack's faces contorted in a collective grimace, their lips curling back in snarls of anger and distress. They growled and snarled, their voices rising in a chorus of protest and defiance as they beheld their beloved leader being treated like a captive.
Ken one of the pack's most senior members, took a step forward, his eyes blazing with fury as he gazed upon the soldiers. Although, the chains presented him from moving closer. "What have you done to him?" she demanded, his voice low and menacing.
The rest of the pack nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination and outrage but disappointed still. They knew that they had to act, to do something to free Lucian from his captors and restore him to his rightful place as their leader.
As they stood there, their eyes fixed upon Lucian, the pack's expression was one of unified outrage and determination.
They would not rest until Lucian was free, and those who had harmed him were brought to their knee.