Chapter 35 Pier’s Territory
The musty smell of decay and the metallic tang of blood permeated Pier's hideout's oppressive air. Rever took the lead, moving with deliberate steps and watching for movement in every shadow. Sharon trailed behind, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Only the distant drip of water and the sporadic creak of aged wood disturbed the deafening calm surrounding them.
Rever said in a barely discernible murmur, "Stay close to me."
Holding the little blade Rever had given her earlier, Sharon nodded. She gripped it tightly, determined to hold her own even though the weight felt strange in her palm. Now that they were in the lion's den, there was no way out.
Abruptly, a harsh click reverberated throughout the hallway. Just before the floor beneath them fell way, Rever's arm sprang out and pushed Sharon back. Just missing them, a chasm with sharp spikes yawned open.
Rever said, his mouth clenched, "Traps." "He's anticipating us."
"How can we overcome them?" Despite her stomach twisting with anxiety, Sharon asked in a firm voice.
Rever narrowed his eyes and looked about. "With caution. Don't go where I don't go, and take my lead.
Every step they took on the perilous route was calculated. As they went farther, it became increasingly clear that Pier had intended this location to be a maze of death. Poisonous darts, trip wires, and concealed razors were waiting around every corner. They persisted in spite of the risks because they were determined to terminate Pier's reign of terror.
The last door stood in front of them, its surface adorned with elaborate carvings that gave off a subtle, ominous glow. Rever's hand lingered over the doorknob as he hesitated.
He added, looking at Sharon, "This is it." "Are you prepared?"
Her eyes were burning with resolve as she looked him in the eye. "Let's get this done."
They entered a large room with flickering candles lighting it as Rever pulled the door open. Pier stood in the middle of it, facing away from them, studying a big, old book that was open on a stone stand.
Pier remarked, "You're persistent," without looking back. He spoke in a soothing, almost humorous tone. "I'll give it to you."
Rever snarled, his posture rigid, "It's over, Pier." "Set Jenny free and put an end to this chaos."
Pier turned to them at last and laughed. A twisted smirk danced on his lips as his eyes glowed with a predatory light. "Come to an end? We're just getting started, Rever.
With a voice that broke the tension, Sharon took a step forward. "What are you doing?" What are you looking for from me?
Pier's eyes went to her, and for a split second, a look of sympathy crossed his face. "Oh, Sharon. There are a lot of questions but not many answers. But tell me, have you ever questioned your uniqueness? Why is your wolf different from others?
Her breath caught, but she made herself stay composed. "What are you discussing?"
Pier moved closer, his steps deliberate and slow. "Your parents were very remarkable. Some may call them visionaries. But they were adversaries because of their aspirations. You are left to continue their legacy after they paid the price for their genius.
Sharon's heart was racing. "You're telling lies."
"Am I?" Pier grinned broadly. "Consider, Sharon. Do you honestly think that the power and the dreams are simply coincidences?
With his body acting as a shield, Rever moved between them. Pier, stop playing games. It ends here, regardless of what you believe you know.
Pier shook his head and moaned. "Always the altruistic Alpha, defending what isn't yours." But, Rever, this isn't about you. It was never.
Pier reached into his pocket and took out a little vial with a swift, fluid gesture. He threw it to the ground before Rever could respond. A dense, black smoke filled the area as the vial broke apart.
"Get down, Sharon!" The smoke engulfed them as Rever yelled and dragged her to the ground.
Pier had vanished when the smoke cleared, but Sharon's wrist was now marked with a faint, luminous mark. It sent a shiver down her spine with its weird force.
"What is this?" Gazing at the sigil engraved on her skin, she muttered.
Rever's face grew serious. It's a mark. A statement.
"What does it signify?" Sharon's dread was evident in the way her voice quiver.
Rever paused, his gaze fixed on the target. "It indicates that Pier is still interested in you."
His remarks carried a great deal of weight, and Sharon's head was filled with inquiries. However, the faint sound of footfall reverberated from the hallway behind them before she could say anything.
In a quiet, anxious voice, Rever declared, "We must move." "This is not the end of it."
They went back, distant sounds now breaking the stifling calm. Sharon was fixated on the mark, its radiance becoming brighter by the moment. It seemed to be alive, as though it were consuming her own being.
With a voice hardly audible above a whisper, she said, "Rever." "What if I change as a result of this mark?"
He turned to her and stopped suddenly. His eyes were ferocious, and his hands gripped her face. "It won't. I refuse to allow it.
"What if you are unable to stop it?" With everything pressing down on her, she cracked her voice. "What happens if I turn into something—something hideous?"
Rever's jaw tensed as his fingers wiped away the tears she hadn't even known were streaming down her cheeks. "Sharon, you underestimate your strength. We'll deal with this together, whatever it is. You're not by yourself in this.
She allowed his words to ground her in the middle of the pandemonium for a little while. However, she was swiftly dragged back by the reality of their circumstances. "We must continue to move. Pier won't hesitate long to act if he's observing us.
They moved quickly but carefully through the labyrinthine hallways. Every sound sounded like a possible ambush, and every shadow a threat. There was a noticeable tension between them, a mix of fear, resolve, and an unsaid kinship that grew stronger by the second.
By the time they arrived at the hideout's entrance, the dim light of morning was beginning to filter through the surrounding trees. Sharon's discomfort was not greatly alleviated by the chilly air, which stood in sharp contrast to the oppressive atmosphere from which they had just fled.
With his gaze over the forest line, Rever declared, "We're not safe yet." "This is only the beginning of his long-term strategy."
Unconsciously, Sharon's palm brushed the symbol on her wrist as she nodded. The secrets of her history were closer to being revealed than ever before, and the fight with Pier was far from done. However, it became evident that this battle was just getting started when the first rays of sunlight appeared through the shadows.