Chapter 130 Into The Caves
Kevan's POV
Stone breathes differently underground. It breeze heavier and older. It presses against your instincts.
I signal for silence as we reached the first choke point. Darien is already crouched ahead of me, with one of his hands lifted.
Lucian moves into the shadows to my right, our blades sheathed but ready. They move like ghosts. They're so damn clean, precise, and lethal. Exactly why the kings put them with me.
Our mission today involves all lycan army only. That alone tells me how serious this is. The king's only use 100% lycan army in dire circumstances. Today is that circumstance. Today is all Lycans only. Their senses are much sharper to a Lycan and we can easily shift and walk around on two legs, just the same as in human form. Were more lethal and more dangerous. It also takes more to kill us. Wolfsbane don't do too much against us. Hopefully we have the element of surprise so no silver will be used.
I tap my comm once.
Mark's team checks in from the western entrance. Elliott's voice follows a second later from the southern route. All teams are in position. This is the time. We're all ready. I breathe in slow slowly and I exhale. I repeat that once more. Then I do it, I give the command to start this shit show.
"Move" I whisper.
We shift. Our bones cracking softly. Our muscles rolling under skin as the lycan form takes over.
Bigger, Heavier. Built for war.
The caves then open wider than expected. Maybe two wide. That was the first warning. The wolves hit us without scent and without sound. Of course they would be using a cover-up for their scent. We did not bring that up earlier.
"Elliott, Mark, everyone listen up." I open the mindlink to all our men out here. "They are using a cover-up. They are hiding their scent. They are also silent."
They drop from ledges, pour from side tunnels, their claws raking the stone. They're fast but they are sloppy. They are too desperate.
We put them down quickly. Actually way too quickly. I know it the moment the last body hits the ground.
"This is wrong." I mutter.
Darien turns, his eyes sharp. "They pulled back." He says short and clipped. They weren't defending. Oh no they were not. They were testing.
I call it. We extract within minutes. We only took minor injuries. Our Lycans will have that healed in a very short time. No sign of Melvin. No sign of Blake. Just a dead wolves and empty tunnels. Fuck. Our first attempt was a failure.
"Don't let that discourage you boys. We got this. Everyone ready for round two." I say, as I open the link to all of our men. A round of "Let's get em." Comes through as we prepare for the next attempt.
The second entry is tighter as we have new routes. Elliott adjusts his team to draw attention, while Mark and his team pushes deeper. It almost works. Almost. They collapse a tunnel behind Mark's team, cutting comms for four brutal minutes. We didn't get excited, we stayed calm. We kept it together. They are our men, our friends. When we finally reached them, their bloodied, but alive. There's dead wolves everywhere. You can't even take one step without stepping on one.
Still, there's no sign of Blake or Melvin.
"They're moving with us." Elliot growls. "Using the caves like a board." he seethed while he shook his head.
I grind my teeth. They shouldn't be thinking like this. But they do.
Fuck! Again! Second attempt was yet another failure.
"Alright, we got this boys. The third time is the charm." I say through the link at all my men.
By the third plan, we stop reacting. We start hunting.
We switch tactics. We make slow advances. We make false retreats. We control the noise they hear. We let them think they've learned our pattern.
Darien suggests it quietly as we regroup. "They are following our heat and sound. We give them both." he says as he looks around. He's always attentive. He's always aware.
Lucian nods once. "Then kill them when they commit."
We split smaller this time. I lead the primary strike. Darien and Lucian are both with me. Mark becomes the hammer. Elliot seals exits, and waits.
It takes hours. Bodies are piling up. They realize too late that they are being thinned, being funneled, being erased.
Then it hits me all at once. I scent him. Rot, fear, old arrogance.
"Melvin" I breathe. He's not alone. Blake's scent is sharper, closer. I signal once. Everyone then moves.
Marks team collapses the rear tunnel. Elliott seals the upper exit. Darien and Lucian goes first. They are silent and unstoppable.
Melvin dies trying to speak. Blake dies trying to run.
The Kings orders were clear.
No Mercy
No Ceremony
The remaining wolves scatter, but they don't get too far. By the time we pulled out, the caves are quiet again.
I stand outside the entrance as dawn breaks, blood drying on my hands. I key the comm.
"It's done." I say.
Caden's voice answers immediately, calm and controlled.
"Status?"
"Blake and Melvin are dead." I reply and take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. "Most of their army with them. No Lycan losses." Then a brief pause.
"Good work." Caden says as you can hear the relief in his voice.