Chapter 29: Sihl Valley

Elias

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“Alpha Elias! We’re surrounded by rogues!” Thibault was able to deliver the news through our mind link, with urgency in his voice. I stiffened for a moment, and I listened to the others that touched my mind, too. They were saying the same thing. I heard their growls and whimpers of pain.

Damn it!

“Avabella! Elias!” We heard Nianzu’s voice from the outside.

I got off atop Avabella and helped her get up. We jumped to solid ground, and I conjured my clothing, while Avabella put her clothes on in almost lightning speed. We were holding hands when we got out of the cave.

Nianzu looked relieved upon seeing us. However, the worry reflected in his small monolid eyes. “I think it’s really bad. They got Sangye.”

I suddenly froze upon hearing it. Thibault didn’t mention it. Or did he deliberately miss to tell it to me in person instead? Damn it! That was way too fast to get Sangye.

“How did they get Sangye?” I asked as we ran at top speed, running through trees and leaped over lying logs and rocks. We climbed up the steep hills like it was flat ground.

“I had no idea. She already passed out when I saw a rogue drag her by the leg. Thibault and the others couldn’t do anything about it. But don’t worry. Diego and a couple of Kazimieras’ enforcers are on them, to not lose Sangye. I think Matthias is going to follow as well while I was on my way here. Sorry, I thought we could handle them—that’s why we didn’t report to you right away. I think Thibault believed the same earlier. You know, we know that you need some time because you just learned your mother just… vanished!” Nianzu explained.

I cursed. I couldn’t blame them at all. No one’s to blame. But I was fretting over Sangye’s safety. What if the rogue already tore her into pieces? What if Diego and the rest were already too late? And what if my mate’s beloved cousin got hurt, too?

I glanced at Avabella, who pursed her lips. She murmured something like “Stupid Sangye! Why did she get dragged?” She looked at Nianzu. “Nianzu, go after Diego!” she ordered the Chinese vampire in a firm voice. She reminded me of Maria Adriana in that tone.

“On it!” Nianzu readily answered without any debate or protest. He disappeared in two seconds when we reached the battleground.

I growled when I saw most of my pack members were down and injured. Thibault and the others were fine, fighting fiercely with the enemies. I grabbed a rogue by the neck and bashed him on the bloodied snowy ground. The scent of blood swirled in the air. I wrestled with the strong black rogue and held its jaw, breaking it apart by the mouth. Its blood splashed on my face and clothing. Damn it! The smell was so foul.

I searched for Avabella who moved in an impossible super speed that I’d never seen before. She touched every rogue and left them either frozen as a stone or on fire. The frozen ones were broken by wolves like glass. On the other hand, the ones on fire couldn’t put out the blaze around their bodies, no matter how they rolled on the red-stained snowy ground. After seconds of battling with the fire, they were defeated and turned into a pile of black ashes.

In just less than two minutes, my pack members were able to breathe easily when every rogue was gone. Smoke, metallic scent and torn flesh assailed the air. It was nauseous for the weak ones.

“Why didn’t they come after me this time?” I asked Avabella in our own mind link as she was across the vast area, where the keep stood in the past.

“Because I erased your scent as we left here.”

Now that made sense. That was why Nianzu was able to trace us, since her scent made a way to the cave. Maybe the rogues didn’t know hers, only mine.

“Is everything alright?” I asked everyone through our mind links, opened to all.

“Andreas is not so good, Alpha Elias,” Sascha reported.

My eyes immediately searched for that black-and-agouti-colored Omega. He was a few steps away from Avabella. She read my mind, so in a blink of an eye, she was kneeling next to him, and I went over to them and crouched.

Avabella examined Andreas’ neck. Half of it was torn, and he was shivering. I put a hand on his leg, sighing.

“Hang in there, Andreas!” I ordered him, clenching my teeth.

“Sangye must have something for this,” Thibault said, carrying her bag and giving it to Avabella. He already turned into his human form, with an all-black clothing.

She looked up at him with confused eyes. “I’m not a shaman but I’ll see what I can do for Andreas. Darn it!” She looked down at the suffering Omega. “You just celebrated your birthday. Don’t you die on us!”

Andreas whimpered in pain but tried to smile at her words of encouragement. My heart twisted because of his agony. I didn’t want anyone to suffer. And my mind flew to Sangye. I was trying to reach her thoughts. But there was nothing. Maybe she was still unconscious. I was damn worried about her. I hoped Diego and the others would be able to bring her back safely.

In spite of what she said, Avabella rummaged Sangye’s backpack. There were bottles of medicines and herbs, aside from her shamanic things. She smelled every bottle, grimacing.

“I don’t know which of these to apply.”

I took a green bottle that she just put down. I smelled its bitter and fruity liquid content and told her, “I think this is it. I used to scent this when Sangye would apply it to someone’s wound.”

“Okay. So, how’s that work?”

I opened the green bottle and slowly poured it to Andreas’ big gaping wound in his neck. In a few seconds, it closed up to our great relief. He was able to breathe normally then.

“Okay, give me that,” Avabella said, almost snatching the bottle, so that she would treat the others that need immediate treatment.

“Much better?” I asked Andreas.

He slowly stood up on his four legs and gave me a big grin. “Thank you, Alpha Elias. I thought I was a goner,” he said through our mind link.

I lightly slapped his face. “Take care next time, Omega.”

He nodded in embarrassment, though he didn’t need to be.

“Shall we go after Sangye now, Alpha Elias?” asked Thibault, with worried face.

“Yes, we have to,” Kazimieras butted in before I could even confirm. He was bloody but it wasn’t his, apparently. His branded clothes were torn in the sleeves and thighs. “My men are there with Diego.”

“And Nianzu. Right,” I said grimly.

“And Matthias,” Thibault added. It was only then that I didn’t notice Matthias.

“That’s good. They can trace where Sangye is.” I tapped at my gifted tracker’s mind. “Where are you?”

“Alpha Elias! I was about to tell you. I think we’re somewhere around the top of Sihl Valley,” Matthias answered. He was the one who knew Switzerland like the back of his hand. And wherever he may be, he wouldn’t ever get lost.

“We’re coming after you!” I told him in reply. Glancing at Avabella, she already got what I wanted. For us to go there speedily.

Avabella summoned her elemental power. We used the air travel just as we used it last time from Meudon Forest to the Supreme Castle. We all slowly ascended upward. The wolves howled in excitement. I could only smile toothlessly at them. Not everyone of them experienced this before.

We looked down. The dusk was already coming as we traveled, going northeast, to Zurich. Above the glacier in Swiss Alps, the mountain tops covered in snow looked stunning. We also saw the Alpine ski facilities from up above. The air was colder up here but nothing we couldn’t handle. The smell was clean and fresh with a hint of burning wood from the old furnaces of some houses below. They were like scattered pieces of puzzles of different shapes and sizes, mainly covered with snow.

“Don’t people see us from up here?” I glanced at my mate who calmly walked toward me like there was solid floor underneath her feet.

“Of course not. They would see this air vehicle like a passing fog or cloud,” she replied in our own mind link. “Don’t worry about Sangye. We’ll save her, Elias.” She took my hand and squeezed it gently, comforting me.

My pack and the vampires may have seen it but they didn’t comment. Instead, they were watching the beautiful panorama below us like we were on a tour.

A few moments later, we saw the view of Zurich downtown in a distance. On the other hand, we were already descending on Sihl Valley, where the conifer and other bare trees were covered with snow. The ground was also carpeted with thick snow. Snowdrifts could be seen on some parts.

Not far from us, we could already hear the yelps, hisses, and whines, telling us that a battle was going on. And right after our feet and the wolves’ paws touched the cold ground, we dashed toward north of us, passing through standing and fallen trees. We saw the vampires and wolves engaged in a bloody fight. However, we couldn’t find Sangye. Still, we helped out our comrades.

Diego was grappling with two wolves, black and white ones. The black wolf was under him, straddling it and punching with his left hand, while the white one was just on his right, trying to bite off his right shoulder. Blood started to drip down his arm. Just when I thought he was going to lose a limb, he used his shoulder to shove the white wolf’s head to the ground while kicking the other across the battleground. Then he poked the white wolf’s right eye with his left fingers before he shoved them down to the enemy’s skull, leaving it lifeless. He glanced at us and nodded before he moved in a blur, finishing the black wolf with a spear hand right into its chest, ripping its heart out. Meanwhile, I saw Nianzu flying up in the air with his fast spinning kicks, breaking the brown wolf’s neck.

Thibault already transformed into his brindle tawny furred wolf form, leaping into the air to meet an enemy halfway in the combat zone. With one sweep all around, Matthias, Sascha and Andreas were all engaged in their respective fights just like the rest of the pack. The vampires were also holding their ground, showing off their prowess at the current place of strife. Kazimieras was one hell of a fighter. He was faster than any ordinary vampire. He was incredibly limber and stronger. He could take on three enemies at a time.

I was checking where Avabella was. She was engaged in a battle with two wolves. But I shouldn’t be worried about her because she was the strongest of us all here. Still, I couldn’t help it. Magic was playing here, too. Who knows what could happen if she missed something?

I went closer to her, transforming into my midnight blue-colored wolf form. I attacked an oncoming rogue behind her, catching it by the neck and tore it with my sharp canine teeth. I growled, quickly taking down another and another in the same manner.

“They’re running away, Alpha Elias!” Matthias reported through our mind link.

I glanced at the chocolate-furred wolf that was running past me to follow the escapees.

“Where are they going?” Avabella asked as she froze a wolf and kicked it into pieces.

“To Zurich Wilderness Park Sihlwald,” I answered. “A dozen of rogues are now trying to save themselves by going there. I think it’ll be chaos that’s waiting for us.”

Avabella let out a sigh. She went around the battlefield to hastily defeat the enemies with her literally freezing or burning touch.

“I was going to kill it!” Diego complained. “But it’s okay. You saved me some energy, cousin.” He sat down on a log that was lying on the ground.

“Time for you to save my ass this time, Avabella,” Nianzu said to her, chuckling. He dramatically blew his face, fogging the air.

“So, change of scenery?” Kazimieras’ eyes twinkled with mischief when he looked at me and Avabella, back and forth.

I guess I am with a team of homicidal vamps after all.