Chapter 31 The Demon's Castle;
Elly jumped into her car in a state of maddened rage and sped off. What Joe had said on the phone was driving her insane. Was the man she had grown up with, playing among books, the man she had fallen in love with through their first excitements, now using that ancient knowledge against her? She tried to shake off her anger and focus on the road. Her eyes were constantly on the rearview mirrors, watching for anyone following her.
Her destination was clear, the great demon castle carved into the mountain. Even the thought of returning to that cursed place after all these years filled her with dread. The last time they had attempted this madness, they had been two sixteen year olds and had barely escaped with their lives. Because from the foothills of the mountain onward, with poisonous needle-tipped plants, spiked trenches, and a thousand varieties of traps, it was literally a death trap. She couldn't make sense of why he would want to take Eva to such a place.
"I hope you're not trying to keep Eva away from Kael, you despicable wolf," she growled to herself.
About an hour later, just past midnight, she arrived at the castle. She left her vehicle just before a long stone bridge with a deep chasm beneath it and began to advance. She placed her feet carefully. Because in this ominous place, every single stone could lead to her death.
She proceeded along the dusty path of the bridge. Finally, she had reached the massive wooden doors. She swallowed and opened them hesitantly. Inside was pitch black, no sound, no breath. Overcoming her fear, she gathered her courage.
"Joe?" she called out.
But there was no answer. She turned on her phone's flashlight, took a few more steps, and tried to find her direction in the darkness. She took one more step and heard a thin, sharp clicking sound. At that exact moment, she heard the sound of an arrow released from its track, carried by the wind. With split-second speed, it was coming directly toward her skull.
Just as Elly thought her end had come, Joe, with silver-haloed, gleaming eyes, caught the arrow in his teeth and leaped onto Elly. His fur had disappeared into the pitch darkness.
Elly lay on her back on the ground, breathless. Joe stood over her with his massive wolf body, his teeth gleaming white in the night.
"You idiot, I almost died because of you," she muttered.
At that moment, she could have sworn Joe let out a raspy laugh, but in wolf form it only sounded like a rumble. He grabbed her by her clothing with his teeth and lifted her onto his back, advancing through the darkness with his wolf vision.
Soon he began rapidly descending a staircase. When Elly pulled his fur out of fear of falling, Joe answered with a growl.
"I'm sorry, it was to keep from falling," Elly said in a timid voice.
At the end of the stairs, a blue light emerged that dazzled Elly's eyes, which had adjusted to the darkness. They were in a great hall, its massive ceiling was meters high. The walls of the hall were covered with large blue crystals from within the rocks. Elly involuntarily stood there stunned, her lips parted.
But then, when she saw Eva's body lying on a stone, rage surged through her brain again.
"Did you have to knock her out! What is your purpose, you bastard!" she said, turning to him.
Joe was transforming from his wolf form on the ground with pain. Then he stood up breathless with his naked, sweaty body.
"After what happened last time, the ancient Eva inside her could tear me apart with a snap of her fingers. Besides, where did you get the idea that she would cooperate with me?" he said.
Now he had approached very close to Elly, looking down at her from above with the effect of his tall stature.
Elly growled through her teeth. "I can't blame her for being an untrustworthy man. You could have told me! I would have tried to understand why you brought Eva to this cursed place," she said.
Then her eyes caught on the veined muscles running from his neck down to his arms. From there to his abdominal muscles, and from there to his groin, to his manhood, at that moment she screamed in a high-pitched voice, "Go get dressed!" and closed her eyes.
On Joe's face, that piercing-eyed, mocking wolf had awakened. He ran his hands through his jet-black hair. He whispered into Elly's ear as she covered her eyes with her hands.
"It's nothing you haven't seen before. You can open your eyes," he whispered.
Elly was burning with anger at his attitude. She turned her back and went straight to Eva. With concern, she checked her pulse and caressed her face. She moved the ash-colored hair from her face.
"Thank God you're okay," she murmured.
But now, could Joe really protect her in this place? Moreover, would Kael show mercy this time to a wolf who had kidnapped his mate?
A Few Minutes Earlier - The Waterfall Cave;
Kael stood in the sacred oasis, the crystalline water up to his waist. His eyes were closed, his muscles relaxed as he let the healing waters soothe his body. Tomorrow night was Christmas Eve, the night of the midnight oath, the night he would finally claim Eva as his mate completely.
A smile played at his lips as he thought of her. Her silver hair, those purple eyes, the way she looked at him with such love and desire. After centuries of waiting, she was finally his again.
Then, suddenly, the seal on his chest went ice cold.
His eyes snapped open, blazing amber in the darkness. His heart began to race.
"No," he breathed.
The bond, their bond, it was there, but it was... muted. Distant. As if something was blocking it.
"EVA!" he roared, his voice echoing off the cave walls.
He surged out of the water, shifting mid-stride into his massive wolf form. Water droplets flew from his reddish brown fur as he bounded through the cave entrance and into the night.
He ran with supernatural speed toward the mountain house, his paws barely touching the snow. His heart was pounding with a fear he hadn't felt in centuries.
Someone had taken his mate. And they would pay for it with their lives.
The ancient alpha threw back his head and howled, a sound of pure fury and promise that echoed across the mountains.
The hunt had begun.
And God help anyone who stood between Kael and his mate.