Eternally Bound Chapter 54 part 2
Eva
“Because you’re the key,” he says, his voice soft but steady. “You’re the one who can stop them. You’re the one who can bring balance. And they know it.”
I feel a surge of determination, a fire igniting in my chest. “Then we need to be ready. We need to protect each other. And we need to find out where they are before they strike.”
“We’ll start with the white wolf,” Sam says, his voice resolute. “If they’re targeting it, we need to find it first. Protect it, if it is out there.”
“And we need to be careful,” Vincent adds, his eyes narrowing. “They’re not just after the wolf. They’re after Eva. After all of us. There’s a high possibility that they know that vampires helped Derek escape. Since Dalton was Raven’s lapdog, he no doubt showed her images of me and Eric.”
I nod, my mind already racing through the possibilities. “We’ll split up. Sam, you and Brandon track down the white wolf. Eric, you and Vlad see if you can find any leads on Astaroth and Raven’s whereabouts. Vincent, you and Bael stay here with me. We’ll fortify the house, make sure it’s secure.”
“And what about you?” Bael asks, his gaze intense, his voice low. “What are you going to do?”
I meet his eyes, my resolve unwavering. “I’m going to prepare. For whatever comes next.”
As the others begin to move, their voices low as they coordinate their tasks and they bring in the others to assist them, I turn to Bael, my gaze steady. “There’s something else,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Something I haven’t told anyone else.”
He raises an eyebrow, his expression curious, his body leaning in slightly as if to capture every word. “What is it?”
I hesitate, the words sticking in my throat. “In the vision... the white wolf... it looked at me. Like it recognized me. Like it was... me.”
Bael’s eyes widen, just a fraction, but it’s enough. “You think it’s your wolf form?”
I nod, my heart pounding. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I am connected to the original white wolf somehow. I shift into one, and I carry Guinivere within me. It all has to mean something.”
Bael’s gaze softens, his hand reaching out to take mine, his touch warm and grounding. “Then we’ll protect it. All of it. Whatever it takes. We can use the past to guide us, and if we find him or free him somehow, perhaps we can help him find his mate.”
I squeeze his hand, drawing strength from his touch, his words. “We will. But we need to be ready for anything. Because Astaroth and Raven... they’re not just enemies. They’re monsters. And they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed everything we love. I can’t let them kill anymore innocents.” However, as I said those words, I kept wondering if the white wolf’s mate was even still out there. A part of me feels as if her soul is a part of me. If that’s the case, she can’t exist. Nevertheless, if the white wolf is trapped somewhere as those I have brought back were, then I will find and free him.
Bael’s thumb brushes over my knuckles, his gaze intense, his voice a low rumble. “Then we’ll destroy them first.”
I nod, my resolve hardening. “We will.”
As the others leave the room, their voices fading into the distance, I turn to Bael, my gaze steady. “There’s something else I need to tell you. Something about the vision.”
He raises an eyebrow, his expression curious, his body still close, his presence enveloping. “What is it?”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “In the vision... I saw something else. Something about you.”
Bael’s gaze sharpens, his posture tensing, his voice low. “What did you see?”
I hesitate, the words sticking in my throat. “I saw... a connection. Between you and Astaroth. Something deeper than just a past alliance. Something... intimate.”
Bael’s eyes widen, just a fraction, but it’s enough. “Intimate?”
I nod, my heart pounding, my voice barely a whisper. “Like... a bond. A history. Something that goes beyond just being allies.”
Bael’s expression darkens, his jaw tightening, his voice tight. “Eva, you don’t understand—”
“I need to understand,” I interrupt, my voice firm, my hands balling into fists. “Because if there’s something between you and Astaroth, something that could put us in danger, I need to know. I know Morgan’s history with Raven. So I need to know yours. Now.”
Bael sighs, running a hand through his hair, the firelight catching the movement. “It’s... complicated. Astaroth and I... we were close once. Very close. It was before your father wanted me to be your mate.”
“Close how?” I press, my patience wearing thin, my voice sharp. “What kind of close?”
Bael hesitates, his gaze dropping to the floor, his voice low. “We were... lovers. Briefly. It was a mistake. One I’ve regretted ever since.”
My heart skips a beat, a surge of jealousy and fear washing over me. “Lovers? You and Astaroth?”
Bael nods, his expression grim, his voice tight. “It was a long time ago, Eva. Before I knew what I wanted and fate would allow.”
I feel a lump form in my throat, my mind reeling. “And Raven? Was she involved too?”
Bael’s gaze meets mine, his expression pained, his voice low. “She was... obsessed with Astaroth. Astaroth was still sore from being rejected by the white wolf. She tried to use our past to get me to not imprison her in hell for starting the White Wolf War. She sees me as betraying her, too. After the white wolf’s lover went missing, I never trusted Astaroth or Raven. Inprisoning her was supposed to keep them apart. Now they are both out and working together to exact their revenge.”
I feel a surge of anger, a fire igniting in my chest. “So this is all because of jealousy and trying to dictate love? You can’t control who fate gives you.”