Chapter 122 MATE BOND DISILLUSIONMENT
Edeline
Yeah, that is right. My wolf was definitely not a fan of her mate at the moment. I had not fully experienced the impact of the mate bond yet because our skin had not marked each other and we had not been intimate. That is when the mate bond really kicks in, and that was not going to happen. Not at all.
He might have finally gathered the courage to confront his father and express his desire to be with me—his perfect match. However, that did not matter much at that point. All I could think about was how he had abandoned me in the driveway that first night and all the awful things that had followed.
I was not the same person anymore. The emotions had changed me, and even though I still felt some pleasure from the mate bond, it was not enough to erase the hurt.
“Hey Edeline, hold on a second. I think it is important for you to hear what Darius’s journal said and what I discovered. The letters…” Percival’s voice trailed off as he pleaded with me.
“Hold on, Percival! You can ask me later. I have some important matters to attend to!” I cut him off, leaving him alone in the office, his expression a mix of confusion and frustration.
I had to find a way down to the cellars. I needed to deal with the person who had been causing me so much trouble—my longtime buddy. I just wanted to find some answers.
And I would find a way to get them, no matter what.
…
Edeline
Gloomy.
Chilly.
Moist.
Musty.
These were the first impressions I had of the cellar, a place we often discussed but I had never seen until now. The unfamiliarity of it struck me immediately. I had never had a reason to visit this space, and to be honest, I had no idea where it was located.
Convincing one of the gentlemen to guide me had taken quite a bit of persuasion. Even then, I had to insist on being escorted right up to the entrance and instructed to remain silent. The cellars were buried deep in the basement of the packhouse, just as one would expect. But this was no ordinary basement; it was far below the surface, shielded from the heat above. It felt like stepping into a secluded cavern. It almost seemed as if there had been a hidden cave here long before the packhouse was built. To make use of this discovery, they had cleverly installed wrought iron bars laced with silver and added a door, blending it seamlessly into the building's design.
Where was the entrance?
It was right there in front of me the entire time.
Down in the basement, where we had held so many secret gatherings, there was a wall. Picture a wall that blends perfectly with its surroundings, yet can slide back to reveal a hidden door. Retrieving the key had been quite a task.
Alpha William always had the key with him. I managed to come up with a casual excuse to run into him and discreetly retrieve it from his pocket. I had become quite adept at acquiring things without drawing attention. It was disconcerting how what used to be simple tasks had now become so significant, how organizing things had become more complicated.
After the male wolf had hesitantly retreated back to the basement, I smoothly inserted the skeleton key into the lock and turned it. The satisfying click of the mechanism unlocking filled the air. As I glanced around, I noticed the vintage torches adorning the walls. It was surprising that they did not have any flashlights available.
I spotted a box of matches nearby. Quietly, I grabbed a match and struck it against the side of the box. The flame quickly emerged, and the distinct scent of sulfur tickled my nose. Grimacing slightly, I held the match to the torch. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as the flame caught the wick, casting a warm glow and pushing back the shadows.
Looking back at the dimly lit entrance from the hidden wall, I took a deep breath and picked up the torch. I proceeded down the dark, natural stone stairs of the cave.
As I descended into the cavern, it became clear why flashlights were not practical here.
In such a confined space, even the brightest LED flashlight would be of little use. The flickering torchlight proved to be far more effective. I moved slowly down the natural stone steps, the damp, cool air growing denser with each step.
Finally, I reached the bottom. The cavern opened up into a vast space, its silence broken only by the soft sound of water droplets echoing through the expansive room. In the far end, there was a pond of strikingly bright aqua-colored water. The scene was oddly reminiscent of a moment from the film Beowulf, featuring Angelina Jolie.
I was half-expecting something terrifying to suddenly emerge from the bright aqua-colored pond. The water had a strange, almost otherworldly radiance, like the sun was waiting to break through its surface.
Shaking myself out of the daze, I lifted the old-fashioned torch higher and noticed a growing unpleasant smell in the air. As I ventured further into the cavern, the odor intensified, forcing me to cover my nose and mouth with my sleeve. It seemed the smell was coming from a draft on the left, so I decided to follow it, curiosity getting the better of me.
The draft led me to a section of the cavern where iron bars jutted out from the stone walls. I raised the torch to get a better look and was immediately struck by the horrific scene before me. The smell was revolting and nearly made me gag.
Darius lay in a pitiful state, wrapped in only a thin blanket that did little to shield him from the cold and darkness. He was resting on the harsh, bone-strewn ground, remnants of those who had been transformed into wolves. Deer legs and other scraps had been provided for sustenance, but the remains were left to rot. The stench of decaying flesh hung heavy in the air, a nauseating reminder of the brutality here.