Chapter 169 Elara's POV
Kaden stood at the tent entrance, watching her go. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"About which part? There are so many bad things happening right now."
"All of it Damian meeting Xavier Kira following him the silence from the scouts. Everything feels wrong."
Before I could respond, Marcus ran up to the tent.
"Alpha! Emergency! Our scouts just reported massive movement at the main pack house. Hundreds of Erebus followers are occupying it. Setting up defenses."
"What? Why would they occupy an empty building?"
"We don't know but they are fortifying it like they plan to stay. Maybe they are trying to draw us out and force us to attack a position they have made defensible."
Kaden was already grabbing weapons. "How many fighters can we mobilize?"
"About a hundred of the rest need to stay here protecting the non combatants."
"Then we go with a hundred fast strikes hit them before they finish setting up."
Kaden looked at me. "Stay here keep Adrian safe I will be back as soon as I can."
"Kaden-"
"I have to go they are in our pack house on our land. I can't let that stand."
He kissed me quickly kissed Adrian's sleeping head. "I love you both stay safe."
Then he was gone, Marcus running beside him, shouting orders to assemble warriors.
The camp erupted into organized chaos. Warriors gearing up moving out. Leaving behind a skeleton crew to protect those of us who couldn't fight.
I held Adrian tighter, fear crushing my chest.
Kaden was gone Damian was gone Kira was gone.
And I was here helpless waiting.
Kara came to sit with me. "It will be okay they are strong they will all come back."
"You can't know that."
"No but I choose to believe it anyway because the alternative is unbearable."
Hours crawled by. Adrian woke up hungry. I fed him, trying to stay calm for his sake.
The night grew warmer uncomfortably warm. Like the temperature had spiked suddenly.
"Is it just me or is it really hot in here?" Kara asked, fanning herself.
"It is not just you. I'm sweating."
"Want some water? I brought a pitcher earlier."
"Please."
Kara poured two glasses from the pitcher sitting on the small table handed one to me.
I drank deeply, grateful for the cool liquid. Adrian had fallen back asleep in my arms.
"That's better," Kara said, finishing her glass. "I was so thirsty."
"Me too must be from the stress and the heat."
I finished my water and poured another glass. Drank that too. Then I started feeling strange. Heavy like my limbs were made of lead.
"Kara? Do you feel weird?"
"Yeah really... really tired." She swayed slightly. "What is wrong with me?"
"I don't know I feel it too like I can't stay awake."
Adrian was still sleeping in my arms safe unaffected but Kara and I were getting worse by the second.
"The water." I realized.
"Something was in the water."
"Drugged." Kara slurred.
"We were drugged."
She tried to stand made it two steps then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Kara!" I tried to go to her but I couldn't move. My body wouldn't cooperate.
I looked down at Adrian held him as tightly as I could with failing strength. "Stay safe, baby. Stay safe."
My vision was blurring the tent spinning I tried to fight it tried to stay conscious through sheer willpower.
But whatever was in that water was too strong.
I fell to the ground, still clutching Adrian. Landed on my side, curling around my son protectively.
My eyes were closing. I couldn't keep them open. Through the narrowing tunnel of my vision, I saw the tent flap open.
Elder Miriam entered followed by a man I didn't recognize.
"Good work." Miriam said calmly.
"The drug worked perfectly."
"What about the baby?" the man asked.
"Unharmed, as required. Erebus wants him intact."
No. No, no, no I tried to scream tried to move tried to protect Adrian but my body wouldn't respond.
Miriam knelt beside me and carefully extracted Adrian from my arms.
"Shh, little one you're going to serve a great purpose. Your blood will break curses heal the cursed make Erebus's army unstoppable."
"No," I whispered but the word barely came out.
"You have been useful, Elara producing this blessed child but your part is done now."
The man stood over me, something heavy in his hands. "What do we do with her?" he asked.
"Make sure she doesn't wake up and cause problems hit her hard enough to keep her down but not kill her. Erebus may have use for her later."
The last thing I saw was the man raising what looked like a metal pipe the last thing I felt was blinding pain as it connected with my head.
Then nothing just darkness and the knowledge that I had failed. Failed to protect my son, failed to keep him safe failed at the one thing that mattered most.
Adrian was gone taken by the enemy and I couldn't do anything to stop it.