Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Feral’s Camp
As the sanjinn power in Alpha Henry's blood slowly waned, his carefully masked facade began to crumble. Feeling the effects, he decided to take Elizabeth out of the ominous feral cabins in Devils Forest. Transforming into his massive Alpha wolf, he allowed Elizabeth to ride on his back. Her wolf form, still enchanted by Eve, left them no choice but to seek Eve's aid. Meanwhile, Jenna embarked on a perilous journey to the southern part of the devil's forest in a desperate quest for the vampire seer and the ancient one.
Running without a rest, Henry's wolf galloped into the night until dawn. An eerie silence settled over the mangrove region of the Waterland region. This was his land and his pack's boundaries. The extended howling of the strange storm was suspended in unison. Birds and the Waterland buzzards ravaging their next meal froze in their niche as though conscious of the tremendous mysterious endurance of the Alpha, emerging from the dark lands. The disturbances, the activity, and all the whiffs of energy that replenished the dawn just ended. The wilderness knew what was happening and what was coming. The Alpha of this land had entered the boundary.
Elizabeth felt an intense force pressing on her from all sides, making her body uneasy. Suddenly, it reached her neck and lungs, causing her to gasp. Desperate, she pleaded with Henry to stop, unable to breathe. She quickly dismounted from Alpha's wolf back and experienced a severe tightness, leading to her vomiting all the evening foods she had eaten at the feral's cabin.
However, Henry felt the same; his wolf convulsed, regurgitating its food in an unsettling manner as it paced around. His whines and growls echoed loudly, capturing Elizabeth's astonished gaze. After a bizarre minute, Alpha Henry transformed back into his human self near the cliff’s edge, with the ominous dark ocean to their left.
Confused and wiping her mouth with a dirty sleeve, Elizabeth asked urgently, “What happened to us?”
“Henry shook his head. “It's the Sanjinn power leaving me.”
“Ow! By the way, where are we, Alpha Henry?" Handing him his clothing and sighing deeply as another wave of nausea hit her stomach, an unsettling realisation dawned—it felt as though she had swallowed corrosive acid, leaving her in the grip of an inexplicable and foreboding mystery.
“We are on the boundary of my land and the wetland. But let's think about that later, my dear—”
Another wave of nausea hit him.
The power of the Sandjinn blood was fading, and so this was the aftereffect. He puts down his clothing by the nearby log and hurls all the sour fluid into his stomach. Alpha Henry opened his mouth, gagging and squirting into primitive self-defences like he was drowning. “Bloody Sandjinn!”
A few minutes later, however, on this territory, Elizabeth felt a rising uneasiness in this bizarre place, this wasn't her pack land, she'd sensed a more alarming ring in her brain. Surveying the terrain, she could feel the individual drops of her sweat sliding down the moist, frigid skin on her forehead, one after the other, ascending down across the crest of cleavage before dropping onto the inside of her gown. She could almost hear them dripping down, making slow, tortuous progress across her tightened breast. “Henry, what about my sister and my father? Did you rescue them?”
“I don't know where they are, Elizabeth. I'm sorry you were separated. I followed your scent, but I didn't sense them.”
“What?”
“But don't worry, I’ve sent a message to my beta and to the rest of the pack to look for them.”
“Okay, I hope they are okay.”
“They will be soon."
“I don't know what to do if I'll lose them—Tomas and—”
"Tomas. Yes, yes, Tomas. I saw him at Eve’s cabin, he was with the vampires.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes, they were looking for you. Something about an old man, the vampire seer wanted you to paint his old man. I'm not sure.”
She groaned in desperation. “I just hope they can rescue my father and sister soon.”
After ten minutes of resting, the two had caught a glimpse of the terrain. It was a salt-tolerant, forested marshland at the interface between the terrestrial landscape and the marine environment. On their distant left was a Wetland valley settlement.
"Where are we going now, Alpha?" Elizabeth murmured while she watched him get his clothes on, covering his body.
"We will not travel to my pack mansion yet, Elizabeth. We will have to go to Eve, the legendary seer, to take away the enchantment she made to suppress your wolf. My pack won't accept a luna without a wolf. You know what I meant, right?"
"Yes, I know. I believe you're right. But you said she was unconscious?"
“Yes, but I believe Diana could help her,” he sighed. Whatever was ahead of them, it could be a tremendous and dark challenge, and there could be tears or death, but it was their journey to take.
In here, the dominant vegetation was several species of mangrove: hundreds of woody trees and shrubs with a thick, partially exposed network of roots that grow down from the branches into the water and sediment. The soil was so damp that the worms and some crabs had surfaced to breathe, and the crows fluttered over the little wet ground with their inky wings, each of them eating at the sudden buffet. The heavy rains have carved a model canyon in the path.
The mangroves were thick but not crowded with bushes. Sometimes, there were openings where Elizabeth could see wet meadows along the banks with water lilies and unknown plants. As evening approached, she felt the chill and tightened her coat, cursing silently. The crickets and frogs quieted as they passed, resuming their songs once they were far enough away. They paused to admire a pond with water lilies, enjoying the reflection of the sunset.
Above, a hawk circled, eyeing the land for prey. It noticed three figures moving quickly towards the boundary between two packs.
Unaware, a single-edged sword was aimed at Alpha Henry, and a triangular sword was pointed at Elizabeth. A guard in a dirty uniform grabbed her elbows and rolled her over, shocking her.
"Who are you?" questioned a patrol guard. Henry and Elizabeth exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to respond. Wiping her mouth with her sleeves, Elizabeth unexpectedly stepped forward, freeing her hands from the guard's grip.
She looked directly at the guard, raising her brow, and said, "You're addressing Lord Henry of the Waterland. We're here searching for someone." Her tone matched their intensity as she emphasised the seriousness, though her ruined gown was barely visible in the twilight with just an oil lamp.
"Apologies, milord," the guard bowed, hesitating briefly, weighing his trust. Finally, the guards nodded and left.
"What was that, milady?" Henry asked, surprised.
"He asked who we are, and I answered truthfully," she explained.
"Well done, my dear..." he paused, looking at her intently. "We're alone now, let's hurry," he whispered. They moved along a jagged path in an overgrown clearing, surrounded by trees filtering the orange sunset. Elizabeth dipped her hand into a warm, muddy puddle, glancing around nervously and biting her lip.
"We need to find a place to rest and plan things out," the Alpha suggested, turning away and sighing.
"I agree. We can't keep wandering without knowing where to go," Elizabeth agreed after almost half an hour of wandering.
Birds surrounded them, creating a moment of tranquillity. The sounds of insects filled the air as they moved forward.
Having a private moment was rare for Elizabeth, but now they spend the evening together. The Alpha, despite having time to think, was nervous about potential mistakes. After discussing their plans after the astonishment of the Sanjinn blood, they decided to wait until morning.
After an hour of walking from the mangroves, they decided to find a cabin or shed to rest. Leaving the human patrol trails, the path to the little cabin was barely more than a dirt trail with dried grass in the middle, rarely used. The isolation was what he sought, recalling the quote about taking the road less traveled. Running on the lonely path, he marvelled at the hills, cliffs, and dark ocean horizons. Nature felt alive, and he longed for a place free from the rules of his pack where he could appreciate life.
Feeling empty, he desired more than the demands of the nobles and his pack. Starting over figuratively, he acknowledged his need for a Luna. Watching the isolated pathway and the raw forest beyond, he was drawn to the idea of sharing a private moment with his future young Luna. Their journey included avoiding potholes created by werewolves, but as they slowed down to appreciate the view, he felt good, enjoying the scenery with enhanced eyesight.
After more than an hour without seeing anyone, they discovered a tiny cabin on the edge of a steep valley. The shack blended with nature, and the waterfalls and enchanted stream added to the charm. Although he recognised the unlikelihood of mating here, his romantic side held onto hope.
Exploring the cabin's surroundings, Henry admired the hills, grooves, and ocean views. The place reached out to him in a good way, making him feel connected. The cabin was in fairly good shape, though vacant for a while. As he approached the cabin's far side, she appeared, and he hoped the owner wouldn't mind them using it for the night.
He noticed her eyes were bright and soft, ageless and beautiful from the inside out.