Chapter two

Everyone settled in the living room as they waited for breakfast to be served.

            “How is business going?” Edward asked.

            Asher nodded with a smile. “Going great. Much better now that I can wield my power as the CEO and not hide in shadows.”

            Everyone laughed at that joke, knowing how he had been running the business in the shadows for the past hundred years. Now that he was married, it was expected that the next handover would be to his son and so, there was no need hiding himself anymore.

            “How is your research going, Noah. Any lead?” Aliyah asked. Noah was researching the existence of the Death tree and why it’s blood can change any human that drank it and also the fact that it has been in existence for ages but Nightwalkers only started existing two thousand years ago. However, with only over a hundred years ago since the last one appeared, he still has eight hundred and sixty something years to wait till the next one.

            “Honestly, nothing new. I really wish that I can fast forward the hands of time till the next sprouting. I mean, I know I will be alive to see it but it just feels so long.” He groaned. He has his father’s ginger hair and his mother’s gray eyes, making him a peerless beauty of his own.

            “Since you already know that you would still see it, why so impatient?” Edward asked.

            “You won’t understand, Uncle Edward. Yes, I have long to live, but having to wait eight hundred years for something I want, it’s not easy.”

            “You mean eight hundred and sixty-eight years.” Asher corrected and everyone laughed because Noah casted him a hideous glare.

            A servant announced that breakfast was ready and they all stood to go to the dinning. After breakfast, they gathered in the living room once more to catch up. Mariah kept waiting for opportunity to be alone with Asher but that chance never came and before she knew it, it was midday and Aliyah suggested moving to the garden while the servants served them tea. Edward excused himself sometime later and Mariah saw it as an opportunity and mind linked to Asher.

            ‘Still want to know why I am happy?’

            Asher’s midnight blue eyes landed on her instantly and she winked and signaled for them to step out with her eyes.

            Asher furrowed his brows but he turned to their mother and said, “please excuse me. Mariah, can I speak with you?”

            “Sure,” she replied enthusiastically, making the rest of their companion stare at them with a raised eyebrow.

            They stepped into the garden, just a little out of earshot from their family since everyone has a good hearing.

            “So, care to tell me what is going on?” Asher asked, folding his arms on his chest.

            Mariah chuckled. “I saw him again.”

            “The white-haired man?”

            Mariah nodded.

            “I thought you said he had stopped appearing to you.”

            “Well, he didn’t for the past six months and he did last night.”

            “And you are happy because?”

            “Because I know where he is.”

            She saw the surprise as clear as day on Asher’s face. He didn’t try to hide it and he opened his mouth to talk but just couldn’t phrase his words. For over a century, they have been searching for him and now she knows where he is?

            “He told me.” Mariah decided to make it easy for him. “He is in a cave in the Eastwood Mountain.”

            “Eastwood Mountain?” Asher asked to be sure and she nodded. “What on earth is he doing there? Gideon and the other packs are the only wolves that have resided there and for the past century, no one lives there but the witches. Tell me, is he a wizard?”

            “I don’t know. I mean, for him to be able to enter my dream, it’s a power only witches can muster right?” Mariah asked.

            Asher didn’t answer. His thought ran wild as he tried to picture what could be going on. Who is the strange man and what could he probably want with his baby sister?

            “Asher, I want to go, I want to know what he wants from me. I want to know who he is and why he has been invading my dreams all these years. Please Asher, I don’t want to go alone and I can only trust you with this. I mean, you are the only one that knows about him, so, I figured you would like to go with me?” She wriggled her fingers, waiting for his answer.

            Asher sighed and he stared at her. “Well, I will never let you go alone, obviously. When do you want to go?”

            “Tonight?”

            Asher shook his head. “I won’t advice going at night. How about this, we will go tomorrow morning. Before breakfast.”

            “No, if we leave that early, mom would ask questions. What about after breakfast?”

            Asher thought about it. “That could work, also, we will try to see what we can get from him tonight in your dream.”

            “Actually, he said he cannot be able to appear in my dream again. According to him, he had used all his strength to be able to talk to me. It doesn’t make any sense to me but I guess he will explain everything to me when I see him. He did promise to explain when I come.”

            “Hmm,” Asher exhaled. “I don’t know Mariah, the way he is acting…” he shook his head. “Well, I’m tougher than anything we are going to meet in these woods so…” he ruffled her hair, “fear not, I will be with you.”

            Mariah chuckled and looked at him in thanks. “Thanks, big bro.”

            “I’m here for you. Always.”

            Mariah hugged him and he kissed her head. “Now, let’s go back before mom starts suspecting.” He said and she giggled while they walked back to their family in a half hug manner.

***

            Mariah paced around in her room, her heart beating in anticipation as she waited for Asher. Just like the strange man had said, he didn’t appear in her dream last night and she found her anxiousness building with the closer the time to depart approaches. Soon after, Asher appeared in her room and she looked at him, not hiding her anxiousness one bit.

            “So, ready to go?” Asher raised an eyebrow.

            Mairah sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “As ready as I can ever be.”

            “Listen,” Asher approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders, “if you don’t want to go, we won’t and if you need some time, fine. You can always come find me in the human realm.”

            “No,” Mariah shook her head. “I want to meet him, I want to know what this is all about.”

            Asher nodded with a smile. “Fine then.” His hands on her shoulders went to her waist, circling her in a hug. “Next stop, Eastwood Mountain.” He grinned and they vanished from the room.

            They appeared on top of a mountain. The sun was slowly getting at his peak and they glanced around. Squinting their eyes to take in their surroundings. “So far, this is the only mountain in Eastwood. So, this has to be it. Now, we just have to look for a cave. Should we use our wolves? Would it be easier tracking down in that form?”

            Mariah glanced around, for some reason, she could feel a strong connection to the mountain. This wasn’t her first time visiting the Eastwood but it is her first time coming on top the mountain. “I don’t think it’s necessary, I will prefer to search like this.”

            “Alright then. Should we separate?”

            “No.”

            “We can cover more ground like that.”

            “No,” she insisted. “Let’s stay together, please.”

            Asher could feel her worry and he reassured her with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

            Mariah nodded and they started descending the mountain slowly by walking around and checking around them for anything that looks like a cave. Hours passed and it felt like they weren’t looking rightly or something because they were nearly at the foot of the mountain and haven’t come up even a small hole talk more of a cave.

            “I don’t know, could they be another mountain here then? Just to be sure, I even called Gideon to ask about here and he assured me that there is only one mountain. Now I don’t know anymore.” Asher said, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. They didn’t prepare for hiking, believing that it would be an easy task but now, thirsty and hungry, he was beginning to see that it wasn’t so easy after all.

            “I can’t understand too. He told me he is in a cave, perhaps we didn’t look around well?” Mariah asked.

            Asher exhaled, “I don’t know but one thing I do know is that I am thirsty and hungry and the sun is not making it any easier. Perhaps we should head home, recharge and then come back?”

            Mariah didn’t want to but she was tired and thirsty as well. She was about to agree with him when she felt a soft caress on her neck, making her shiver and goosebumps rose on her skin. She turned sharply, there was no one behind her but she could swear that she felt a touch. Although, she saw no one, but she did see something that piqued her interest. It was a tiny hole, peeking out from the middle of overgrown weeds.

            “Should we check there?” She asked, pointing at the spot.

            Asher frowned but shrugged in the end. “I don’t see why not,” and began approaching, turning his hand into his majestic paw, he clawed the weeds away to reveal a hole. “Okay, this looks promising,” and turning his other hand into a paw too, he began digging the hole. After a few minutes of digging, they were now standing at the entrance of a massive cave. “Okay, when I was digging, I didn’t think the inside is this massive. Come on baby sis, time to find your mystery man.” He grinned at Mariah before stepping into the cave.