Chapter 38

Lucas’ POV

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I cautiously make my way to the other side of the portal, and I can feel a blast of humid hot air hit my face and a stench that causes the bile in my stomach to rise. I slip to the other side and I see Leo being dragged by Eric quickly through the dirt.

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We’re outside, we need to hide. Zion is exceptionally uneasy and we cautious to not get too close. I thought we would emerge in the dungeons but instead, I think we’re in the training yards. It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped foot on Eric’s land, but I remember how grandiose the yards are, not to mention how incredibly hot it always was.

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Why is he bringing him here? Zion asks me but I’m just as confused as my wolf.

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The air is warm, and the silence is deafening. The looming feeling of death hangs in the air and it’s overwhelming.

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Something isn’t right, that smell, what is it? Zion is getting increasingly more anxious and I can feel him pacing in my mind.

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I sneak around the wall of the training yard and watch helplessly as Eric grabs Leo and fastens a heavy iron cuff around his neck. Leo grabs at it and drops to his knees, cowering in the dirt. It makes me question whether Gideon is truly in control, or if I imagined it. If he is in control, he’s doing a hell of a job pretending to be terrified.

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Aria drops beside Leo and tries to hold him as she begs Eric to show mercy to her son and the commotion has started to draw a crowd. I take a good look at Eric’s pack members, and I’m devastated by what I see. They all look so thin and exhausted. They are filthy and they are staring at Eric in silence. It takes only moments for the crowd to double, and then triple.

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Where are all the kids? Zion asks, and I notice that there aren’t any children to be found.

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Eric sees he has an audience and he pulls Leo up from the dirt and pushes him forward so that everyone can get a good look.

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“You see this boy before you?!” he yells at them, “He is the reason we suffer! He is the reason we are not at our full power! He denied his rightful place as Alpha of this pack and abandoned you all! All of these deaths are on his head!”

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“That’s not true!” Aria yells and Eric backhands her and she falls to the ground. I see the look in Leo’s eyes and they are filled with rage, but he doesn’t act on it.

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“This is Leo, son of Aria and Augusta, whom you all loved so dearly. But, they kept him from you and he left you all behind to live a life without an Alpha! I had to step in and do what I could!” Eric yells, but there is whispering in the crowd. “Tonight we shall go through the formalities of making this little shit your Alpha, let him reach full power before I take it from him! Tonight we shall rise to our full potential as a pack and I will once and for all be your true Alpha and King!” his voice is maniacal and most people look terrified of the thought.

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“You are weak, Leo! You are NOTHING!” Suddenly, Eric shifts into his wolf and slashes Leo across the chest, leaving deep wounds in his flesh on top of the ones he gave him earlier. Zion yells in my head to stay put as I fight the urge to run to the boy.

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“You see! He isn’t even capable of healing himself. He’s pathetic!” The large beast walks towards the crowd and they all cower as he passes. “Tonight, we meet here at seven and we shall officially take our rightful place as the most powerful pack in the world!!! And if anyone should go near him, you’ll wind up in the pile like the others.”

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I watch him shift back to human form and then disappear into the crowd, and quickly everyone starts running back to their homes. I see Stefan pulling Aria away from Leo as she cries out, and they disappear into the woods. The training grounds are empty, except for Leo who is crouched on the ground.

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I rush to him and carefully look around to see that no one is there. That’s when I see it. When I see the bodies stacked on top of one another, it forces me to turn and vomit as the sight connects with the smell.

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“Lucas,” I hear a weak voice call to me and I turn back to him, “Lucas, we are losing a lot of blood.”

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“Gideon?” I ask, hoping that he is still in control, and he nods. “Gideon, can’t you heal the wounds?” I look at his chest and the slash marks are much deeper than I thought.

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“I can’t. We haven’t fully come together as one.”

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“Thank the Goddess you have him blocked out,” I say but Gideon looks at me and shakes his head.

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“No, he isn’t blocked out, I promised never to do that to him again and I will keep that promise. But I’m afraid I can’t stay in control much longer. Leo will need his strength and the longer I stay in control the weaker he will be when he comes back. We are going to shift tonight, he is going to need to be in control for that to happen.”

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“I need to look at these wounds,” I roll him over and the claw marks are deep, “We need to stop this bleeding. Hold on.” I dash from the training grounds into the forest desperately searching for anything that can help, and I finally find the yellow and pink flower heads that I was looking for. Yarrow. I pick as much of it as I can find and run back to a motionless Gideon.

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“Hey, come on, I need you to stay with me,” I say softly as I gently roll him over. I grimace at the deep wounds and when his eyes flutter open I know that it is Leo I’m now talking to. There is a softness in them that returns.

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“Leo, this is going to hurt a bit, but it will help.” I pack the yarrow into the wounds to stop the bleeding and rip my shirt into strips and tie them around his torso to hold it in place. I know that Eric will see it and know someone helped him, but I hope that he assumes it is Stephan or Aria.

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“There. That should help for now,” I say. Leo reaches out and grabs my hand and squeezes it, his glassy eyes staring up at me.

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“You need to get out of here,” he says, but there is no chance in hell I’m leaving him. “He’ll kill you if he sees you.”

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“I’m not going anywhere, Leo. Roman and the others are on their way. Just hang on, okay?” He shakes his head in disagreement and I can feel his grip loosen and his breathing become more labored.

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I quickly mind link Roman.

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You need to hurry. Leo has been hurt badly. Eric’s wolf has ripped into him and I’m not sure how much longer he is going to last if we don’t get him medical attention. In this condition, there’s no way he will survive the shift. Especially on his own and without his mate. You must hurry.

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Roman's POV

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“You’re not listening, Roman. You heard what Lucas said. If he is wounded as badly as he said, he won’t make it. You need to take your emotions out of this,” Odette scolds me.

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“It’s my daughter, Odette. Sending her anywhere near Eric is just out of the question.”

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“He will die, Roman! I know you are protecting your daughter, but this is bigger than that. This is bigger than any of us. Leo and Gideon are to be protected at all costs. Even if it means putting our family at risk. If he shifts on his own, and he does it as he assumes power, it will all be too much. He’s not meant to absorb that much at one time. The best-case scenario is that his human side will be gone. It will be trapped in agony within Gideon, a prisoner for the rest of eternity on the fringe of consciousness. Is that what you want for the boy? For the future King?”

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“I can’t risk her life! We will get to him, and Anna will help him, but let me be very clear, Elise is staying here.”

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Elise’s POV

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I have never felt so terrified and alone. Sammi, Jack, and the others have been by my side, encouraging me that Leo will be okay, but the emptiness I feel without him is more than I could have imagined. My mother explained the mate bond to me many times, but now I fully understand what it means to have found your other half. Not having him with me hurts, and not knowing if he’s okay is making me sick with worry. What if he’s in pain? Or worse? What if I never see him again? The thought is unbearable. I want to twirl his unruly curls in my fingers and breathe in his scent. I want to listen to him laugh, I want to feel his heartbeat against mine and stare endlessly into his hypnotic eyes.

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I go into his room and his scent is still lingering in the air, but the room feels so empty. I look around and see his tattered backpack sitting in a corner and I can’t help myself, I grab it and crawl up on the bed. Slowly I unzip the front pocket and pull out two envelopes. I open the first one and find a bus ticket. It’s for a few weeks from today and it’s to Savanah, Georgia. One way with an acceptance letter to Savannah State University. I picture him, alone on a bus headed to a place where he doesn’t know anyone. I wonder what made him want to go there and I put the ticket and the letter back in the envelope.

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A second envelope has money in it. I count it and there’s five hundred and eighty dollars and some change and a picture of an apartment building that is extremely run down. I'm guessing every dime he has will go to securing a place here. My Goddess, he has no idea how much he’s worth. He’s going to pass out when he finds out he has more money than almost every person on the planet.

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I hesitate before I unzip the main bag. I know this is an intrusion, but I need to feel close to him, I need to feel connected and maybe this will help. I decide to do it and the bag is packed full of stuff. The first thing I find are his school books. I pull them out and see an advanced calculus book, an AP physics workbook, an anthology of the greatest works in literature, and a book on art history. My first thought is damn, this kid is way smarter than me and a feeling of pride rushes through me knowing that he is my mate. It makes me smile.

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He’s a smarty-pants.

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I set the books aside and pull out his Walkman. This thing is so old but he has taken extremely good care of it. I pull the headphones out and press the little eject button on the unit, carefully sliding the cassette out. There’s no label on it so I slide it back in and pop on the headphones and hit play. A melancholy symphony is playing, deep rich sounds of cellos and violins dance to a sad and ominous melody. I close my eyes and take it in, and it seeds a sadness inside me because I know that if his heart could sing this is what would come out. I promise to the Moon Goddess that if she brings him home to me I will spend every minute of my life trying to change the music inside him so he knows happiness and joy, and these sorrowful songs are left behind.

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I leave the music playing and I take out a bag that has clothes in it. A couple of rolled-up sweatshirts, t-shirts, a pair of jeans, socks and underwear. It takes up the most space in the bag and after I pull it out I find a small wooden box. I pull that out and set it aside and continue to explore.

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I unzip another pocket and pull out something that is covered in plastic. I look closer and I can’t get the grin off my face. He has five comic books, all with the same character. Werewolf by Night. I wonder how old he was when he got them. Gideon has truly been talking to him all his life, in some way or another. I hug them to my chest and start to cry as the music crescendos louder through the foam-padded headphones.

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Taking a deep breath I set the comics down and pull out more regular items. Some toiletries, a few candy bars, just basic things. But I keep looking at the wooden box. I know that this is where his secrets really are. My hand trembles as I flip open the little metal latch and inside are several pieces of paper, and two little origami cranes. I inspect them carefully and their folds are identical. I gently put them down and take out a yellowed piece of paper that simply has the name Leo written on it and a pin mark through it. I realize that this is what was pinned to him when he was left at the station. He’s kept it all these years. Someone held on to it long enough to give it to him and he carries it with him everywhere he goes.

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I take out another piece of paper that has the words “Maybe Tomorrow” written across the top. It’s torn from a notebook and has a ragged edge, and Leo’s handwriting is all over it. I start to read it and I can feel my heart twist and shred, and I break down sobbing before I can get to the end.

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“Elise? Honey, are you okay?” My mom comes in and sits beside me and I hand her the paper.

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Maybe Tomorrow (by Leo Ellis)

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Maybe tomorrow, I’ll find my way,

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Into the arms where love holds sway.

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A monster with dreams that gently borrow,

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Hoping for a home, maybe tomorrow.

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Alone I stand, in the quiet of night,

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Wishing for a family, warm and bright.

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Broken eyes reflecting a hopeful gleam,

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In the silence, I dare to dream.

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Through corridors of hope, I tread,

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Aching for a place to rest my head.

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A family’s love, a haven to borrow,

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Yearning for it to come, maybe tomorrow.

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I paint my wishes in stars above,

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Longing for the warmth of someone’s love.

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In whispered prayers, my heart does plea,

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For a tomorrow where I’m not just me.

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Maybe tomorrow, arms will enfold,

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A monster like me, no longer untold.

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No longer alone in silent sorrow,

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A place to belong, maybe tomorrow.

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She hugs me and assures me that my dad and Lucas will get him back, but what if they need more help? My mom heads to a meeting for a council update and I quickly throw a change of clothes into a duffle bag for myself and for Leo. I bump into Leia as I hurry down to the pack kitchen.

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"Hey! Where's the fire?" she says and I stop momentarily.

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"We're leaving."

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“Where are we going?” Leia runs after me, "Elise, answer me!”

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“We're going to get him, we're going to get Leo,” I say and she grabs my arm forcing me to stop.

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“You have no idea how dangerous that is,” she says.

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“How dangerous what is?” Jack walks into the kitchen, his heart has been heavy since Leo’s disappearance. None of us have been the same since he’s been gone.

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“She wants to go get Leo,” Leia says and Jack slams his fist down on the table.

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“About damn time! When do we leave?”

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“Leave for where?” Tai and Echo follow in after Jack.

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“We’re going to get Leo,” Jack says and both boys immediately share Jack’s enthusiasm for the idea. It makes me relieved that they want him back as much as I do.

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“Wait, hold on, Alpha Roman gave us strict instructions to stay put, and to keep Elise safe. This is doing the EXACT OPPOSITE of that!” Leia argues, and soon Sammi skids into the kitchen and she’s frantic and out of breath.

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“I - I’ve been looking everywhere f-for you guys,” she pants and bends over her knees to catch her breath.

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“Sammi, thank Goddess you’re here. These fools think we should go get Leo! Tell them, back me up here, that’s way too dangerous,” Leia argues and Sammi raises her finger in the air and finally catches her breath enough to talk.

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“We need to leave right now!” She says and Leia spins around shocked.

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“You’re all NUTS!”

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“Today, it’s Leo’s birthday. He’s going to shift tonight for the first time. I overheard Alpha Roman arguing with Odette and Luna Anna. Your parents don’t want you knowing, but Odette is convinced that without you there, he could lose it.” Sammi is talking so fast and my head is spinning.

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“What do you mean lose it?” Jack asks as he hands her a glass of water and instructs her to slow down.

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“Eric has taken him back to his pack house. He is going to make Leo one of the pack members, where he will then assume his full Alpha power. But, he will be forced to shift too. It may all be too much for him, and his human side may not survive the pain and overwhelming effects of it all. Odette said with his mate near him, it would ease the pain, and help keep his human side sane.”

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“Think of our first time. That shit was awful, we only got through it because we were young and surrounded by our family.” Tai says and Echo continues.

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“He’s going to become Alpha, King of the Southern regions, and shift for the first time with the power of the Mood Goddess’ son for a wolf? This kid’s biggest problem a few months ago was a shit-bag bully at school. We need to leave right now!”

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“It gets worse,” Sammi looks at me and grabs my hand, “He’s hurt Elise, like really bad. Eric’s wolf ripped into him. My dad is really worried.”

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“That settles it. Jack, you still know how to fly that shitty plane of yours?” I ask and he looks at me annoyed.

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“Of course I do, I’ll get her ready to go and you guys get everything we need. Leia, you’ll still be my co-pilot right?” We all look at her and she rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

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“You guys won’t survive ten minutes without me. Come on, let’s go.”