111.

This chapter and the coming chapters will move the story forward to Xyana's experience, and they will shed more light on her relationship with Clifton.

Please read through the next chapters with open mind.

I promise it will all come together at the end.

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~~

~Clifton~

"I don't understand any of this. Alpha," I call my brother. "We need to talk in private," I added, casting a side glance at the intruder in the room; Zegulf Landerman.

Gaston nods and clears his throat. Then he directs his attention to Zegulf. "Alpha Zegulf," he calls. "I'll need you to excuse my brothers and me."

Zegulf tsks, "You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?"

Gaston shakes his head. "I will never do that." Suddenly, Gaston pauses and arches his brow. "Did you get the witch?" He asks.

Zegulf clenches his teeth tight and shakes his head. "Do you still have yours?"

"Yes, and I'll need your help pretty soon."

"You can call me anytime, I'll be willing to help." Landerman offers. "In the meantime, I will wait outside. I want to be kept abreast of whatever is going on with Xyana. Don't shut me out, please." He looks at all of us pleadingly.

The way Dion and Declan look back at him, I know they bought his helpless facial appearance that I'm certain is absolutely fake.

"I give you my word." Again, Gaston reassures the stupid Alpha that he will carry him along on every news that has to do with Xyana.

Killian steps into the room and leads Zegulf outside. Once the door gets shut behind them, I snort loud, too loud, actually.

"You should find a way to keep him far from me. I'm only this calm because I'm focused on Xyana. Once her health is confirmed, I will skin him alive."

"Clif, can you just focus." Declan cuts me off.

That seemed to be the brain reset I needed because I shut my eyes briefly and took a deep breath. When I opened it again, I felt a bit relaxed than before.

"What exactly is happening, Alpha?" I ask Gaston. "I didn't give Xyana that necklace. I've never seen the necklace before."

"What if... I don't know how this might sound, but have you thought of asking Amon?" Dion asks and everyone turns to me.

"Amon didn't do it," I shake my head, half believing myself at this point.

There have been times when Amon gets overpowered by the darkness within him that he separates from me while I'm asleep, and he goes ahead to cause sheer havoc within the pack.

But that was when the darkness overtook me newly. Then, I hadn't gotten a hand or what the little demon could do to my wolf and me. I couldn't control certain actions of mine.

But now I can. And all that is now in the past. I haven't given up control to the darkness for a very long time now. I don't let it control me, not anymore.

"Amon didn't do it," I repeat my words again, this time with a little more conviction.

"Have you asked him?" Declan joins Dion in his verbal crusade.

"I-I-no, I haven't." I suck in a breath and groan barely audibly.

"That's the only explanation for all of this," Gaston speaks.

I turn to my uncle, and the man is seated, watching my brothers and me as we carry on with the unfolding drama.

He doesn't seem to follow the conversation quite well. But he's smart enough not to ask any questions on that effect.

"What do I have to do?" I ask the two warlocks in the room.

"We will send you to meet her, and you will help her come back." Uncle explains.

Amon stirs, rolling around joyfully. "Like I'm going to be her Superman, sort of?"

Uncle doesn't answer me. "You have to understand that you have a fifty-fifty chance at this. You might be unsuccessful. However, I need you to come back home if you think she won't follow you willingly. If you don't get back home, you will be trapped with her forever."

I seriously do not think I hate the sound of that. If wherever they want to send me to is a bit comfortable and I'll get to spend my time with Xyana for the rest of my life, it doesn't sound so bad at all.

"It won't be a sweet experience, Clif. I don't know what you should expect or how Xyana would react to you in another space. Just come straight home if things don't work out."

I nod, "okay."

"Tell me you understand, Clif."

"Yeah, I understand," I murmur inaudibly. "But how do I come home?"

"Just speak to Amon, he knows." Gaston replies.

"And you know that how?" I ask him.

He smiles, "I just know."

"Ready?" Uncle asks, interrupting us.

"Wait, now?"

"Ready?" Uncle repeats.

The man must really be a man of very few words. I turn to Gaston, and he nods. Well, what else am I waiting for?

"Ready," I reply.

The next minute, my uncle touches my arm and drags me closer to him. Gaston connects his fingers with that of my uncles.

That is all I remember because the next time I opened my eyes, I was in a plain field surrounded by absolutely nothing.