Tempest

24 : If at first you didn't succeed

As quietly as she could, she pried the ends of the offending chain apart and immediately felt the relief wash over her body like a cool, soothing breeze. She relished the feeling, but only briefly, because she knew how limited her time was.

She immediately called out to Kian but got no response. She had expected that but it still pained her. Wherever he was, he was probably chained down with enough silver to make a small town rich. She focused herself, feeling her were stirring within her. It had been so long since she had felt her and the surge of power that filled her gratified her.

Adria took a deep breath and released it. She did this a few times so that she could center herself and focus on what she wanted to do. Her breathing slowed down as she allowed her bond with her mate to surface.

She raised her nose into the air slightly, searching for his scent. It seemed so impossible because she could not sense him but she was determined. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on his heartbeat, his aura, his love. She reached for him with all that she was.

"Tristan?" she called out to him. "My love."

It had been so long since she saw him. She needed him. So much. A single, solitary tear rolled out of the corner of her eye and rolled onto her dirty mat. "Babe, I need you."

She had been so strong. For decades she had held it all in but the gravity of everything suddenly weighed her down in a way that was almost foreign to her. She bit down on her lip to hold back a sob as the tears continued to flow silently down her cheeks.

"Babe?" she whispered, her throat clogging up. She lay there silent for a while, her tears slowly drying up. With a sigh, she moved slightly so she could put the chain back around her neck. She stopped when a voice whispered to her through a familiar link.

"Adria. Contact Tempest. She may be our last hope. Their army is ready. They will attack before the next full moon."

Just as suddenly as his voice sounded in her head it was gone. Her heart soared and she put her hands on her chest because it felt like it was ready to leap from her body.

Tempest.

If her mate was mentioning her daughter it meant he had been in contact with her. She didn't know how but fresh hope blossomed within her. Her husband and her daughter were both alive.

"Tempest?" she called, reaching for the link she hadn't connected to in so long.

The response was immediate.

"Mother? How?" Her daughter's voice was like a balm to her wounded spirit.

"That's not important now. I don't have much time," she said. "Your father says their army is ready. They will attack before the next full moon."

"We are rallying our forces, mother. We will be ready."

Adria saw someone heading in her direction and she knew it was time to go.

"Be safe, darling. We love you."

Adria quickly put the chain back around her neck and hid the key. By the time the guard got to her she was done. She watched him as he stood above her, his white uniform seeming to glow under the moonlight.

He eyed her suspiciously before he snarled at her and spat at her feet.

"Pathetic werewolf," he snorted in disgust.

"Easy to talk when you have a gun loaded with silver bullets in your hands," she snarled right back.

His lip went up in a sneer and he kicked her hard in the ribs. The breath left her lungs in a whoosh at the unexpected impact but she recovered quickly.

She smiled at him, letting her fangs slowly elongate as she watched him. She took a deep breath through her nose, inhaling his scent. Making him know she was doing it. Then she told him why.

"I will remember you and I can't wait to taste your warm blood on my lips."

She growled lowly, reminding him of just what she was.

She watched in satisfaction as he turned and hurried away from her. Her canines retracted and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

For the first time in a long time she slept with a smile on her face.

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6 November 2020
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