Luna - Beasts of Beauty Series - Book 1

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Mom!?" I screech, once the burning in my throat becomes bearable. The warrior before me flinches and releases me. "Dad!?"

I run down the stairs, pushing him to the side as fast as I can, and practically fall into the dark basement. I whip my head around, trying to focus on their scents.

"Luna!" someone shouts. I ignore them as another scent fills my senses. I try to ignore it but it is overpowering - important. I turn my head to the side and see a man sitting in a cage on his knees. His arms are tied behind his back, but his dark hazel eyes hold so much power. One of my warriors stands before the cage, staring at it with a blank expression.

The man in the cage looks up at me when another wolf calls from upstairs, "Luna Evelyn!" He continues yelling, but I cannot make out his words. 

"Evelyn?" the man asks from within the cage, shock written all over his features. His grey and white hair is matted with dirt and sweat. It hangs in his face as he struggles to look up at me. The moment my eyes meet his, the realization hits me.

"Samuel," I breathe out as if the wind is knocked out of me. There's no mistake, this man is Sam's grandfather; they have the same eyes. "Oh my god." I rush to the cage, much to his protests, and fumble with the lock. The metal burns my skin as the silver reacts to my touch, but I ignore it, saying a spell to open it. The lock remains shut, a red glow around it - an enchantment. Samuel yells in a panic, trying to get me to stop. I ignore him, picking up a nearby rock and slamming it against the lock.

When he realizes I won't stop trying to break the lock, Samuel eventually just says, "Evelyn, you're alive." With one final hit, the lock is busted and I chuck it across the room. I grab Samuel's hand and carefully help him out of the cage.

"Someone get me a medic, now!" I shout as fast as I can when I need to support most of his weight. I can see the cuts and bruises all over his body and my heart aches wondering just how long he's been stuck like this. "Gods, Samuel. It's you! Everyone thinks you're dead. Sam thought-"

"You found Sam!" Samuel exclaims, cutting me off as his eyes light up at the sound of his grandson's name. "Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad you found each other." His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he gazes at my neck. "But where is his mark?"

Before I can answer, a warrior takes Samuel off of me, trying to hide the shock on his face. My father's scent hits my nose again and my eyes widen in panic. How did I forget about them? Guilt washes over me as I look back at Samuel, ignoring his question for now. His eyes change as he sees my panic.

"M-my parents," I croak out. He seems to have anticipated my change in thought because his hand is already pointing in another direction. I nod in thanks before sprinting away from him and into another room, following the smell of rain and cinnamon. It's such an odd combination, but it suited my father so well. 

My mother's scent follows, a sweet vanilla with a hint of lemon, suddenly making me realize why I probably love Marianne's citrus-y scent so much. 

I burst through the doorway to see two warriors crouched next to two figures on the floor. The familiar smell of my parents becomes overwhelming as I gaze at them lying unconscious on the floor.

"Mom! Dad!" I shout, rushing to them and collapsing as sobs wrack my body. I can hardly keep my eyes open as every extreme of every emotion I could possibly feel washes over me.

I'm furious, baffled, ecstatic, terrified, morose. So many other emotions I wouldn't even know how to describe. 

I thought they were dead. I saw their bodies in the remnants of our home!

I could have been looking for them all this time? They have just been suffering here with Darius this whole time. 

Are they even okay?