-Kaden's POV-
"Sorry the weekend hasn't gone the way we planned, love. I was looking forward to getting to know more about your role as Alpha," I admitted.
Adam stepped towards me, a smile on his face and in his eyes. "You still will, Angel. But for now, I think this is more important anyway. We're so close, why stop now?"
I nodded; he was right. Only four more left to do, but I was yet to figure out what was meant by the end of a king. It was the hopeful side of me that was telling me it was referring to the old king, and not me.
Which holds the question; how does the end of a king fall upon a man who was already dead? Maybe his memory? I couldn't see how I could bury that though, that man brought both trauma and blessings to many people, both of which were hard things to forget.
Traces of the man lay everywhere you looked in Galtolga, and these things would only ever fade with time. Something, that we did not have.
I was currently at the pack house with Adam, our friends had long since gone home, but a heavy feeling lay present in my chest.
Something was wrong.
"How can you tell?" Adam asked.
"It's a sense of mine, though it only works when the danger is related to Galtolga or my people," I explained, though that only worried me more. "Of course, it would work with you too but that is the only exception as far as I am aware."
"So, what should we do?"
First things first, I checked in with my guards at home, there were no reports from Galtolga, but I had them keep an eye on things and send some scouts out to check the areas, just in case. Then, I checked in with Adrian and Cameron, but only got a response from Adrian.
A loud crack of thunder echoed around the house, dragging our attentions to the nearby window. I noted the lack of rain.
"Jupiter?" Adam asked.
"Maybe, but there's no rain. We should probably check it out anyway," I frowned.
I tried to contact Gabriel, since I couldn't get through to Cameron, but again, there was no response. I didn't let myself worry just yet, knowing they could be...well...busy.
Adam walked towards the front door of the pack house and I quickly joined him. I was on high alert right now, so had no intensions of leaving him alone or letting him out of my sight. Overprotective maybe, but I wasn't willing to risk it.
He opened the door, but before he could step outside, my hand fell onto his shoulder, pulling him back. "Wait!"
"Can you see that?" I asked him. He reached his hand out and again, I stopped him. "Don't touch it, we don't know who made it."
"Is it a shield?" He questioned, but thankfully, didn't try to touch it again.
"Looks like it, some shields work more like a forcefield and can be protected."
"As in it could be electrocuted or something to keep us from trying to break it?"
"Electrocution would be a quite forgiving option, but essentially, yes. I can find out if it is protected but it could take some time," I sighed.
"Sooo, we're trapped in here?"
Shit...
"You should probably send a warning out to your pack, just in case," I told him.
I created a portal through to Galtolga but when I stepped through it, I entered straight back through to the living room of the pack house.
"That was freaky," Adam commented, a frown settling onto his face. "What is Jupiter playing at?"
"I don't think it's Jupiter," I thought aloud. I had no choice but to use my powers now.
"Adrian, try and get in contact with Cameron and Gabriel," I ordered.
"Yes, sir."
I pulled forth an interactive guidance screen, or IGS for short. It was just like a smaller, portable version of the computer system I had in my office.
"What do you mean?" Adam asked, watching me swipe through the system.
"Something just feels different. Jupiter makes his appearances pretty clear, and he doesn't have a reason to trap us inside of the pack house."
There was something, something I was missing. It should have been so obvious but for some reason, it was hidden from me. It was frustrating...
"Uh...Kaden?" The concern in my Keeper's voice caught my attention immediately. I turned around to see what the problem was, only to be met with the sight of a portal opening in front of him.
I rushed to his side, automatically pushing him behind me and taking a defensive stance, but instead of an enemy or a foreign person stepping through the portal, we were rushed by a desperate Gabriel, and a panicked Adrian.
"Gabriel! You have to calm down," Adrian tried, but Gabriel was in front of me in seconds.
"Where is he?!" The distress in his voice and eyes cut me like a knife.
"I do not know, Gabriel. Please, you have to try and remain calm, we will find him, but you have to tell me what happened."
When Cameron and Gabriel hadn't responded to my call, I was hoping they were simply caught up in each other and had cut off from the outside world. I guess wishful thinking can only get you so far.
"I-I don't know! We were at my house, and-and we heard a noise outside so Cameron went to check it out. I told him not to, but he insisted it wasn't a problem. I know how strong his abilities are, so I wasn't really worried, until I tried to contact him through our mind-link and he didn't respond. I went outside to find him, and he was gone! I tried to contact you and Adrian but it was like I was cut off, that's when I drove to Adrian's. He was insistence we don't come here without your permission, but I have to find him!" He stressed.
"We will find him, Gabriel. Though, I am afraid you may not be able to leave this place for now." I inwardly frowned.
"What? Why?" Adrian asked, he looked as stressed as he sounded.
"There is a shield around the pack house, someone or something has trapped us inside," I replied honestly.
"Shit...why didn't you tell me?" Adrian ran to the door, but when he pulled back the door, he was met with the same purple glow of the shield. "Do we know if it is protected?"
"I am looking into it now. It is one of ours," I confirmed. "Cameron is our main priority now; we can work on getting out of here later. The sensor can track while we try to find him. There is a problem with the signal, whoever cut off Gabriel, is trying to cut us off too."
Interesting how you can portal in, but you can't portal out, I wonder if they knew that. I doubted it, it seemed they wanted Adam and I trapped alone in here. Or maybe they thought I would forbid them from coming here, but when you take a Soul Waker's Keeper away, there was truly no stopping what they will do to get them back.
Gabriel was pacing back and forth now, his face set into a hard stare. Adrian was examining the shield more and Adam was by my side.
"You know, us werewolves can take a lot of pain, and we heal quickly, it might be worth trying to push through the shield."
I turned to him with wide eyes. "No." I shook my head. "That is not a risk I am willing to take."
Turns out Adam was feeling rather useless right now, though if I was being completely honest, I felt quite useless myself.
"We'll find a way, Angel."
I sent my Keeper what I hoped was a reassuring smile, then took his hand for a moment, slipping my fingers through his. He was right, we would find a way, there was no other option.
What would I do if it were my Keeper? It is said there is no real limit to the power between Keepers.
The power between Keepers...
"Gabriel, I assume you cannot contact Cameron at all."
"No, I keep trying but nothing, it's like he's in a different fucking world or something," he groaned. That may not be too far from the truth.
I stepped towards him. "I need you to find him. There is nothing that can keep you from your Keeper if you know how to use your power. I need you to trust me, I am going to talk you through it."
Gabriel nodded, determined. "Okay, yeah."
I pulled up the screen again, but this time turned it to Gabriel. "This is an interactive guidance screen, it can help us to pinpoint where Cameron is, but his location is being blocked off to us. I could manually find him, but it would take a lot of time we do not have. As his Keeper you should be able to find him instantly, his location can not be blocked off to you. However, I am the only one who has access to this device, so we will have to almost...trick the system, so to speak." I don't think Gabriel really cared for the details, but it was important he knew.
"I need you to find him on this device."
"I don't know how," he stressed.
"Maybe not, but your subconscious does. Your soul is bound with his, you have to find the other half of you. In the same way you can feel your heart beat with his, you can feel his pull towards you. You must remain calm, you must listen, and you must trust yourself."
I hated having to put this pressure on him, but at this point, there was no other way.
"You can do this, Gabriel," Adam encouraged. "For Cameron."
Gabriel forced a breath, no longer able to hide the fear and concern in his eyes. He turned the screen and bit hard into his bottom lip. He was a lot more hesitant with the screen than I was, then again it was his first time using it.
He looked around for a while, probably trying to familiarise himself with the system, just moving the map around in different directions with a look of pure distress on his face.
"You have to feel him, Gabriel. Connect yourself to his soul, fill your mind with his memories if it helps, but you have to focus. Forget about us, forget about the situation, just concentrate on your Keeper."
He nodded, not saying a word. The hardest part of this was remaining calm enough to pull it off. I knew inside he would be anything but calm, that's where the memories of your Keeper come into play, just thinking about your Keeper can bring you a sense of calm. He just had to stay calm long enough to find him.
Gabriel's eyes fell shut and we all remained silent so he could concentrate. Now we wait, I guess.
"Is there anything I can do?" Adam asked.
"You are already doing something."
Adam looked at me confused and small smile pulled at my lips. "My aura and emotions affect others around me, you are keeping me calm so Gabriel only has to worry about calming his own emotions," I explained.
"Oh, I think Adrian said something about that. Well, I'm glad I can help then," he smiled.
"Adrian, how are you holding up?"
"I can't contact Zach while in here, it's kind of freaking me out," he admitted.
"Would you like me to contact him? I can tell him to retreat to Galtolga, he can wait in the castle until we are done here."
"That's a good idea," he nodded. "He's alone at mine at the moment so I would rather him there, where I know he'll be safe."
"Zach?"
"Sir! Oh, thank God, I can't reach Adrian, is everything okay?!" I could hear his panic even through the mind-link.
"Everything is okay, Adrian is with me now, but our connection is limited. You need to retreat to Galtolga, I will have the guards grant you access into the castle, remain there until we get back."
"Yes, sir, thank you. Just uh...tell Adrian to remain safe please."
"I will pass on your message."
"Thank you."
"Zach is safe, he is returning to Galtolga now, he wants me to tell you to remain safe," I told Adrian, his shoulders instantly relaxed.
"Thank you, that actually helps a lot."
After informing the guards of Zach's expected arrival, I turned back to Gabriel to check on his progress, he looked a lot calmer now.
"Adam...once Gabriel finds Cameron's location, he will have to lead me to him. I do not know what will await us on the other side, nor do I like the idea of having to take Gabriel there with me. My plan is to simply get Cameron and get out. Problem is, if things go bad, I may need you to get back."
"Baby...the last time you wandered off into a different world alone, you nearly died."
"To be fair, I was up against a God," I scoffed.
Adam's laughter filled my head. He stepped towards me, his arms wrapping around my waist and a smile on his face. "I know you're an all-powerful King, but I'm a big bad Alpha, we are stronger together, remember? And if it comes to it, we will find a way back, together. I'm not leaving you alone, ever again."
Oh, my stubborn Keeper...what would I do without you?
"I found him!" Gabriel suddenly exclaimed. I rushed to his side, reading the location on the interactive screen.
Well, that was a new one.
"Where is that?" Adrian asked. He had also rushed over to Gabe's side and so we were now all staring at the screen in confusion, well, I hid mine well.
"Only one way to find out," I said. "Gabriel, I need you to take us there."
"What? Why can't you?"
"My portals do not work under this constriction, none of ours do, but as I said, nothing can keep you from your Keeper. If this really is where Cameron is, the portal should work for you. Do not worry, you will not be alone, if we enter at the same time, we should be able to sneak through with you." I looked towards Adam who nodded once. "We have to be quick though. Adrian, try and get that shield down, the system should be nearly complete, keep an eye on things around here and if you can, try and keep the portal open. Gabriel, if things go south, I need you to get Cameron and leave, do not worry about us."
"No pressure," I heard Adrian whisper.
"Have faith. If all goes to plan, we will be back in no time. Gabriel, I am going to use a temporary shield to protect you, it is just a precaution until we can get to Cameron."
Gabriel nodded and I quickly activated the shield for him. It wouldn't do much, but the feeling of safety will help in keeping him in control just long enough to find his Keeper.
"Good luck, Adrian."
"You too, Sir." Adrian saluted me, watching as Gabriel created the portal for us to enter.
It's time. I held Adam's hand tighter and we positioned ourselves next to Gabriel. Now, let's just hope this works.
"You take a lot of gambles," Adam commented.
"I have to in my line of work."
We entered the portal at the same time and watched the room around us disappear.
The realm we stepped into was plagued with fog of purples and blues, but the most noticeable thing was that there was literally nothing in front of us.
Gabriel would have had to create a portal directly to Cameron, since none of us knew what this place was or how to navigate it, and yet, the boy in question was nowhere to be seen.
We stepped into the fog hesitantly, and I was happy to see the portal remained open behind us.
"Stay together," I told them, the last thing we needed was for someone to get lost in the fog. "Gabriel, see if you can contact Cameron now."
It was silent for a moment.
"He's okay! He's with someone."
"Who?"
"He doesn't know. He says some crazy lady who keeps rambling about...uh...the sun, the moon, and the end."
"Well, that's ominous."
"Holy shit, Adam. You scared the shit out of me!"
"You can hear him?" I asked, surprised.
He nodded, looking concerned but didn't question it further. He was right, it wasn't the time for that.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"He's close but I can't see a damn thing through this fog."
Dammit.
Adam's eyes lit up in power, the red glow barely noticeable through the thick fog. "I see him. Them."
Gabriel's eyes widened and I reminded him to stay calm. "Can you lead us to them?" I asked my Keeper.
Adam nodded. "Stay close, both of you." My hand was still firmly holding his, so I don't think he had to worry much about me.
We walked slowly, my Keeper navigating us through the fog, while Gabriel provided Cameron with constant updates.
Once we were close enough, I think we were all surprised when we stepped out of the fog. So, this doesn't cover the whole land.
We were exposed now, and the lady's eyes quickly found us. She looked damn right terrified. Before I could stop him, Gabriel was running towards his Keeper. The lady didn't move though, she kept her piercing eyes on me and Adam.
I watched as Cameron met Gabriel halfway, pulling the boy into his arms. Well, that was the lovers reunited.
I turned to face the lady. "Who are you?" I demanded.
She squeaked in response. There was something weird about her and it wasn't just her behaviour. She wore a long, tattered white dress that covered her feet, she was incredibly pale and had long, wavey black hair.
She looked like one of those ghosts you would see in a horror movie. She was fidgety and on edge though, almost paranoid, and I couldn't tell if it was me or Adam that appeared to terrify her to the core.
"He asked you a question," Adam tried.
"The sun, the moon, and the end," she whispered. "The sun, the moon, and the end."
"What does that mean?" My Keeper asked.
"The sun, the moon, and the end."
"She's been saying that since I got here. Something about a prophecy and the legends being true," Cameron explained.
"The sun, the moon, and the end."
"We have to go." Adrian was waiting for us.
"Do we just leave her?" Adam asked, clearly disconcerted by the woman.
"What else do you suggest?"
"The sun, the moon, and the end."
"I dunno, I really want to know what that means." Adam stepped forward. "Hey, lady!"
The woman emitted a scream so high pitch that we all outwardly cringed. It echoed around us in the emptiness, seemingly never ending, before it finally faded into the air.
"Okay, time to go," I insisted, pulling Adam along by his hand. There was no telling if we were truly alone here, and if we weren't, I was positive that everybody would have heard that scream.
Adam led us back through the fog, and I let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the portal where we had left it.
Cameron and Gabriel entered first. Adam and I were about to enter after them when a whisper from the fog caught our attention.
We silently stared for a moment. I couldn't make out what it said but it sent a chill through me. I was so done with this place.
Adam pulled me through the portal then, his hand holding mine in a strong, protective grip.
Cameron was consoling Gabriel and Adrian quickly greeted us. "I couldn't get the shield down, but I kept the portal open, are you proud of me?"
"Very proud, thank you, Adrian." I would have smiled, but I was too unsettled. What the hell was that place?
"Also, we have guests." Adrian gestured to the door which was still being blocked by the shield.
I stepped towards it, my eyes locking on our new visitors outside. It was the same people we had fought on the day I first met Jupiter. There were three of them, standing emotionless as they observed the shield.
The unsettled feeling in my stomach turned to anger. What were they playing at?!
The sun, the moon, and the end.
"Angel?" Adam's voice was concerned but I barely heard him. The anger turned to rage.
I shook my head, the heat consuming my body. What the hell?
"Uh, are you guys okay? Something feels wrong here," Adrian said.
Releasing Adam's hand, I stepped towards the shield. My eyes turned gold and my hand rose. With a power that was new and unfamiliar, I shattered the shield, forcing the atoms apart as such a speed you could have easily missed it.
"Holy fuck..." Adrian whispered.
Adam.
The rage was burning up inside of me, and my eyes were set on our new guests. They saw it and quickly braced themselves to fight, but by the swift movement of the woman's hand, it was more, getting ready to flee.
Adam.
"I'm here, but I don't know what to do-wait, yes I do." My Keeper pulled me towards him, his arms wrapping around my shoulders, and he forced my face into his chest. He held me still, his lips next to my ear.
-Adam's POV-
I held my mate close to me, I could feel his anger, the burning rage rushing through him. It was unfamiliar and unsettling. Cameron and Gabriel weren't doing much better. Cameron looked like he was going into an existential crisis and Gabriel clung to the boy like the world might stop spinning if they separated for even a moment. Neither of them spoke, even when talked to.
I looked towards Adrian who looked just as confused and concerned as I did.
"What is happening to them?" He asked.
My hold on Kaden should have instantly calmed him down, he didn't try to fight me, and he no longer looked like he wanted to kill, but I could still feel his rage.
The woman from outside stepped forward hesitantly, she eyed Kaden warily before speaking. "The world they just came from, it is called Genso. This is the effects of the fog; it should wear off within a couple of hours."
"Hours?!" Adrian proclaimed.
"They should not have gone there, it is dangerous."
"How come I'm not affected by it?" I asked.
"Your werewolf blood rejected the toxins within the fog."
"So, how did Kaden break the shield just?" Adrian and I were practically just throwing questions at this girl at this point.
"Kaden is at his full power now, he is not used to it yet, he still believes his powers are the same and that is not correct. He is a lot stronger now, he needs to realise that and make use of his full power. When the effects of the fog wear off, you must tell him this."
"How did you know?" I asked.
"We know a lot of things. We tried to warn you."
Warn us? We didn't even know they were here. Was that what that thunder was? Maybe they should make their warnings a bit clearer next time.
"When Kaden is better, you must pass on a message for us. Tell him that the girl needs to be disposed of. She is causing too much distress; she must be stopped."
"What girl?"
"That is all I can say for now. I would stay with him until he is feeling better if I were you."
"Wait! What girl?!"
The three disappeared through a portal at a record speed, and with my hold on Kaden, I had no chance of stopping them.
I groaned in annoyance, quickly turning my attention onto my mate. "Angel? Are you okay?"
I tapped into his thoughts but for once, they were quiet. At first, I thought he was blocking me out, but I did hear him think a single word: Adam.
"Hey, look at this," Adrian called. I didn't even notice he had stepped out of the pack house, but he returned to my side, clutching a piece of paper. He handed it to me with a frown, and I held the sheet close to Kaden's back, not wanting to let him go.
It read: The end of a King – It is important for a King to know their true power, a King at only half strength isn't much of a King.
Who are those guys?
*
Adrian retrieved Zach from Galtolga, and they decided to watch over Cameron and Gabriel until the effects wore off. Adrian said he would message me when they come around and I agreed to do the same.
And since we had nothing better to do with Kaden under this hypnotised state, I decided it best if we just retired to my bedroom.
I didn't like seeing him like this. His mind was too quiet, and his appearance was expressionless. We had a couple hours of this? I wonder if I can get him to sleep, time will go a lot faster if he does.
I placed him down on the bed, removing his shoes and tucking him in under the covers. Do I undress him? Probably not. With a sigh, I removed my own shoes and climbed in next to him. I pulled his body close to mine, encasing him in my arms and pressing my nose into his hair.
"I got you, baby. You're okay."
This is going to be a long couple of hours.
*
-Kaden's POV-
My head hurt.
I'd never been hungover before, but if I had to guess what it felt like, this would be pretty close. I shifted slightly, feeling the soft bed beneath me and a body holding me close.
"What time is it?" I asked, stifling a yawn as I moved closer to his warmth. Why is it so cold?
"Five thirty." His voice was soft and calming, soothing me back to sleep.
The sun, the moon, and the end.
My eyes shot open as I sat up in bed. Adam sat up too, just as quickly, his arms wrapping around me. "You're okay," he assured.
I turned to look at him, the earlier events coming back to me all at once.
"What happened?" It had felt like my mind had been consumed by fog, I had to completely block my own thoughts because they were driving me crazy, and the heat, God, the heat was unbearable.
"How do you feel? You look a lot better, but not that much time has passed," he frowned. "That girl said it would take a couple hours."
"What girl?"
"She came to the packhouse with two others, do you remember? Jupiter's lackys?"
I chuckled at his name for them, it was somewhat fitting.
"Yeah, I remember. Sorry, love, my head is still a little clouded from everything." I sighed, laying back down against my Keeper. "That was awful...I just felt so angry."
"I know, you scared the shit out of them," he laughed, burying his nose into my neck, causing a shiver to wrack my body.
"Let's never go back to that world again."
"Agreed, Angel. I was so worried about you," he whispered.
"Sorry, Mya Setio. Thank you for looking after me." I turned my head to kiss his lips. The kiss was gentle and slow, calming me even more from my past frenzy.
"Always, love. I need to message Adrian, but I have news, would you like it now or do you need some more time?"
"Why do you need to message Adrian?" I stretched, trying to loosen up my muscles.
"I told him I would when you were better."
"Shit...I must have worried them." My eyes widened. "Are Cameron and Gabriel okay?"
"Adrian and Zach are with them now; their reactions were a little different from yours so they could easily handle them. Adrian said he will message me when they are feeling better, but they are okay."
"I will have to check in on them personally once they're back to normal," I thought aloud. "Okay, I am in desperate need of a cup of coffee, why don't you message Adrian and I'll fix us something to drink, then you can give me the update?"
"Sounds good, love. Are you sure you're all better?"
"Yes, thank you, I won't be long."
I exited his room, making my way to the kitchen as I tried to put together everything I had missed. My eyes glanced to the pack door, and I remember shattering the shield that confined us in this place.
How did I do that?
It didn't take long to make the coffee, but some of Adam's pack members had come and gone, making conversation with me in a friendly manner. I wasn't feeling very social, but I coerced with them anyway, maintaining a friendly approach, despite the way I was feeling.
Once I was back in Adam's room, I relaxed. He was laying on the bed waiting for me, a lazy smile on his face.
"Bringing me coffee in bed, I feel like a King," he winked.
A chuckle was pulled from my lips, the smile uncontrollable as I handed him the coffee and climbed back into bed with my own.
"You're cute," I smirked.
"Don't start this again," he groaned, eliciting another laugh from me.
I took a long sip of my coffee, enjoying the warmth and the taste as it poured down my throat. "Okay, give me the update." I braced myself for bad news.
"So, I'm not sure how much you missed. Turns out that world we entered is called Genso, and it was the effects of the fog that had you all acting like that. Apparently, my werewolf blood fought off the toxins in the fog, which is why I didn't get affected. You managed to break through the shield because you are now at your full power. She said you are not used to it and believe your powers are still the same, but they're not. She said you need to realise that and make use of your full power."
I knew my power had grown, I could feel it, but I suppose I didn't know to what extent. I guess, I would have to work on that. I didn't want to push my powers to a limit that is not needed, who knows how detrimental that could be. I suppose trying some new things here and there couldn't hurt though.
"That thunder we heard before we got trapped in here was them warning up apparently, I feel like that might be important information for the future. And she told me to pass on the message that the girl must be stopped, she said she's causing too much distress or something, and she needs to be...well, disposed of. Also, Adrian found this after they left." He handed me a piece of paper, similar to the one we had received Jupiter's list on, and my eyes scanned the words.
The end of a King – It is important for a King to know their true power, a King at only half strength isn't much of a King.
I see. Maybe it was referring to me after all.
"Did she say what girl?"
Adam shook his head. "I tried asking but she told me that was all she could say for now."
"Let's just hope it's not the woman from Genso," I sighed. I hesitated for a moment, before turning towards Adam. "Did you hear the whisper?" I asked.
Adam nodded his head slowly, his watchful eyes looking at me carefully.
"Could you make out what it said?"
"Same thing as that crazy lady, love."
Right.
The sun, the moon, and the end.
*
Not sure how I feel about the start of this chapter, when editing it, it felt kind of rushed, even though writing the chapter itself wasn't.
I don't know, let me know what you think.
Thank you for reading! <3