Page 112 of Forever My Siren Luna

If my men could see me now, commanding and leading a group of women after they fought for their freedom and saved me from my doom. They would all be more than impressed. I bet they would have cheered and made a big fuss seeing me find my mate in this hell too.

My men. They’re all dead. I knew it before I was even defeated that I was the lone survivor. Even with Beretta, I expected her to be taken from this world during that attack. She didn’t make it to warn the pack. I saw that and her scream distracted me during the fight. It was a losing fight no matter what.

I wonder if Ned made it back to the pack. He was my fastest rider, the smallest of all of us. I pray he did make it back in time to warn Alpha. He can defeat this. It will be a strain since we can’t rely on Alpha Wayne as we once believed, but with the pirates who have been vigorously training with us, we will prevail. The Hidden Cove pack will be victorious. I'm sure.

“This is strange,” Irrita stated as we rounded another hallway and started making our way through a large cold stone room. “Why is no one here? It’s empty.”

The hive-like building is like a downward spiral of halls, and we were at the center of it. We’ve been weaving our way to the bottom, and she is right. We haven’t encountered one demon or any other dark beings in this place.

“They looked like they were building an army,” Cecilia said in her sweet soft voice. “Remember all of them lining up outside just this morning?”

An army to invade Hidden Cove, no doubt. It’s time. Just as Luna and Alpha said, there is going to be a war between the northern clans and us. He didn’t mention demons, and neither did she. I wonder if that is something else that has changed since the beginning of this new life for them. I wonder what other big changes happened they weren't prepared for.

We reached the ground floor, still without encountering anyone. I think we are in the clear. Maybe they have all marched to the border already?

We enter this grand entryway, though grand isn’t how I would describe it at all. It is crude in its build, windowless, and dimly lit only by a rough metal ring mounted above with torches outlining it.

This is it. Freedom is through these doors, but we have no way of telling what's on the other side.

I looked back, meeting the eyes of Beretta’s beast. She nodded slightly, indicating to go. I can already imagine what she would tell me if we could mind link.What else can we do, you big baby?If we wait here, someone will eventually come and our freedom or our lives could be gone just like that.

I then stared into Cecilia’s soft green eyes, the fiery determination telling me all I needed to know. She’s not turning back, and neither am I. We are going through those doors, no matter what is on the other side.

“You stay behind me,” I told her firmly. “No matter what, stay with me. I will not lose you. Not now that I have finally found you.” I just found my mate. Nothing is taking her from me now.

“I’ll stay with you,” she says in confirmation, her voice making my soul dance. She smiled tentatively, then took a step back, letting go of my hand as she shifted to her Lycan form. Her Lycan is beautiful too. A soft red with white patches in her fur. She nodded, and I followed her lead, shifting to let my beast take over once again.

“No way to go but out,” Irrita said, taking hold of the handle on one of the doors and pulling it towards her. Another woman, a fairy from the east, comes forward and opens the other door and we push forward to take our first glimpse of freedom.

Only that’s not what we see.

There was an army, just as Cecilia had said, but massive, covering the immense space in front of us. At least a mile of scorched, barren ground, with all the dark races of the north, all facing forward with their backs towards us. They are staring ahead, listening as a terrifying being on a ruby-studded podium speaks.

We sink back against the walls, hiding from the open view behind the doors. I put my claw to my snout, indicating to stay quiet, then looked around the door to watch the massive being as he delivered a speech in a foreign tongue. He’s fae, the magic emanating out of him is more than obvious, but I can not figure out which race he is.

Then, black wings spring from his back, expanding out, causing him to take flight. He’s a fairy breed, but a dark one. With his hairless body and sickly gray skin, he looks more demon than fairy in every way but his wings.

“Lord Tenebris,” Irrita sneared.

So that is the son of a bitch who rules this shit smelling hellhole.

With the bastard in the sky, I notice someone else upon the podium, looking forlorn and disgusted, staring out at the masses. A woman with golden hair that looks a lot like my Luna.

Her eyes moved through the crowd, then it felt as if she was staring right at me, her expression changing after a few long seconds. She looked....excited. Relieved maybe. She looked up at the flying monster above, his body moving among the rows of men, still speaking in the demonic language. He sounded like a general, readying his troops for battle.

That's exactly what he's doing. This is war.

The woman seemed ready to dance on her feet, staring at me again. She presses her fingers to her lips, then folds all of them together, except her pointer fingers. She puckers her lips against them, and I recognize the gesture. She is telling me to be silent. She then folds an arm across her chest, looking up at the flying monster again, while lowering her other hand, splaying out her fingers and pushing it down like she is telling me to wait. She's trying to be inconspicuous and it's working.

Is she sending me a message? Stay silent and wait? Who is she?

Thirty-Four

Lachlan

The ride back from the border should have taken us all day, but Killian pushed himself to the limit, and then some. We made it back in hours.

King Brennus and Cedric stayed with me, riding on my heels. I know it was the siren king's magic that helped my stamina and the stamina of their horses to keep up the heavy pace. I am grateful, because I would have killed myself trying to get back to her on my own abilities.