The first thing I felt as I opened my eyes was the sting in the back of my hand. A steady drip of fluid slid through a needle and into my veins, and the air slled suspiciously of herbs and disinfectants. Very clean and unmistakably dical.
My eyelids fought to remain open, but after a few more seconds of trying, I was wide awake, and the room surrounding swam into view. The room was small and bare but what caught my eye were the tree roots lining the grey stone walls, and when I focused my eyes even more, I saw that the stone glowed faintly in green. It looked magical.
"About ti you woke up."
A voice startled and I turned my head imdiately, my eyes still not used to the bright lights after spending ti in the tunnels. A Delta guard sat on the chair, a few inches away from my propped-up bed, her braided blonde hair falling down her shoulders. Her face seed familiar and my pulse quickened the mont I took note of her uniform. Darek’s soldiers wore those uniforms.
My chest constricted in fear as I realised what must have happened.
Darek had found .
I should have known he would. I was alone in the room with a single bed and no Valden in sight and a Delta guard instead. I probably didn’t have any ti left. Once he found out I was awake, I had no idea what he would try again. Surely nothing good.
I tried to push myself up further, the needle digging painfully into my hand, keeping my fearful gaze on her before she tackled down.
But then she smiled.
It was warm and genuine and sohow it broke through the panic running at a mile a minute.
I realised I did know her.
She was the Delta I t on the day I was about to leave for Parthenn. It was the day I was hopeful for a new life as an Oga. She was the first Delta to show a fignt of kindness at the periphery.
"Lesra," I breathed, letting recognition mar my features.
"Lesra Collins," she said softly. "It’s nice to et you again, Maeve. I knew the next ti I’d et you, it would be under vastly different circumstances."
My throat felt as if I hadn’t drunk water in days. But the strength in my body had returned. And no matter how trustworthy Lesra seed right now, the fact that I was better could only an one thing.
Darek.
"Where am I? Where’s Valden?"
Her grin widened. "Relax, he’s fine. He’s been pacing around like a caged wolf since you collapsed in the tunnels. Once he brought you here for recovery, he’s been asking about you every ten minutes and also may have punched a hole in a wall in frustration. But we weren’t going to let him waste away at your bedside for another minute so he’s out scouting right now. You’ll see him soon."
So we weren’t caught?
Her words sank in one at a ti until I let the relief slowly wash over . Then the part that mattered finally hit like a brick.
"Wait...How long have I been unconscious?"
"Two days," Lesra said, nodding casually but her eyes softened with sothing akin to pity. "When Valden dragged you in here, you were already half dead. Your body was completely drained of all Lycan energy and honestly...we didn’t think you’d make it through the night."
Two days.
I was out for two whole days. My stomach clenched at the thought of everything that had happened during the gap, of what Darek might have done to find . It was surprising he hadn’t found already. Especially since he could easily do so if he tried to trace our bond.
Lesra must have seen the panic rising again across my face because the next ti she spoke, her tone was more steadier and firm. "Hey...you’re alive because of Valden and our Healer. He used his Lycan powers and managed to separate most of the curse’s hold on your body. It’s not gone completely, of course. Which ans Alpha Korvash does still have a tether to you that could be dangerous."
I gulped.
"Which ans he’ll find soon."
"You’re safe here, Maeve," she said calmly and then gestured to the walls surrounding us in the room. "We’ve lined the entire place with Stargar Stone. He can’t sense you, not in here."
I frowned, my gaze drifting to the glowing stone and the veiny roots growing over it. They shimred with the greenish hue, as if the power of the mist lay inside the rocks.
"Stargar Stones? What is this place?"
Lesra laughed lightly. "I was waiting for you to ask that. The Stargar Stone was ford in the mist years ago and it was the only thing that was able to bind to our powers and the Lycan energy and weaken them but not many people know about it. We sotis use it for protection against other Lycans and sotis to curb our own power." A shadow passed over her face. "It’ll keep Darek out for now. It has kept him from finding this place for a long ti anyway. So shouldn’t be any different now."
The glowing green stone. I pressed my hand against the bedding, grounding myself. My mind was still sluggish and foggy from the sleep and the drip on my arm but the realisation was clear as day.
The stone was probably the reason I couldn’t use my powers on Darek. That much was becoming clear. The stone was also the sa one used on my pendant that Valden had given three years ago when he left for Parthenn. That was probably why my powers were suddenly awakened when Valeria snatched the pendant from my neck.
Which ans, Valden had always known about my powers and had intentionally tried to hide it without even realising it.
Why would he do that?
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