Chapter 22
The following couple of hours are tense.
No-one speaks. My mum and I went to get up to head inside a while ago but Lukas shot us a glare that had us sitting back down.
If it wasn't for the nervous energy filling every muscle in my body I would have passed out from exhaustion ages ago.
Mum is empty of emotion. Like she had to turn it all off to stop from being consumed by it.
I knew the moment the poison took hold of her.
Her eyes widened and her fists clenched at her sides before she leaned closer into me.
Being cut off from nature is like losing a part of yourself.
It's lonely and leaves you feeling like a deer in headlights.
Today has been a nightmare. Physically, mentally and emotionally.
I've kept the walls around my bond to Alistair open but he's been quiet.
Watchful. Noting every one of Lukas's movements.
He's assessing him. Waiting for his next move.
Hades left his son here intentionally. But why? Did he leave him for the pack to finish off or was that last comment to him an order of some kind?
A slight rustle in the trees overhead draws my eye and I catch a glimpse of the Strix hiding in the branches.
“Does she have a name?” I ask Alistair down the bond.
“No.” He replies sombrely.
“Why did Hades leave you here?” I ask tentatively.
He sighs down the bond.
“Despite my failures, my task is the same.”
“You're to take me and my mum to the underworld? To what? Feed us to your dad?” I hiss angrily. “Looks like you've failed again considering your half dead and stuck in a dog crate.”
“There's more to this than you know.” He glances at me for a split second. Then to the house. “The house was in good shape when you got here wasn't it.”
It's not a question and I blink at the subject change.
“So what?”
“I think I deserve a thank you that's all.”
“What?!”
“I hired a team to fix it up and maintain it on the chance you would return to your family home.” He states nonchalantly. “A 'thank you Alistair, my true love, you're so amazing and sexy' would be nice to hear.”
The audacity!
“You know what?” I growl. “I've decided if I get my powers back I won't heal you. I'm not going to stay with Lukas and I won't be your Dads prisoner.”
“What about being mine?” His voice is velvety smooth and heat coils in my stomach at his sultry tone.
I push down the wave of anticipation and shoot him a glare.
“I belong to no-one” I snap as I slam my shields back up.
I'm so done with men. As soon as my powers return I'm taking my mum and we are getting out of here. I ignore the way my gut twists at the thought of leaving Alistair, but I won't let him take us to the underworld.
My mum has lost her mate, her pack and her home.
Even though the ranch still stands I know we are not welcome here.
It's just a house and we will leave here and go back to how things were before.
Just me and her. We can help nature together and live a quiet life away from all of this.
Leave the gods to their schemes and any Nymphs we find we will help them.
Given how quickly the pack turned on my mum when dad died and their view on how Nymphs should live, I think there may be a few that want to leave for the sake of freedom.
Women who are trapped like we are now. Expected to be happy in a gilded cage and provide heirs for their Alpha.
Maybe we'll find nymphs just as powerful as me?
We could create a safe haven for them and commune with Gaia as her loyal protectors of her planet.
I find myself smiling slightly at what that future could look like.
To live to help one another, to heal the planet and to care for all the innocent lives here.
We have been forced by the werewolves to be kept away from one another but what if we combined our strength?
Would climate change stop? Could we heal fatal disease?
Bring balance and peace to Gaia's world that she created out of love.
Would Zeus allow such a thing? Surely Gaia could stop him?
And what of the other gods? Hera, Goddess of women and family.
Demeter, Goddess of harvest and nature. Apollo, God of light, healing and prophecy.
Artemis, Goddess of the wilderness and wild animals.
Wouldn't they help? Could we ask them for their protection? Are they on Olympus with Zeus?
There is so much I don't know and I can't help but think something so much bigger is going on. Hades asked Zeus to free someone. Is it Persephone? Didn't Hades steal her away to the underworld? She's Zeus's daughter so did he rescue her and Hades wants her back?
Questions upon questions fly through my mind as I try to put together the pieces until I get a head ache. No not a head ache. Alistair is forcing his way through my mental shield.
“What?” I snarl down the bond.
“Your plotting and brooding.”
“And you're an asshole. What do you want?”
He chuckles down the bond and I shake my head up at the Strix as she ruffles her feathers. Her white eyes narrowing on Alistair.
“See. Even she is fed up with you.”
He shakes his head almost an unnoticeable amount.
“She's always pissed with me lately.”
The Strix clicks her beak in agreement and I notice Jason turn his head in her direction. I watch as she dissolves her body into shadow and then solidify again once he looks back towards Alistair then to the trees around him. She winks at me. Winks! I hide my smile as I watch the campfire.
She's incredible.
“I wanted to tell you that as Lukas is a new Alpha his wolf is more in control than usual. The 'wolf' side of him is influenced by Zeus's will and power. He wants to claim you as his mate. You can't let him.” His voice is full of warning.