84. Where it Began
LEO.
“I remember this place.” Jin said quietly, looking around. It was me, Azura, Jax and Dan as well. Ace and Li Sheng were still
trying to track down Judah.
We had come fully equipped just in case
shit went down and I had Azura with us. I
would not risk anything and intended to ask Raihana or maybe even Delsanra to
place a protective spell around her, just in
case something happened. I needed her and our pup safe.
“Who doesn’t?” I replied to Jin. We spoke quietly, yet our voices seemed to echo
through the dark tunnels, bouncing off the walls and reaching our ears.
It had taken us two hours to get here, and now, with each passing moment, that dark feeling of foreboding grew. I looked
around the darkness. I could still feel the
darkness hanging in the air... as if a shadow of her presence remained within these caverns.
My gaze went to the far wall. Just when
we turned a bend, I remember when she had created a child Wendigo... Yet even as
a monster; the child was a child... its eerie
wailing chilled me to the core, and I
remember her throwing it against the
wall and killing it... spreading blood and
guts across that entire wall... 3
I had to clean it...
When people hear that I have a sharp memory and can remember pretty much
everything, they say I’m lucky or are
simply impressed... sometimes...
sometimes forgetting things is a
blessing...
“Leo.” Azura’s voice pulled me from the
darkest corners of my mind, and I
exhaled slowly.
I tried to get rid of the dark, damp smell
that filled my nose, a smell I was so used to while growing up.
Jax scuffed his foot over the floor, and I saw a bone beneath his feet. “This place is hidden by magic, but it’s a shame it’s not
fucking burned down.”
“Didn’t the Lycan king try to destroy it?” Jin asked, looking around slowly.
“I don’t know... I didn’t want to know...” I
murmured. The caverns had a few
entrances but only our pack really knew those, and some were extremely hard to
get to, or even blocked.
Like the one I had helped Delsanra escape
through all those years ago.
Dan frowned, scanning the paths ahead.” I don’t think any amount of magic or power could destroy this place... Can you guys
not feel the heaviness in the air? Darkness and evil remain here...”
“Then is it fucking smart to be down
here? Don’t want to disturb anything.”
Jax added, kicking some bones out of his
way.
“Scared?” Dan grinned, looking at Jax.
“Not really, there’s very little I’m scared of.” Jax countered. The tension seemed to
lift a little.
“Emmet’s been down here. I don’t think that will make a difference.” I added, holding Azura tight as we walked down a narrow
winding path.
Jax nodded. “What about you Luna?
Scared?”
“No, not at all... I was just thinking Kiara’s been down here too... Just
thinking how you all grew up here...” She
said, frowning slightly.
“Luckily, it’s all in the past.” Jin said to her with a small smile.
It was good to see them warming up to
her. .Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
We slowed down seeing the faint light ahead, and as one we all readied our guns, making Azura raise an eyebrow.
‘That was damn sexy.’ She murmured as we rounded the corner into what was obviously a makeshift lab.
The place was empty of all life, though.
‘Yeah?”
‘Oh yeah, you look sexy with a gun... so will you give me a gun?’ She asked as I lowered my gun slowly, taking in the
equipment, the fridges, the boxes that lay
to the side.
‘I’ll think about it.’ I replied arrogantly, making her frown.
She was fucking perfect.
“He was so confident that no one would find this place.” Dan murmured, as he did a quick walk around, almost as if to check if
there was someone hiding just in
case, but I could tell from the scent no one had been here in a while.
“Check the room next door. Is there
anything else in there?” I asked as Dan went over to the door, blowing off the lock and kicking open the door ahead, gun at the
ready.
“Crates of stuff... looks like supplies... and ... Leo, I think this is the substance that was added to the drugs.” He called.
I crossed the room, taking Azura with me
as I entered the smaller room, a room
that was fucking full of products. Crouching down, I sniffed it, swearing.
“Yeah, it’s the fucking poison.” I stood up scanning the room. Emmet wasn’t done...
from this room it was obvious he was
planning to make many more too.” I picked up a handful of bullet casings.
Far more...
“He couldn’t have been doing this all alone, right?” Azura voiced the very
thought that was in my mind.
I don’t know... it was possible, but it would mean being away from the pack more often than not... and he wasn’t away
that often...
“He had help... rig the place up, I want cameras out in the woods around here and Jax, clear this shit out. All of it.” I
commanded, turning away and re- entering the main hall. 3
An hour had passed, and we had probably been through most of the cavern, aside from the rooms sealed shut by Endora. The
rest was stripped and searched thoroughly. We found a little paperwork and some numbers of buyers and suppliers, but nothing
strong enough or solid enough to explain much about how he paid for all these supplies. 1
“Jin trace these numbers. See If you can find anything on them, otherwise try calling. Dan, take some samples and see if you
can find any scents or any clue... We
have the fucking dinner tomorrow, too. We need to get this shit sorted.”
and crouching down at times, but as long as she didn’t venture far, I let her carry on. “Dinner?” She tilted her head, looking at me
curiously.
“A Cartel business party Beautiful, and
before you ask, no.”
She frowned, “We’ll see.” She answered, making Jax snicker.
“Boys, think we have a new boss.” He
smirked. 2
I glared at him, picking up all the files when Azura hummed. “Emmet has a
small foot... like it’s a size 8 or 9... if you look around the edge... in the dirt some of these shoe prints look big... like an 11...”
She said peering up at me from where she was squatting. 3
Frowning, I waked over to her, trying not
to stare at her ass as I crouched next to
her, my gaze dipping to the footprints. They were faint, but she had a point...
“Could be deliveries being brought in or work boots, but definitely not something to overlook... nice going Luna.” Jax added with
a wink. I
“What do you excel in?” Dan asked her.
“Weapons, I’m excellent with different weapons. Mama taught me to fight, and she’s relentless and tracking was another I’m
pretty neat at. Just don’t tell me to handle academic stuff. I dislike studies.”
She replied.
“No worries, you got Leo with brains by your side.” Jin replied.
My eyes skimmed the ground sharply, Yeah, I don’t think this is something to let slide...” I said, taking my phone out and taking
some pictures.
It was a few hours later, and we had just headed back to the pack. We had grabbed some pizza on the way and were now in the
lounge in the mansion. It had been quiet on the drive home. The visit to the caverns had taken its toll on all of us. The raw
memories of our past returning to the forefront of our minds. We would remove the rest of the machinery and stuff from the
caverns soon, but I was hoping if Emmet had an ally they’d go to the caverns before we went in with far more men... but we did
remove the drugs and powder for the bullets from there just in case. I was not leaving that shit lying around.
Jin was getting the cameras installed and had some men from the Cartel there with
him. Right now, I hated to say this, but I was beginning to not trust anyone from
the pack... my pack.
At times like this, Shane came to mind.
Saying the Five, just didn’t fucking make sense...
He was missed...
Dan sat back after taking a pizza slice, and Jax looked lost in thought.
“You seen Kareena lately?” He asked, looking at me.
Guess Shane was on his mind too...
“Not in a few days, but Azura has.”
Azura nodded, eating her pizza, “She’s not doing great.”
“Yeah... She isn’t.” Jax frowned. “I get it
now... when you asked your mated men to step away, I never did... But death really is unpredictable.”
Frowning, I looked across at him. “Yeah... We lose more than one, it’s rare for one to survive without the other... but I
want Kareena to survive... I know Shane would want her to live on.”
“Yeah, he would...” Dan mumbled.
A silence fell and suddenly it felt like no one was hungry anymore...
Azura leaned against me, her heart racing. Her fear over me dying sifting through the link and her anger towards Judah rising.
She hated him with everything she had.
‘It’s going to be ok.’ I said firmly, looking down at her.
She tilted her head up, her gorgeous eyes holding a vulnerability as she searched my eyes, before nodding slowly. ” Promise?”
She asked softly.
“I promise.” I replied quietly, leaning closer and kissing her deeply...
Tomorrow was the dinner, and I truly hoped we got some answers from Web.
He sold the bullets... then did he know something about Judah?