I nodded. “I’m afraid that’s what’s going to happen to me. I’m going to be some kind of awful beast.”
“Do not call yourself that,” she snapped. “Don’t do it. Yes, the werewolf is frightening. I was scared of your father when he’dshift. The first time I saw it, I thought I’d have a heart attack, but you have to remember who your father’s wolf was. That was Edemas reborn: full of rage, anger, betrayal, and vengeance. Your father couldn’t control him. I told you about him coming home, dazed and covered in blood, with no memory of what he’d done. That was his wolf, not him. Yours is different. Your wolf isn’t cruel or twisted by wrath.”
Deep down, I knew she spoke the truth. I’d felt my wolf for months now. There wasn’t a single scrap of cruelty in her. Simply because we shared blood with Edemas didn’t mean we’d end up like him. That was something I could take solace in.
They let my mother stay with me, which was nice. It was a relief not to be in agony. While my body calmed down, I was able to prepare myself for what was to come.
“They’ll be taking you next door to the castle soon. Sunset isn’t far,” Gabriella said. “That will be your one chance. Youneedto shift. You aren’t cruel, no. But you need to use that strength to escape.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to. Not on command anyway. I can feel it coming, but it may not happen until they’ve already gotten me into the castle.” It was a fear I’d already thought about. That would be my luck. After all the struggle, I’d finally shift, but it would be too late to be of any help to me.
“Don’t think like that. Tonight is the super moon. The pull of it will be stronger than any other full moon. I have faith, Maddy. It’ll be there when you need it.”
I looked at her, and a spike of worry wormed its way into my chest. “If I escape and don’t open the vault, won’t they do something to you in retaliation?”
She shook her head. “We can’t worry about that. That vial of blood needs to be destroyed, yes. I don’t believe for a moment the only reason they want it is to make more money. That’s a good reason, but there are other things they can do alongwith that. Awful things. It needs to be destroyed, but I’m more concerned with you getting away. One problem at a time.”
I gave a humorless bark of laughter. “Even if I do get away, what do I do? I don’t know anyone in Germany. I have no money, no identification, and they’ll be hunting me the moment I get away—if I even manage to escape.”
Gabriella leaned in close. “Maddy, do you really think that mate of yours isn’t already in Germany? If I had to guess, Nico is already riding to the rescue. Maybe you won’t be as alone as you think.”
I’d been so worried about dying and shifting that I hadn’t allowed myself to think about Nico. My instincts told me that what my mother said was right. He wouldn’t have left me to die. He would move heaven and earth to save me. A glimmer of hope erupted in my heart. He would come for me. He would.
They finally came and took Gabriella away. When they did, she looked at me and winked. Thankfully, my mother’s calming presence remained, and I didn’t revert to the agonized tantrum I’d been going through. I reached out to my wolf and found her more focused than ever before. Fully awake and ready. A surge of power billowed under the surface, like lava boiling beneath the stone of a mountain, ready to burst forward. I did my best to control it. My plan was exactly what my mother had said. Wait until they moved me. Once I was out in the open, I would finally shift and make my move. Run to the forest and not stop until I was miles and miles away. After that, I’d try to make contact with Nico.
The door opened a couple of hours later. Viola and four guards stepped into my cell. “I’m glad your little beast was put to sleep. I guess mothersaregood for something,” Viola said.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I glared at her, hoping she could picture all the things I wanted to do to her. The guards cameforward and helped me up. Surprisingly, they didn’t tie my hands.
Viola must have seen my surprise and shrugged. “You and your wolf don’t seem to be on the same page. If you haven’t shifted by now, it’s safe to say you won’t, at least not until the moon reaches its apex. That’s still an hour away. By that point?” She gave me an ironic smile. “Let’s just say you’ll be less trouble.
I gritted my teeth and followed her out. One guard stood behind me, a pistol pressed into my back. Another walked ahead of Viola, and the last two followed behind us all. The first crack in my plan happened when, instead of going right toward the garage and the outside world beyond, Viola and her retinue went left and through a door that led to a stairwell. We weren’t going outside. I hid my surprise and worry as best as I could.
We went three floors down before coming to a landing and another door. Viola opened it to reveal what looked like an ancient stone passageway. We were moving to the castle underground. Not good. The panic and claustrophobia I suddenly felt made the urge to shift almost overwhelming. I couldn’t do that here, though. I didn’t have the passcode to get out of the upper levels, and I had no idea what kind of maze of tunnels there were down here. If I shifted now, I’d be stuck, and my one chance would be gone.
I followed while my mind raced a million miles an hour, trying to think of some new plan. Viola spoke over her shoulder. “When you get close to the vault, the spell surrounding it will activate. You’ll see a wolf sculpture appear at the base. You will put your hand within the wolf’s mouth, and the ritual will begin.” She stopped walking and turned to stare into my eyes. “Please don’t forget that your mother is back at the mansion. If you step out of line or try anything, I will give the order for her neck to be snapped.”
I growled at her, deeper and louder than I’d ever growled before. The strength of it surprised me, and it must have surprised Viola as well because she took several quick steps back. Her eyes glanced down to my wrists, and I could see her wonder if it had been a good idea not to bind me. To her credit, Viola recovered her composure in an instant and gave me a sickly sweet smile before turning and proceeding down the passages.
A breeze filtered through the tunnels toward me, probably pushed toward us by opening and closing doorways ahead of us. I almost tripped over my feet when I smelled it. The faint breeze carried a scent toward us. It was familiar and filled me with renewed hope. Gabriella had been right. Nico and his friends had come for me. I could smell Luis. He was down here with me. His scent grew stronger the closer we got to the vault.
By the time we got to the final stone door, my wolf was almost beyond control. The door was opened, and we entered a new chamber. A huge stone boulder sat in the middle of the floor. I stepped toward it, and my knees went weak in its presence.
“My ancestors couldn’t open it. Even the stone around the actual vault door is so strong it couldn’t be broken. They chiseled out the stone as close as they could and transported the entire thing here hundreds of years ago. The stone weighs over ten tons. It was an incredible feat,” Viola said, pride dripping from every word.
I could barely hear her. My eyes were locked on the stone. Ten feet tall, seven feet wide, and a one-foot square door was visible near eye level. I watched as a wolf’s head appeared out of the stone beneath it. The stone itself morphed and changed like it was made of water. It sat with its jaw open, waiting for my hand. The power that radiated from the vault made my eyes water. The moon above pressed down on me, almost crushingme under its weight, even down here below ground. I trembled and went to one knee. Between the vault and the moon, it was too much. I could feel my wolf surging forward.
“What are you doing? It’s too soon. Stand up,” Viola hissed. “Put your hand in the wolf’s mouth. Now!”
Then I felt him. Close and getting closer. Not Luis. Nico. He was coming. My mate was on his way. I relaxed, and at that moment… my shift began. Viola began to scream.
75
NICO
The power. My God—the power that I felt. It was Maddy. I knew it was. As soon as I entered the tunnels, I felt it. I’d come in through the church above, as it had half the security of the royal estate. It also had the added benefit of being close to the vault. I shifted and sprinted down the hallway toward the feeling of power, toward Maddy’s scent, toward the sounds of screaming.
As I got closer, three men ran past me, heading for an exit. The look of abject terror in their eyes gave me hope. Had I been in my human form, a broad smile would have been plastered on my face. The last corner revealed the doorway and the chamber where they’d taken Maddy. I sprinted in but slid to a stop, shocked by the sight that greeted me.
