Page 29 of Moon Guardian
Anything was possible now.
“How much further?” I asked, my body threatening to give out. I needed rest if we were going to survive.
She pointed to a ridge. “Just beyond that hill.”
My legs ached and I groaned, not wanting to move anymore as we climbed the steep ground, but the idea of a warm bed and rest was enough to keep me going, at least another few steps.
When we reached the top, I shot up my eyebrows in surprise. “Uh, this is where we’re going to hide?”
Maybe this was a setup after all, or Althea was missing a few marbles, which sounded legit to me.
Great. I’ve put my life in the hands of a crazy-ass shifter who’s going to get me killed in the middle of nowhere.
A lifeless wasteland stretched out before us, charred red dirt dotted with twisted, dead trees that suggested something terrible had happened here.
And it also seemed like the worst place in the world to hide.
“This is where they burned it all down,” she said, her words soft and filled with pain. Then she straightened, holding her chin up. “They think they won. We let them see what they want to see. Their arrogance is what keeps us safe.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Um, well, that’s nice and all. But, where are we going to hide?” I peered over the ridge. “Is there an underground secret city or something?” I asked hopefully.
Ignoring me, she made her way down the hill and I sighed, following her for now.
The alphas would eventually find us, and when they did, I really didn’t want to be easy prey.
She weaved through the twisted trees, brushing her fingers over the bark along the way as if this place held some sacred value.
When we reached a field of caked, red dirt, she pressed her hand against an invisible wall and hummed.
The sound reverberated through my chest and made my extremities tingle. A silver light emanated from her fingertips and spread out, revealing a structure of grand columns and carved stone.
A massive mansion appeared, taking form as a stark contrast against the emptiness all around us. Vibrant green vines wound over the columns, reaching for the sky with hundreds of Moon Blossoms dotting the outside.
I sucked in a breath at so many, not just plucked and placed for temporary protection, butalive.
It was enough magic to hide the entire structure, and given that the roots held life, the Moon Blossoms would never wilt or fade.
“Wow,” I said on a breath. “That’s… amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Running my fingers up the doorway, I brushed the petals of the nearest Moon Blossom. “How is this possible?”
She smiled. “When Ryker’s father burned our lands, the Moon Goddess protected us.” Her gaze shifted to me. “And told us to wait for you.”
That was a bit much for me to process, and I still didn’t trust Althea. Looking over my shoulder, I realized I didn’t have a choice. I had led the Alphas here and I didn’t have any place to go.
As if sensing my unease, she wrapped her fingers over the door handle and twisted. “The alphas won’t find us here,” she promised. “Only a member of our pack can enter.” She pushed the door, sending a mouth-watering scent of cooking meats, onion and garlic with a variety of herbs that made my stomach twist. Other than the sandwich she’d offered me, I hadn’t had much else to eat in days.
When we stepped inside, I tried not to let the shock show on my face.
But I’d never seen anything like this.
Wealth and finery dripped from the ceiling, crystals decorated with living Moon Blossoms glowed with power. A staircase led to an upstairs balcony that wound around the entryway and behind it stretched out a hall that led to the rest of the mansion. Massive paintings framed either side, displaying various males that seemed to frown down at me.
“Those are the prior alphas,” she explained, taking my hand and drawing me deeper into the strange home. “Kane likes to remember who came before and how far back our pack really goes.”
Finding the portraits rather creepy, I gave her a noncommittal hum as the door clicked closed behind us. I glanced at it, my whole body stiffening as a tingling sensation swept across the floor and silver light flashed over the walls.
She gave me a warm smile. “We’re hidden again, so rest easy. We’re safe now.”
A sensation of being trapped made my heart quicken, and I opened my mouth to protest, but a new voice presented itself from the top of the staircase. “Well look what the mutt dragged in,” said a male. I glanced up to find another white-haired shifter with pale eyes that matched Althea’s.
