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I finally hit the marble surface of the ground floor and skid to a halt before I reach the main door, a
sudden thought hitting me right in the head which falters my steps. It’s so obvious and yet I facepalm
myself for being this stupid and slow to even pick up on it until now. Instead of running around in the
dark like a headless chicken, I have the means under my nose to bring Varro to me. I spin on my heel
to face my nearest wolf, suddenly enlightened on the easiest method for an outcome.
“Let’s go to the security room where Carmen is.” I nod the command, raising a brow, only get a gruff
wolfy snort in response before my guards turn and push me along the darkest part of the house. No
argument when their Luna commands, because Radar isn’t here to question anything and no one
outside the sub pack would ever dare. “What is with the lack of lighting in here, can one of you not go
find the generator?” I snap in frustration, knowing this is not even a point but already my nerves are
taut, and I am all out of whack with tension. I follow closely, one wolf in front and the other falls back to
my heel to keep me flanked. Ever aware of keeping me safe and yet it doesn’t help settle my inner
turmoil at all. My mind brimming with scenarios and thinking this might be the best way to do things
quickly and possibly limit the damage to my pack out there.
We get to the room where Carmen has holed herself up and push the door open quickly, sliding inside.
She’s sat typing away like a maniac, a furrowed brow and determined expression as she chews on her
lower lip and nods to signal she knows we walked in. Her whole aura screams of intense concentration
and mild agitation, And I can tell how furiously she has been working to get the frequencies separated
already.
“If you want an update then don’t get your hopes up. The file was recorded at one time with both
sounds, so I cannot pull them apart. I need to try and find the original deterrent file and replace what I
have but Juan has the system so locked up I can’t get into anything. I need more time.” She snorts as if
disgusted, rams a few more keys with heavy prods and keeps on tap, tap, tapping like a maniac as she
squints at the only illumination here. The monitor: and I wonder how the back up power is still
connected to tech but not to anything else in the house. I wonder if he re-routed all remaining dregs to
the security room to make sure his weapons stayed in place.
“It’s not why I’m here. The sound system outside for the frequency…. does it also work as a PA
system?” I push up beside her, pulling out a swivel stool and drop down to her level pulling her
attention for a second.
“Of course, it’s what’s used to send this sound over the valley. All the speakers outside are connected
and playing this on a loop at all hours.” She doesn’t seem to understand why I’m asking, not clicking on
what I would want a PA system for so I cover her hand with mine to get her to focus for a second.
“Is there a mic in here for me to make an announcement?” I press on. My plan is simple…. Call my
father out in a way he’s sure to hear if he is really here. Bring him to me instead of running around like
an idiot trying to find someone I have never seen. A loudspeaker shout out that says, come see me.
Carmen’s expression straightens as she thinks for a second and then nods towards the desk to the
right side of my tilted body.
“Ummmmm…announcement? Are you going to politely ask the vampires to stop doing what they are
doing?” A sardonic tilt of the brow and she squints at me as though I have lost my mind. I flick her in
the forehead with an utter sigh of frustration and sometimes wonder if Carmen pretends she’s dumb, or
if she sometimes really is.
“Carmen, honey… I say this with utter adoration, but, Meadows right…you are not the sharpest tool in
the box….. I am trying to call my vampire father out and find a way to end this. I want him to come to
me!” I say it slowly and precisely while widening my eyes as though she’s having to translate a foreign
language she doesn’t know.
“Ahhhhhh. Yeah, huh. I see.” Carmen scratches her head, throws me a little sarcastic smile of
embarrassment and being dense, and then her face drops immediately to a blank expression.
“Does that mean…..that maybe Jasper….?” She falters on her own words, her voice husky, swallowing
hard and then pulls her hands away from mine to go back to furious typing on the keyboard. Her whole
posture stiff and defensive in the blink of an eye as she reverts to that inner cave inside her head
where no one can hurt her. I can feel the change in her mood and the slight tremble to her lip as she
tries to push away the obvious pain that has struck her heart.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I avoid her eye and turn to pull a small standing mic from the shadows of the
desk towards me and wave my hand airily toward her. “Show me how to turn it on so it can be heard
across the valley.” I try a subject change and press the importance of this. I feel for her , I do, but right
now this is more important.
“Here. It’s already set to sound out on every available speaker from here to the other side of the
mountain. Hit that button and hold it in while you talk. I will add the mic to overlay the frequency, so I
don’t have to turn it off.” She taps some keys, pulls up some new screens and then nods at me to say I
am all set. Her whole demeanor on the defensive and I know her brain is once again transfixed on my
idiot brother but she’s trying to ignore it.
I clear my throat, inhale with a nervous tremble and pull the mic so it barely grazes my lip as I lean into
it. I press the button with my thumb and close my eyes before I start. No time to doubt or hesitate, I just
need to do it and be firm.
“I’m Alora Santo…Dennison. Daughter of Marina and Lord Varro. I know you can hear me, and I know
that you’re aware that I’m your biological daughter. I am asking you to come to me and put an end to
this stupid fight and mindless violence. These are my people and you harming them, harms me in ways
you can never comprehend. Put down your hatred and come to the manor on the south side of the
valley where I will be waiting out front for you. Please. If there is any kind of love for me as your child.
We need to end this, and I have the wolf you are really looking for with me. I will not stop you from
taking him, but I have a condition we need to discuss. I’m waiting.” I let go of the button when the last of
my words fade out, fully shivering with the sudden high level of anxiety and nerves I invoked, yet
strangely calm too. Contradictory but somehow a part of me feels like this may actually work. If he did
all of this because of what I am, maybe he can stop it when he finally sees me.
“Do you though? Have Juan, I mean. Judging by the fact there are only three of you here…” Carmen
tilts her head to me and nods at my scarce guard number. A flicker of serious doubt in that questioning
look.
“Radar’s out there with Sierra and more of the Luna’s guard. If they haven’t subdued him then at least
he’s in the open where Varro can pick him up himself. They’re all exposed to the frequency now so it
shouldn’t be hard.” I snort a sudden flash of worry about Radar’s condition and Sierra’s safety, knowing
that the longer they are out there, the weaker they get. My stomach in instant knots and I push it away,
trying to focus on the here and now. I need to get out there to make sure Sierra stays alive.
“I recorded your message. Do you want me to repeat it every few minutes until they show up?” Carmen
cuts in pulling me out of my own head. I guess she can sense the sudden doubt in me and her
suggestion is smart for once.
“Hmmm.” I nod, absent minded for a second, pulling myself up to my feet and gesture for the guards to
move first and let me out. “I can link you for now, but it seems the pack has lost that ability outside this
house so we might too. Keep trying with the frequency, it’s disabling them slowly.” I pat her on the head
with a light touch and move away, holding back the sudden urge to cry and swallow it down to put my
fierce back in place. I feel like we’re losing control of this situation and cut off from Colton I somehow
feel even more alone and vulnerable and uncertain about what to do. I wish I was as strong and
capable as a Luna is meant to be but all I ever seem to be now is a useless lump who can’t do very
much. My own wolf is not even useful and my gifts are limited due to pregnancy tiredness.
“Be careful out there. You may be Varro’s child but it doesn’t mean his creatures won’t take a pop at
you. Remember how vulnerable you are right now. Don’t take risks.” Carmen scolds me with a soft tone
but a serious glint in her eye and I can’t resist the sudden need to hug her. The girl has this knack for
pulling out a need in me to show her affection when she’s being her bossy self.
Stepping back in an abrupt manner, I throw my arms around her neck from behind to semi strangle her
with genuine love. All my emotions boiling up inside and I realize how desperately scared I am as I
cling to the last one of my circle who gives me security. No meadow, no Colton, no Radar or the subs,
no Sierra… and Carmen is needed here. My entire bubble is not going out there with me to face Lord
Varro. I have to go it alone and stand on my own two feet to face someone that I am terrified of
meeting.
“You’re getting weirder the longer I know you.” Carmen wriggles free from my embrace, her face
screwed up with an ‘ewww’ expression, her energy warm even if her tone is harsh and I smile at the
show of prickly from her. I have long learned that when she is being her most abrasive, it’s usually
because she is at her most emotional. She likes me and my hug, even if she will never admit it. “You
got this, Luna. Don’t disappoint me by going out there and making an idiot of yourself. I’ll pretend not to
know you if you embarrass me.” A wry smile thrown my way which pulls a genuine one from me and I
blink back the tears forming in my eyes, swallowing down all that turmoil. Loving this strange girl for all
the cold and stiff she exudes.
“I can do this.” I say it aloud, more to myself than her because I truly have to believe it, and before I
have any other doubts I turn on my heel and march out the door with my guards in tow. My head set on
seeing this through and my purpose clear. I have to make Varro stop this before I lose my pack and
maybe even my life if my mate falls out there. My hearts telling me Sierra is okay right now, Radar is
there, and I just need a little time and space and for Varro to show up like I asked.
We make haste and within no time at all we are out in the cool night air, shadows dancing around
under the moonlight and already wolves are fighting wolves. I can only see fast moving outlines and
glowing eyes as a battle inches closer into the compound around me. I sense Sierra off to my left and
turn to see her rolling around with Juan and Radar in a three-way fight and inhale sharply at the scene
before me.
A gruesome and vicious battle of three, and it’s hard to tell which is which or who has the upper hand.
Teeth gnashing, claws flying, and bodies joined. I instinctively step towards her and raise my hands and
have to haul myself back again. Reeling inside and knowing my addition of gifts won’t do anything
except hurt radar and Sierra too.
I’m tugged sideways by gentle teeth, knocked off my feet so I stumble in an awkward tumble and pulled
into a circle of fur as my guards shield me. He stops me from falling and I’m supporting against a strong
solid body as I glimpse at what they saw as my night vision begins to kick in. My eyes scanning the
scene before me as the true intensity of fear runs through me at a cold speed.
Vampires scaling the fences around us like a liquid flow of cascading movement, with wolves on their
asses. The battles from afar has flooded this way and everywhere as far as the eye can see the dark
ground is a flow of bodies and battles, no space left clear as the invasion begins.
I press back against my guard, my body turning cold and my heart almost stops when faced with the
true terror in my vision. Hundreds upon hundreds of these foul beings, swarming to the place I thought I
could patiently await Varro.
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