Chapter 185

Hannah

As soon as I released the cuff and allowed it to fall to the table, I could sense my wolf again. It was like coming up for fresh air. I knew right away that the man that stood before me was not my husband. It was a shifter; it was the same shifter that took the form of my mother. This was the shifter I needed to stab in the chest to destroy Xander’s powers.

He looked surprised at my words when I revealed the name of Sebastian’s sister. I didn’t give him any time to say anything else. I was running quickly in the direction of Scott. He must have mindlinked Caroline and she told him a part of the story that made him suspicious and realize that I was in danger.

He was running too; he was running in the direction of a door on the far side of the room. It was unoccupied. It was most likely locked, but because he has worked in the palace for a long time, he probably had access to it.

I was right; he reached the door and with a press of his thumb, it unlatched, and he was able to push it open. My heart raced in my chest and my breathing was growing difficult. I knew the shifter was probably chasing after me, but I didn’t give it the time of day. I didn’t turn around or let it distract me. I just kept running as fast as my legs would allow.

It almost seemed like I was running in slow motion. As I ran, I kicked off the heels, leaving them behind so I could run even faster. I wasn’t going to shift into my wolf knowing that it would only cause an even bigger scene.

Scott waited behind the door, watching me with worry and a bit of determination. He motioned for me to run faster, and I did so. Once I was through the door, he slammed it shut and latched it.

“Come on!” He said urgently as he ran up the stairs. I realized that the door led to the stairway; it must have been an emergency door.

I didn’t waste any more time, I ran with him up the stairs. I was breathless by the time we got to the top floor. He pushed open the doors and peered around the corner before we actually left the stairwell. It was only a matter of time before we are found. I wasn’t sure if the shifter would be stupid enough to follow me now that it knows we are after it.

Scott grabbed my arm and pulled me alongside him; we quickly scurried down the hallway. I recognized this hallway. We were heading in the direction of the library.

“You talked to Caroline?” I asked him breathlessly.

“She originally asked me to keep an eye on you, it was only a guess that you’d be at the ball,” Scott explained. “I guessed correctly. But when I got there, I saw Sebastian and knew something wasn’t right. So, I mindlinked her.”

“It wasn’t Sebastian,” I told him. “It was the shifter.”

“I’m aware,” he retorted.

“Why are you helping us?” I asked. “I thought you were loyal to Xander?”

“I’m not loyal to him; I do what I can for survival. But that doesn’t mean I agree with what he’s doing. It’s not right to take the lives of others…”

“You were once a werewolf too, weren’t you?” I asked.

I had never really spoken to Scott until now. Up until that point, I assumed he was a vampire too. But now that I was talking to him, I realized he wasn’t.

He gave me a side glance and nodded slowly.

“Yes,” he answered. “I was poisoned like most slaves here. My soul and wolf both got trapped. I’ve been stuck here for years.”

“Caroline was right,” I breathed. “You do want out of here. Why has Xander never brainwashed you?” I asked, peering at him as we continued down the long halls.

“He did at one point,” he answered. “But Caroline was able to wake me…”

His voice trailed off. He cared for Caroline, that much was clear. He would do anything she asked, and he was proving that right now.

“Thank you, Scott,” I said gently. “For getting me out of there.”

He gave me a sheepish grin in return, and we walked even faster to the library.

“Caroline!” I exclaimed as we ran down the stairs and toward my small and brave friend.

Caroline stood in the center of the library, and she held her arms out for me to hug her. She hugged me tightly and I could feel her relaxing slightly.

“I’m glad you’re okay. Wrenley saw the shifter turn into Sebastian and we were worried,” Caroline said.

I laughed and waved my hand in dismissal.

“Oh, that,” I said with an eye roll. “I saw through her. She can’t trick me that easily.”

“That’s a relief,” she breathed. “But your cover has been compromised. Which means we need to work quickly. Sebastian is on his way here with the scepter. We need to go in for the attack.”

I nodded in agreement. Caroline stared up at Scott and I saw her face growing a slight red, I couldn’t help but smile at the look she was giving him and the look he was giving her. Something told me they were more than just friends.

“Thank you for helping, Scott,” she said to him as they hugged.

“I guess I’m in this now,” he said with a light laugh as he rubbed the back of his head with the palm of his hand.

Before anything more was said, I heard the rattling of a vent on the other side of the library. I sensed Sebastian and Wren right away and my entire heart melted. I was so relieved to be near them again; my wolf was going ecstatic in my mind.

I ran through the library until I reached the vent they were climbing through.

“Mommy!” Wren said as she wrapped her arms around me. I lifted her off the ground and twirled her around, causing her to giggle. “You’re okay,” she breathed.

“Thanks to you,” I said to her in return.

“You saw through that fake?” Sebastian asked, joining our hug.

“Of course, I did,” I said, kissing him gently. “But I wouldn’t have been able to get out of there if it wasn’t for Scott,” I added, motioning for Scott who was currently hugging Caroline kind of intimately.

“I’m glad he was there,” Sebastian agreed, kissing me again. “But we shouldn’t stay here. It will only be a matter of time before they find us.”

“Xander’s ritual will be starting soon. He’s doing it in the ballroom here. He has those who are taking over vessels as guests to his ball and those who are vessels in the ball on our land.”

“So, we can’t waste time,” Sebastian agreed.

He pulled out the scepter from his pocket. It glowed heavily as we were all surrounding it. I could feel the wave of power before I even touched it.

“It’s now or never,” I breathed, grabbing the scepter. “It’s time we destroyed that heart.”