Chapter 87

Third Person POV

Alaric and Mia approached the beaten down entrance to the tunnels after a few minutes of traversing the sewers, his heart racing in his chest.

“We go in as wolves,” Mia murmured, glancing into the darkness emanating out of the broken door leading into the tunnels.

“That’s the only option,” Alaric nodded, knowing the wolf form was the safest anyway. They were stronger and far stealthier than way.

“Follow me,” Mia instructed, slowly shifting forms to her beautiful chocolate wolf. Alaric followed, blending into the shadows against the dank walls of the tunnel.

He shifted to his wolf, feeling the strength take over his bones, his nose lighting up with all kinds of different scents — mostly rogue ones.

This way, Mia’s wolf whispered to him, their communication open between one another. Most wolves could communicate via their mind, but only if they were open to do so.

With the history Mia and Alaric held, they had no problem talking to each other more telepathically. They’d done it since they were kids, their mental pathways already familiar with one another.

We head north west now, Mia said softly, prowling just ahead of him, the tunnels silent. Eventually we’ll intercept.

You’re absolutely sure? Alaric asked, wondering why the rogue scents were so strong. It seems like they’ve just been here.

Don’t forget how much stronger our scents are. We’re smelling them from further up — the winds blow towards us. He could hear the smile in Mia’s tone, an obvious twinkle in her eye.

For a few minutes, they were silent, following the winding, curving paths of the tunnels, going left, right, forward and left once again. Every step they made, the stronger the rogues scents got, just as Mia had said.

We’ll run into them pretty suddenly. Be ready to lunge.

Alaric’s hackles rose, because further up, he could hear the echo of their footsteps. Multiple rounds of them.

How many do you think are in the group? Alaric asked, watching the faint outline of Mia’s shadow ahead of him. The tunnel stunk of old dirt and water, a very unpleasant mix.

At least five, she thought aloud, pausing for a moment. Maybe more.

Five or six, Alaric agreed. And watch out for their poison — being all the way down here, we might not be able to get an antidote in time.

No one is dying today, Alaric, Mia said back, a fierceness in her voice that he remembered from their childhood.

That’s the best case scenario, he chuckled somewhat bitterly.

We have the upper hand, you know, she hummed, her prowling slowing momentarily as they reached an intersection, where she proceeded to move forward after a second of analyzing.

Alaric couldn’t believe he trusted her, but he just…did. There was something in him that would know when she was lying, and he hadn’t felt a lick of that yet.

Maybe we do, but I’m the one who endured their poison, and it’s not pleasant, Alaric sighed, remembering the way the poison had slowly stiffened his muscles to the point of paralyzation.

He would never wish that on anyone.

They fell into silence for a few minutes, the faint sound of their paws on the old dirt the only noise around. It stunk down there, the rotting smell of death engrained into the walls.

The scents of the rogues grew stronger, and Mia let out a soft growl, saying nothing but implying they were close.

Alaric’s hackles rose, every hair on his body on alert. It would be so easy to creep up on the rogues, especially with Mia’s familiarity of the tunnels.

We’re going to approach them from behind. We take a left up here, a right, and another right, and we’ll be behind them.

Alaric was impressed with her ability to navigate down there, because he didn’t think he could. It was dark, stinky and confusing, a real labyrinth of old dirt. He could almost feel the earth pressing down around him, begging and groaning to collapse.

I sense five of them, Alaric said, sniffing the air once more. Definitely five very separate scents.

Me too, Mia affirmed, slowing as they reached their last right turn. They’re a few paces down this way.

I vote we approach silently, and then don’t hesitate a second to dig into their skin.

Agreed. Alaric could hear the smirk in Mia’s tone, and slowly, they crept around the corner, the footsteps of the rogues just up ahead.

Alaric and Mia fell into a silent step beside one another, knowing the rogues would have no way of knowing they were coming. Wolves were deadly for their utter silence, no warning ever given that they were coming.

You were just dead, every time, unless you were a wolf, too.

Rogues were some of the people who had never taken a wolf as a part of them, solely human and believing that was the best way to be.

Stupid, Alaric’s wolf scoffed, and even Alaric couldn’t help but chuckle. Having a wolf was one of the best decisions he’d ever made, making him stronger and more efficient in every way.

Count to three, and then we move, Mia said in a growl, and Alaric could sense the fight in her, which made a growl swell in his own throat.

They both went mute, listening to the footsteps of the rogues, both counting to three,

Then all hell broke loose.

Alaric leapt onto the back of rogue on the right side of the tunnel while Mia took the one on the left, snapping their necks so quickly that the two in front of them had absolutely no idea.

By the time they noticed, their necks were snapped, too, leaving one lone rogue in the front, who tried to take off running, flinging poison arrows at them.

Their wolves night vision was too good for that, though, making it easy to see the arrows the rogue chucked manically towards them.

With every dodge, Alaric and Mia got closer, until the rogue stumbled, letting out a pathetic scream that was hushed by the claustrophobic walls of the ancient tunnels, no hope of anyone ever hearing them.

Why did that seem too easy? Alaric murmured, the fresh, metallic taste of blood on his fangs.

Probably because that’s only the beginning. Five rogues is nothing — that’s a simple scout to them, Mia sighed, wiping her snout with her paw. She’d never liked to be dirty in any way, especially with human blood.

Can we get out of here? Alaric was suddenly very uneasy, the walls slowly closing in around him. I hate this place.

This won’t be the last you see of it, Mia hummed in amusement, and he just knew her eyes were twinkling.

Great, Alaric mumbled, following her through the maze, which was now hauntingly silent. Do you think anyone else is down here?

It would take a hell of a lot of hours to find out, Mia laughed. If there are, they’ll show themselves eventually.

Alaric felt the slightest bit of relief lift off his shoulders — this hadn’t gone as badly as he’d thought. But even then, he couldn’t quite shake the idea that Mia had some kind of dark ulterior motive going for her.