Chapter 106: Chapter 106

Adelie

Stepping out of the prison, I noticed guards trailing behind me, adhering to my instructions to never leave Kairos unattended. Yet, he was tailing me outdoors.

The guards attempted to restrain him, but my warning halted them. “It’s okay. Just keep an eye on him,” I casually dismissed, not wanting him to feel belittled.

I despised the notion of acting superior to him. I wasn’t. I never felt that way. I couldn’t.

Together, Kairos and I trailed behind Esty.

A small gathering was visible in front of my house. Burton emerged and his anger flared at the sight of Kairos outside. “Why is he out?” he bellowed.

“Quiet!” Kairos roared from behind me. His Alpha persona surprised me, especially considering his recent confinement. It hurt to see him switch so quickly between states.

“You don’t command my pack!” Kairos snarled at Burton, who seemed to back down and retreat to his place.

However, he turned to me. “Adelie, he’s dangerous,” he warned, his gaze fixed on Kairos.

“Right now, ~I~ could be a threat to you if you continue to act like you have any authority over my pack.

“You’re under my roof. I am your superior, and until I say otherwise, you will abide by my rules,” I asserted, finally embracing my role as Luna.

It was a stark reminder of how much I needed Kairos. He was my rock, my strength, and I needed him by my side. Burton fell silent, stepping back with a look of annoyance on his face. But he stayed to greet our guests.

My eyes landed on a group of women. They were all dressed in silk gowns adorned with ribbons and mesh, their waists cinched.

Their hair was long but styled neatly in braids and curls. They seemed somewhat alarmed, their expressions a mix of fear and curiosity.

There were nine of them in total. My men watched them closely as the women waited patiently for someone to approach. They remained silent, but their eyes were on me.

“Ladies. Welcome to the Night walker’s pack. What brings you here?” I inquired, curiosity piqued. Could they be like me?

An older woman stepped forward. “You must be Adelie Murrell,” she declared. She didn’t extend a hand, but her demeanor was friendly. They all seemed friendly.

“It’s Garcia now,” I corrected her casually. She glanced at one of the women beside her and clasped her hands in front of her.

“I’m Lola. My ladies and I have been waiting for you to seek us out.” She chuckled nervously. “But since you didn’t…we came to find you,” she explained.

“We’ve been patient, but you didn’t show any interest. Now we’re confused and just want to know when you’ll be arriving.”

A hush fell over us. Among the nine unfamiliar women, Kairos, Esty, and the guards, no one spoke.

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Who are you?” I finally asked, though I had a hunch.

“We are nymphs,” she revealed.

I had never seen so many nymphs, aside from my mother. There were a few, but they were rarely mentioned or seen.

“We are just a fraction of our vast community. We’ve been waiting for you since the day you were born,” Lola shared.

“Why? How many of you are there?” I asked, intrigued by both aspects.

“Our community is made up of ten thousand nymphs. Each of us connected to a different aspect of nature.” She beamed with pride.

“In the world?” I asked, prompting a few giggles from the group.

“Oh, no. There are over five hundred thousand of us worldwide.”

“Where? I haven’t met many,” I admitted.

“Your destiny isn’t meant for this realm. Your true potential can only flourish on the sacred soil of the nymphs. We’d be thrilled to witness you bloom in your homeland.”

“You possess powers that are beyond this world. That could signify a transformative journey for both you and us.” Her voice was filled with wonder, as if she was speaking of celestial bodies. Something magical.

I immediately shook my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of such a thing. But what I do know is that I am a nymph here, in my pack.

“This is my world. I am Luna here. This is my land,” I declared with pride.

She laughed, but it died when she realized I wasn’t joking. “We are your kin. Nymphs like you.

“You haven’t experienced your true life until you’ve set foot on the land that the nymph gods tread upon and crafted for us. You live too far from Mother Nature, Adelie.

“If you remain here, you’ll simply fade away. You’re a nymph, and a potent one. You can’t survive here. You can only maintain your beauty and immortality on our land.”

“Immortality?” I questioned. Nymphs had longer lifespans and aged slower, retaining the allure of youth for longer, but we were never immortal. It wasn’t in the books my mother had me read.

“Our land bestows us with immortality. You can live the life you’ve always dreamed of, in harmony with nature, among your own kind.”

I shook my head. “There’s no debate here. I don’t know what you expect from me. I won’t go with you. I belong here. I don’t know you, and I don’t have time for this.”

I spoke a bit too quickly, eager for them to leave. How dare they barge in here and dump all of this on me?

“My family is here. I don’t want to leave,” I informed them.

Another woman gasped in shock, as if my words were incomprehensible. “You’re a nymph… Don’t you want to live in nature? Isn’t that what you were born for?” she queried, but I disregarded her.

“What about my family?” I asked.

Lola glanced at Kairos. “Ordinary men don’t dwell among us. And he can’t attain immortality,” she clarified.

“I’m staying here,” I declared instantly. I didn’t need to think twice. Kairos was my family, and soon we would be welcoming another member.

They looked affronted. “We urge you to contemplate it. Consider your duty as a child of Mother Nature. Nymphs don’t thrive on love, but they do on nature. Mull it over.”

“I don’t want to mull it over. My pack is here, my land is here, and my people are here. If fading away is my fate, then I’ll face it here.”

I was growing irate and didn’t want to hear any more.

“We’ll be staying nearby for a few weeks for our duties. I implore you to reconsider and ponder this,” Lola said.

“We’ll visit you again before we depart. Reflect on it. We hope you’ll choose to join us,” she added, but her expression had lost its earlier cheerfulness. They all looked utterly bewildered.

I was about to reiterate my stance, but Kairos intervened. “She will consider it. Please understand that we have a lot on our plate right now.” His voice was firm.

We watched them leave, and then Esty approached me. “They don’t know any other way of life. They exist as nature spirits, day in and day out. Any other existence is inconceivable to them.

“Once a nymph steps on that land, she feels a connection like never before. If you set foot on that land, you wouldn’t want to leave,” she advised me, but I didn’t see it as a viable option.

How could I ever be happier living somewhere else…alone?

“Do they ever have kids?” I questioned Esty, instantly regretting it. She was the only one who knew about my pregnancy and I was hoping she wouldn’t let it slip.

“They consider nature, other spirits, Mother Nature as their family. They don’t need to procreate. They refer to you and other nymphs in the human world as rogues. Every nymph gets the chance to travel at least once.

“Most of them don’t turn down the opportunity. They try to convince every human nymph to transform into them,” she elaborated.

“Is that a bad thing?” I queried. “It sounds like a cult.”

She shook her head. “Not at all. You’re a nymph. You should understand that being one with nature is all you ever desire. It’s a paradise for beings like you.

“Your natural habitat is there, and life here is just a glimpse of what more you could experience.”

I attempted to glance at Kairos, but he was already heading back to the prison. I started to trail him, but Burton intercepted me. “Adelie, can we talk?” he requested, motioning for me to follow him.

We entered my study, Esty trailing behind us. “Everything is set for tomorrow. But I need everyone out of my way. I don’t want any distractions.”

“I need to be there,” I countered. “You need people to restrain Kairos if necessary, and I won’t let you do anything without my knowledge.”

Burton seemed annoyed, but Esty found it amusing. “Alright,” he conceded. “But I’ll be the one to kill him. I can’t afford any mistakes.”

I was considering whether to argue further, but decided to wait till the next day. I didn’t want to give him any reasons to suspect my plans.

“But have you thought everything through?” I questioned.

He looked at me, eyebrows raised.

“Isn’t there a way to save him?” I asked.

He sighed. “I’ve explored all possible options.”

“But what if you just remove Christopher? Can’t you transfer him to someone else?”

He turned to face me. “To capture Christopher’s soul, his host must be completely dead. I can’t extract the soul from a living host. I thought you had accepted the inevitable,” he stated.

I nodded. “I have.” I was about to respond when Burton pulled out a glowing crystal from his pocket. “I have guests,” he announced.

He swiftly exited my study. I turned to Esty. “Should I go?” I asked.

She shook her head. “It’s just deliveries for tomorrow.”

“Anything important?” I asked. I wasn’t worried because I knew Nathan would be overseeing everything, and if anything suspicious came up, he would alert me.

“Not particularly,” she replied.

I rolled my eyes and was about to follow Burton, but then Nathan burst in. “There’s a chest filled with books, crystals, and… I don’t know. Odd stuff.”

I sighed and slumped into my chair. “Just let me know if he does anything unusual with it,” I instructed, and he nodded. “Oh, wait!”

I pulled out the piece of paper John had given me. “Find this woman. The files should have information on her. She was present when Alpha Kairos was born. Find her and tell her it’s urgent.”

Nathan didn’t question anything. He simply nodded and left.

Esty was observing me from where she sat, her chin resting on her hand. I rolled my eyes again. “What?”

She shook her head, but I knew she was thinking about something. “For heaven’s sake, just spit it out or you won’t be able to relax.”

“You’re very transparent,” she stated.

“What?” I asked.

“Easy to read. Not a good trait,” she responded.

“How?”

“Don’t you care about your mate’s life hanging in the balance?” she questioned.

I stiffened, realizing my unease might be giving me away.

“Why would you assume I don’t care? I do. It’s constantly on my mind. But I also have a pack to lead and a child to protect.

“The thought of facing all this alone terrifies me,” I confessed. There was some truth in my words. I ~was~ scared, just not as much as if Kairos were truly on the brink of death.

I refused to entertain that possibility.

“Even if you’re not a werewolf, your love for him should be driving you mad with worry. If he were dying, you’d already be in mourning.

“You’re not as unfeeling as you pretend to be.”

“What are you implying?” ~Just act clueless~, I advised myself.

“I’m implying that you might need assistance. Or a second opinion.” She smirked slightly, then picked up a book and began to read.

I was stunned into silence. She knew I was hiding something. I also knew she despised Burton, and he was only here because I needed him to delay Kairos’ death. She wasn’t a complete traitor.

“I don’t need a second opinion,” I muttered.

She slammed the book onto the table, a faint smile playing on her lips. “So you’re that cunning?” she queried.

She waited for my reply, but I was hesitant to trust her. She realized I wouldn’t divulge anything.

She folded her arms. “My daughter is destined to be the next witch in our coven. I’m rallying all my resources. She’s the rightful heir, but it’s a secret,” she revealed.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I responded. I was clueless about what she was saying.

She stood up and pricked her pinky with a needle, letting a single drop of blood fall onto a piece of paper. She leaned over the table and began to write on the paper.

I was familiar with witchcraft. My mother had made me study it. Esty was making a witch's vow.

“No one knows about this, but if the wrong person finds out, it could ruin everything I’ve worked for. It could end my daughter’s reign before it even begins. There are people searching for the heir to destroy her.

“But they don’t know I’m part of the group searching for her. They won’t find out.”

She handed me the paper and needle. “A promise for a promise, blood for blood. Breaking the promise breaks the blood bond.”

I accepted it, understanding that this was sacred to her. It was a promise she couldn’t break. I let a drop of my blood fall onto the paper and she lit a match, setting the paper on fire.

“I will only partially kill Kairos. When his soul is teetering on the edge, I will summon Christopher to my soul. If necessary, Death will aid me.

“Then, Kairos will use his death wish to save me, and I will heal him,” I revealed.

But her interest slowly faded as her shoulders slumped. Her face turned a shade paler, more porcelain-like than I’d ever seen. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened…