Chapter 234: Chapter 234
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]
“Stop with all this nonsense, Dominic,” I hissed at him as I pushed him away, not too strongly, though, but it was enough to make him flinch. I knew the kids were seeing us, but I was getting a little impatient with his irrational behavior toward me, the kids, and Killian. "Stop this, or I swear to the Moon Goddess you won’t see me or the kids again!"
Dominic’s face went pale, and to my surprise, he shut his mouth and turned his back on me. I saw that terror in his eyes that I didn’t expect. I could tell that, despite the curse controlling his mind, he was still there, trying to fight it.
And I felt bad that I had to fight him back because I was scared of what kind of damage or painful words he might say in front of Devon and Diana.
Diana pulled the hem of my shirt and looked at me worriedly as she whispered, “Do you think you are being too harsh on Dad?” she asked.
I sighed and bent down to whisper back at her with a reassuring voice. “I know your Dad can handle it, sweetheart. "I had said more terrible things to him than that," I said, smiling, which caused Diana to grimace slightly, but she returned the smile.
The aura inside the mausoleum was dark and heavy, and I kept on looking at the kids, wondering how long they could handle it. I felt bad for them, but I told myself it would make them brave, strong warriors. If they survive this, if we all survive this deadly trial in our family, then nothing—no one could hurt any of my children. Because they had seen death straight in the eyes and braved through it.
I could never be any prouder as a mother of these two powerful twins.
As we go deeper and deeper into the Wolf Tomb, I expected to see the sarcophagus in the middle. But instead, what we all saw was a platform.
An altar was placed on top of it, and to see clearly what the box thingy on the altar was, I had to use my wolf vision. There, in the middle of the intricately carved wooden table, was a box. An old silver box? I frowned, and I started to feel suspicious.
I felt Killian and Dominic’s confusion, and I began to worry that it was another trap for us all.
“What’s this? Where is the tomb?” Dominic asked, rage visible in his purplish-red eyes. The muscles on his body started to tense once again as snarls ripped in his throat, mad that it wasn’t the thing that we all were expecting. “What the f*ck is going on here?!”
“The question is, what the f*ck happened to you!”
Out of nowhere, a familiar old man materialized in the shadows and stepped out of the darkness. He was glaring at my husband as he approached us with his walking stick. Devon and Diana were delighted to see the old man again and wanted to greet him, but I stopped them. I wasn’t sure how many changes had happened in this place. If he were still the Lord Markis who saved us from this place months ago.
“Lord Markis—”
“I am not talking to you, young man,” he cut off Killian when he tried to get the attention of the guardian of the Wolf Tomb. “I am talking to the Alpha of the Silver Crescent pack, who I think is already starting to lose himself from the curse that is slowly overtaking his body,” the old man hissed as he squinted his eyes at Dominic.
A low growl escaped from Dominic’s throat like an animal trapped in a cage. He retorted to the old man, “Where is the source, Markis? I need to destroy it! Now!”
Lord Markis raised an eyebrow at him. “Is destroying it really in your mind right now, Dominic?” he asked with suspicion in his voice, and I was puzzled at what he said. “Because if you are looking for it, I am afraid you are in the wrong place.”
“What?!” I snarled, enraged and disappointed that we all went there for nothing. “What do you mean it is not here, Lord Markis?! Lena’s diary pointed us all here, telling us that the source is in here! The old guardian also told me we will find the source in this place! Are you lying to me, Lord Markis? Because we have no time for any lies right now! I need the source to destroy and release Dominic from the curse! He is dying!”
Lord Markis didn’t answer. Instead, he pointed to the old silver box on top of the platform with a grim look on his face.
I felt awful that I had to be harsh on him, but all of us there were desperate. We had no other way to save my husband, and Dominic was slowly losing himself to the curse. I couldn’t let the twins watch him die! They both love their father.
“It’s okay, Sam. You and Dominic can go there, I will watch over the kids here,” Killian said softly as he gave me a short nod that I could trust him with the twins. Lord Markis’ eyes, however, didn’t leave Dominic—like he was wary of something about my husband. It was as if he knew something terrible was going to happen and was preparing himself for it.
And that terrified me a lot.
Dominic moved first. He took the first step towards the platform, and I followed him, a few steps behind. I convinced myself not to worry about anything because he was still my husband.
He was still Dominic. He was fighting the curse. But I couldn’t deny the danger that my instinct was telling me as we both walked towards the altar of the platform, curious about whatever was inside the old silver box.
The box had intricate tribal carvings that I couldn’t recognize. It was as if this thing had not originated in this place. Dominic stayed silent while looking down at it, though. I wondered what was on his mind, but the curse was blocking me from getting into his thoughts through our mate bond. It was frustrating and scary at the same time. If Lord Markis told Dominic that the origin of the curse was inside that thing, then what was Dominic’s plan for it?
What caught my attention was the Moon insignia that was carved in the middle of the box. I had seen it before. Perhaps it’s on the arched gates of the Moon Wolf Spring? On the Moon Wolf Altar? Everything was connected to everyone. And the origin of all the mysteries that were hiding in this land started in this Tomb. The Wolf Tomb.
And it had to end here.
I attempted to touch it, but a powerful force stopped me. It felt hot—like I touched a scorching surface. It didn’t want me to open it.
Dominic lifted his hand and reached for the box.
My heart was thumping loudly in my chest.
“This is the sealed box. The Source of the Curse,” a soft voice whispered in my head, and I knew Dominic heard it too because I saw his eyes flicker. His fingers lingered on the lid of the box, but he didn’t open it. Was he hesitating? Was there something that changed his mind about this?
“Dominic?” I asked, waking him up after seconds of watching him looking as if he was under a spell or something. “What’s wrong? Is something happening?”
“The voice says to open it; I have to make a willing sacrifice,” he whispered, his eyes turned soft and anxious.
The voice was still talking to him. Was it the spirit that was residing in the Wolf Tomb? From the shadows appeared Lord Markis as he stood across from me and my husband. His face was grim, and his eyes were sharp as he looked at me as if telling me to listen to him clearly.
“You can only open this thing,” he started explaining, and then looked down at the box. “If there is someone in all of you who is willing to sacrifice their wolf spirit to the Tomb.”
My eyes widened. It was the same as what Lena wrote in her diary.
“I will do it.”
My heart sank when Dominic answered Lord Markis without any second thoughts. But it was stupid for him to sacrifice his wolf for it.
“You don’t know what you’re saying!” I hissed to my husband.
“My curse, my sacrifice to make,” Dominic answered with a calm tone, which surprised me. The anger in him was gone. And all that was left was that sorrow that lingered in his eyes.
And that broke my heart.
“No way you can do that, Dominic. You are insane if you think you have to sacrifice your wolf just to live.”
It was Killian yelling from below the platform. He had been listening to what we’ve been talking about. Despite the irritation on Dominic’s face, he continued, “You are the f*cking Alpha of the Silver Crescent, and that makes Sam your Luna and your children the heirs of your power and the pack! What do you think would happen to them if you sacrifice your wolf to it?! I know you’re not thinking straight, but that’s the dumbest choice I’ve ever heard from you!
“Killian is right, Dominic.” I tried to convince my husband. “You can’t do this.”
“Then who would do it?! I promised you I won’t sacrifice Diana and Devon’s future for this!” he hissed at me, making me lose all the hope that was left in me.
My head ached, and my heart felt as if it were on the verge of exploding. We didn’t have any time to argue. But we also didn’t know what to do. This was hard to choose...
“Please, Moon Goddess, help me,” I whispered a prayer and closed my eyes tight. “I don’t know what to do...”