Chapter 231: Chapter 231
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]
It hurts that the children had to witness that fight with Dominic.
But they were right. They were the only chance we got.
I was surprised to see Killian waiting for us at the entrance of the cemetery. Dominic never told me that the MoonStone Alpha would help us get into the Wolf Tomb. But then, after our argument last night that turned into awful blaming and yelling, it was better that we chose to ignore each other. Dominic decided to leave and lead the Gamma patrol team the whole night while I slept alone, feeling miserable in our bedroom.
It was the most awful fight we had had since I decided to come back to his life. I didn’t know what was wrong with me or why I lost control of myself and went completely hysterical. Could it be that I still couldn’t trust Dominic fully? Was it because I was still scared that one day, he would be willing to sacrifice me and the kids for the glory of his title and his pack?
That was a silly thought, though, as I kept on reflecting on everything that happened to all of us in the past months since I found out that I came from a Royal Clan.
Dominic was the one who sacrificed so much for the sake of me and the twins, and he didn’t ask for anything from me in return. He almost died so many times. He sacrificed his body to transfer the curse to him, which once possessed Devon and Diana.
After reflecting on the hurtful things I yelled at him last night, I couldn’t bear to look my husband in the eyes and decided to keep my distance from him. I had no idea how to reconcile with him after all the painful words I said. The guilt felt like a thousand needles pinching my heart.
When we reached the end of the graveyard, I didn’t know exactly what to feel.
When we last saw this place, the mausoleum had collapsed in half after a fierce battle between Dominic and Olivia’s giant shadow werewolf, leaving the Wolf Tomb fully exposed and nearly destroyed by the massive debris from the structure’s ceiling. But there we were, standing in front of the mausoleum like nothing had happened to it—like it was brand new and untouched and wasn’t weather-beaten.
It looked as if it had been rebuilt again in just a small span of time. It was sturdier and more glorious than the previous design it had. Lord Markis took excellent care of that place as if it were the most important thing in the world. Could it be because it was the source of both power and curse, which had been the reason why Clans had been fighting over it for many centuries? Could it be because he was protecting something more than just the Wolf Tomb inside that structure?
“Mom, I don’t think this is the place,” Devon commented. His mouth was gaping wide as he stared at the mausoleum, which was decorated with statues of mighty werewolves and gargoyles and some intricate designs and scribblings that were out of my understanding.
“No,” I answered Devon with a soft voice as I admired the new Wolf Tomb. “This is the place we’re looking for, son. This is the Wolf Tomb.”
Devon’s face was full of confusion, but he decided not to ask any more questions as we all started to walk towards the entrance of the building. Killian and Dominic had been quiet the whole time. As if both of them could feel something in the place that I couldn’t.
Or was it something like Alpha senses? I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that I had to be fully alert in case another danger came our way. We had the children with us. We had to be cautious and extra careful.
Unlike the old, brick structure, the Wolf Tomb’s entrance was now built in sleek, smooth, shiny gray marble. that glowed as it reflected the pale brightness of the moon.
I saw that Diana was swatting off mosquitoes that hovered around her, so I fished for the little bottle of insect repellent I slipped in my jeans and touched something different.
A small plastic bag. I frowned, took the thing, and found that it was Devon and Diana’s baby tooth. I had no memory of taking those with me when we packed for the things we needed in our little journey here. I wondered if Diana or Devon slipped it inside my jeans. Why, though? Why did they want to bring this?
Killian walked ahead of us to check the perimeter to see if it was safe for us to get inside without any traps waiting, and so Dominic, the kids, and I waited down the stairs of the entrance. The tension between us was there. And not a pleasant one, but something that made it look like he was still upset with me.
He couldn’t forgive me for not trusting him to go alone. But could he blame me for it? Could he blame me for fearing that he might not come back to us if I ever let him?
[I know you are still angry with me, Samantha, but promise me that you will keep yourself and the children safe.] I heard him in my head as he opened the connection again between our minds through our bond-link, just clear enough for me to hear his thoughts and not feel whatever pain he suffered at that moment. [We will end this fast and get out of this place.]
I didn’t respond, though. I didn’t know what kind of plan Dominic had in mind. We both agreed that we would only try to purify the curse using the children’s and my blood, but we weren’t going to sacrifice their power and their wolf spirits. I didn’t know if the first option would work, though... And if our first plan failed, I had no idea how we would destroy the curse anymore.
The poison would spread through this whole continent, and Dominic would die.
“Mom! Look at Purple! What’s happening to her?!”
Diana’s cry distracted me from my worries, and I looked down at Purple, who was shaking on my feet. Diana immediately asked her Dad to put her down. She ran towards Purple and carried the puppy in her arms with teary eyes, confused at what was happening to her little pet.
I saw Dominic’s face as he frowned, studying what happened to the animal. We both noticed that something weird was happening to it as its purple pupils started to narrow to slits while Purple stared at the wolf head statue at the top of the massive door of the mausoleum.
The wolf statue’s forehead bore the same mark as Dominic’s wrist, where the curse began to spread all over his body.
“Uncle Killian’s back!” Devon pointed his finger at Killian as the MoonStone Alpha approached us with quick steps. He noticed me looking at the Wolf’s head statue, and he looked a bit alarmed at my curiosity about it. “Don’t touch that thing if you still want to live,” he told me as he let out a heavy breath and rested a fist on his hip. “That thing resonates with the cursed. It might amplify the effect and make your suffering shorter because you’ll die within seconds.”
I glared at Killian after I saw the horror in Diana’s face while she listened to him. “Not in front of the kids, Killian.”
He raised an eyebrow at me, but looked apologetic at my little girl as he bent down to Diana and patted her gently on the head. “I’m sorry, little Missy. Uncle Killian is just giving you all a warning.”
“I understand.” Diana hugged Purple tighter against her with her eyes still showing fear. “I am not afraid, though.”
The MoonStone Alpha looked at me with a wide, amused smile at what Diana said and then chuckled. “Yeah. You and your twin brother are the bravest and smartest kids I have ever met.”
Those words brought big smiles to Diana and Devon’s faces as well. Dominic, upon seeing his twins, somehow relaxed as the tension left his body and decided to approach the massive door of the mausoleum instead.
As soon as Dominic was far from us, I saw how Killian grimaced, and I realized that the injuries he got from the Moon Wolf Spring hadn’t fully healed yet.
“Killian?” I hissed at him, worried, “You don’t have to go inside with us. Dominic and I can deal with this. You are obviously not in good shape for this.”
He made a hissing sound too between his teeth as he smiled at me between his grimaces, “What are you talking about, Sam? Do you think I will be able to watch all of you enter that place with the children, knowing it’s dangerous? Don’t mind me. I can handle myself. I promised you I would make you and the children safe.”
“But you are putting yourself in danger if you are not in shape to fight, Killian.” I frowned at him. “You will only become another person that I have to worry about eventually.”
“Ow,” he winced as if my words were like blades piercing him, as he dramatically put his hand on his chest. “You know what? Your words hurt more than my wounds, Sam.”
I rolled my eyes at him and then smiled. “Stop fooling around, Killian, we have to focus—”
As I was about to step on the staircase, my foot slipped on the steps, but Killian was fast, and he immediately caught me before I broke my skull on the marble floor.
“Mom!”
My eyes widened at what happened, and even Diana and Devon froze in surprise. Killian’s face was so near me that it made me swallow hard until we didn’t notice that Dominic was already behind him and dragged him away from me by the collar of his shirt.
“Get away from her, Killian!” He snarled at the MoonStone Alpha; his eyes were crimson in anger. “You shouldn’t be here! Why are you even in here!?”
“Wait, Dominic, he just helped me—”
Dominic gestured for me to shut up as he glared at Killian.
“Go away, Killian!” Dominic snarled once again, and that worried me as I looked at Killian’s troubled face. “Why can’t you leave Samantha alone!? Please don’t tell me you’re still hoping for her to choose you.” Dominic hissed between his teeth as he gave Killian a deadly glare. “Because if you still do, I might kill you without any regret this time!”