64
KNIGHT
“I’ll be right back,” I told Case and Luka before I left the office. “I’ll just tell my mate we’re leaving.”
As soon as I entered the gym, I instantly felt something was wrong. McKaye was staring at Nirvana in utter shock, who was throwing punches at the punching bag at full speed like I’d never seen before.
The bag was almost torn in half, like an animal gutted in the slaughterhouse, and the grain and sand dripped down the floor.
“Shit.”
“What the hell is going on?” McKaye finally found his words.
“Nirvana?” I called her name as I carefully stepped closer to her. When she did not respond, I held her shoulder. One moment, I was behind her; the next second, McKaye and I were thrown against the wall like lifeless, useless pieces of meat.
The blast was strong enough to shake the entire gym, rattling the equipment and TV screen hanging on the wall.
Groaning, McKaye and I got on my ass from the fall. He was still in shock, rubbing the back of his head.
“Nirvana?” I called her again.
She stopped, turned, and stared at us, seemingly unaware of what had just happened. “You’re still here.”
“Yeah.” I cracked my shoulder. It was a good thing we healed fast. Otherwise, we just obtained an internal injury.
The energy that hit us was like a mini blast from an atomic weapon, not that I experienced one.
She came and offered her hand for help, but McKaye jerked back, refusing to touch her.
“Step back, sweetheart.” I got up on my own, and so did McKaye. He was still wearing a confused look, and fear was obvious in his eyes.
Nirvana took a few steps back and stared at me and McKaye. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Look at the punching back, Vana.” He tipped his chin behind her.
“I did that?” She gasped and jerked back. She wasn’t even aware of what she’d done. She looked at her hands. Her knuckles were the same, not even a scratch, like she never punched that bag.
“Certainly not me,” McKaye said. “What’s going on, Alpha?”
“She has sort of power. I think you pissed her off.”
“I did not. I just motivated her.” McKaye went on full enforcer, respecting an alpha.
“That’s what I wanted you to do. Treat her like anybody else, not your luna. I want her to learn fast. Make her cry or bleed. Exhaust her. She has the same strength as ours. Don’t hesitate to order her around if it is what it takes for her to learn.”
“I think I got a little bit emotional when you bullied me.” She pressed her lips together as she hid her guilt from McKaye.
“Control your emotion and what’s inside you, sweetheart. If we’re human, we are already rushed to the hospital. You just shook the entire building and hit us with some kind of energy. My guess is it’s protecting you because you’re angry.”
“Oh, my God. I’m sorry.” She came and hugged me. She only sweated but looked like she wasn’t near to being worn out.
“It’s fine.” I hugged her back. “Just do what McKaye told you.”
“Okay.” She turned to McKaye. “Sorry. I’ll do better next time.”
“I should go before I piss off Zarah. Take care, and I’ll see you soon.” I kissed her on the lips before I talked to McKaye. “Take her to the woods, but make sure no one is watching you. Let the beast out of her.”
“All right. Good luck, Alpha.”
Just as I went back to the office, the portal appeared, and Zarah walked out of it.
“I will send you to the compound. It’s safe there. No one will see you. From there, you will travel to the city.”
“That sounds like a plan. Anyway, are you busy?”
“Why?”
“I may need your help coming back. It’s not safe for us to travel by air. I think someone wants us dead.”
“Not just someone. A lot of people want you dead.”
“How did you know?” My brows knitted in confusion.
“Cyrius had begun spreading his plague. My guess is Ambrose failed to trap him. He could be dead if I knew. But right now, I think whoever is after you can be personal, and if Cyrius finds this out, he will use it to his advantage and offer something to your enemies that they can’t refuse. Like Axell.”
“I never expected this would happen so fast.”
“Now, go get whatever it is in New York. Just be careful and watch your back.”
“Thank you.”This is from NôvelDrama.Org.
Zarah created a portal. “I told Califf that you may need an extra backup. See you soon.”
I stepped into the portal. Case and Luka followed me. The portal brought us to Califf’s office. I knew the interior. I always saw it in the background every time we Facetimed.
“Welcome.” Califf was waiting for us on his desk.
“This is surreal,” Case reacted as he looked around. “Good to see you again, Alpha.”
“Me, too, Case.”
“Unbelievable. So we’re in New York?” Case reacted.
“Yes. In my compound at the pack house. Unfortunately, I can’t come with you, but my two best enforcers, Lyon and Tor, will.”
“I appreciate it, Cal.”
“This is for all of us. Anyway, the SUV is waiting outside. I’ll walk you out.”
The pack house was as big as mine. Califf had a property in the middle of the forest where his pack could run freely as wolves. Although his enemies had attacked this place, he stood still because he had good strategies and help from Lycans, witches, and his allies.
I helped protect Shadow’s adopted father, Kent after a stupid, arrogant alpha attacked him.
“This is Tor. He’s the best hunter and fighter.” The blond Slavic looked, and the other one was Lyon. “And this is Alpha Knight, his delta Luka, and Case, his mate’s grandfather, from Roadside pack.”
“We’ve met,” I told Califf. “At the banquet.”
“Yeah. Good to see you again, Alpha Knight. Case, Luka, welcome to the compound.”
I shook both of their hands. “We should get going.”
“I’ll drive,” Tor volunteered.
Our drive to the city took almost an hour, and the traffic was horrible. We arrived at the restaurant to the commotion outside.
“Something happened here,” Tor said as he parked the vehicle at the corner.
We jumped out while Tor and Lyon went ahead to scout for werewolves around.
“What happened to my restaurant?” Case asked, shocked. I could hear the worry in his voice. It had been a family business for decades, and I felt his pain.
The restaurant shut down, protected with a police tape barrier.
“Mr. Woodrow, I’ve been trying to contact you. Where have you been?” he must be the manager-a man in his forties in a suit.
“I was with some friends outside the city.” He checked his phone, and I saw missed calls. “What happened here?”
“Two guys came as customers, and then they excused themselves to use the restroom. Then Ali saw them trying to break into your office. They knocked Ali down. She is brought to the hospital. She hit her head pretty bad, but the paramedic said she’d be okay.”
“So you’re robbed in the middle of the day? How in the hell did it happen on your watch, Allan?”
“I’m so sorry, sir, but we got them in the CCTV. The police had their faces.”
I wasn’t worried about it. This restaurant was insured, but what worried me was what they came to take.
“Did they take something from my office?”
“I’m not sure, but they were definitely looking for something,” supported Allan.
“I have to check what they stole.”
“But you can’t get in, Mr. Woodrow. The police locked the place down.”
“Let them stop me. This is my restaurant and my life.” He pointed out angrily as he marched towards the back door.
“Case, calm down.” I held his arm.
“Don’t tell me to calm down, young man. This is my restaurant.”
“Alpha,” Luka connected me to the pack link. “We’ll watch your back.”
“Make sure no one follows us.”
“Got it.”
“Mr. Woodrow, you can’t go in there.” His manager still tried to stop him but shut up when he saw Case was beyond pissed.
“If you want your job, don’t stop me, Allan, or start finding a new one!”
When Allan left, he unlocked the exit door and looked around. “Get in. How did I do?”
“Oh, I’m convinced.” I hid my smile. I really thought it wasn’t a part of his plan. “I’m sorry about your restaurant, Case. I guess we’re not the only ones after this blood dagger.”
“Yeah, me too. Maybe Nirvana was right. The dagger is inside the sword.”
After he unlocked the door to his office, he opened it, and it looked like it was ransacked. They turned the office upside down.
“Damn it. We’re too late.” I looked at the wall where I last saw the sword. “It’s gone.”