CHAPTER 39: STONE

The first thing I felt as I opened my eyes was the sting in the back of my hand. A steady drip of fluid slid through a needle and into my veins, and the air smelled suspiciously of herbs and disinfectants. Very clean and unmistakably medical.

My eyelids fought to remain open, but after a few more seconds of trying, I was wide awake, and the room surrounding me swam into view. The room was small and bare but what caught my eye were the tree roots lining the grey stone walls, and when I focused my eyes even more, I saw that the stone glowed faintly in green. It looked magical.

"About time you woke up."

A voice startled me and I turned my head immediately, my eyes still not used to the bright lights after spending time in the tunnels. A Delta guard sat on the chair, a few inches away from my propped-up bed, her braided blonde hair falling down her shoulders. Her face seemed familiar and my pulse quickened the moment I took note of her uniform. Darek’s soldiers wore those uniforms.

My chest constricted in fear as I realised what must have happened.

Darek had found me.

I should have known he would. I was alone in the room with a single bed and no Valden in sight and a Delta guard instead. I probably didn’t have any time left. Once he found out I was awake, I had no idea what he would try again. Surely nothing good.

I tried to push myself up further, the needle digging painfully into my hand, keeping my fearful gaze on her before she tackled me down.

But then she smiled.

It was warm and genuine and somehow it broke through the panic running at a mile a minute.

I realised I did know her.

She was the Delta I met on the day I was about to leave for Parthenn. It was the day I was hopeful for a new life as an Omega. She was the first Delta to show me a figment of kindness at the periphery.

"Lesra," I breathed, letting recognition mar my features.

"Lesra Collins," she said softly. "It’s nice to meet you again, Maeve. I knew the next time I’d meet you, it would be under vastly different circumstances."

My throat felt as if I hadn’t drunk water in days. But the strength in my body had returned. And no matter how trustworthy Lesra seemed right now, the fact that I was better could only mean one thing.

Darek.

"Where am I? Where’s Valden?"

Her grin widened. "Relax, he’s fine. He’s been pacing around like a caged wolf since you collapsed in the tunnels. Once he brought you here for recovery, he’s been asking about you every ten minutes and also may have punched a hole in a wall in frustration. But we weren’t going to let him waste away at your bedside for another minute so he’s out scouting right now. You’ll see him soon."

So we weren’t caught?

Her words sank in one at a time until I let the relief slowly wash over me. Then the part that mattered finally hit me like a brick.

"Wait...How long have I been unconscious?"

"Two days," Lesra said, nodding casually but her eyes softened with something akin to pity. "When Valden dragged you in here, you were already half dead. Your body was completely drained of all Lycan energy and honestly...we didn’t think you’d make it through the night."

Two days.

I was out for two whole days. My stomach clenched at the thought of everything that had happened during the gap, of what Darek might have done to find me. It was surprising he hadn’t found me already. Especially since he could easily do so if he tried to trace our bond.

Lesra must have seen the panic rising again across my face because the next time she spoke, her tone was more steadier and firm. "Hey...you’re alive because of Valden and our Healer. He used his Lycan powers and managed to separate most of the curse’s hold on your body. It’s not gone completely, of course. Which means Alpha Korvash does still have a tether to you that could be dangerous."

I gulped.

"Which means he’ll find me soon."

"You’re safe here, Maeve," she said calmly and then gestured to the walls surrounding us in the room. "We’ve lined the entire place with Stargar Stone. He can’t sense you, not in here."

I frowned, my gaze drifting to the glowing stone and the veiny roots growing over it. They shimmered with the greenish hue, as if the power of the mist lay inside the rocks.

"Stargar Stones? What is this place?"

Lesra laughed lightly. "I was waiting for you to ask me that. The Stargar Stone was formed in the mist years ago and it was the only thing that was able to bind to our powers and the Lycan energy and weaken them but not many people know about it. We sometimes use it for protection against other Lycans and sometimes to curb our own power." A shadow passed over her face. "It’ll keep Darek out for now. It has kept him from finding this place for a long time anyway. So shouldn’t be any different now."

The glowing green stone. I pressed my hand against the bedding, grounding myself. My mind was still sluggish and foggy from the sleep and the drip on my arm but the realisation was clear as day.

The stone was probably the reason I couldn’t use my powers on Darek. That much was becoming clear. The stone was also the same one used on my pendant that Valden had given me three years ago when he left for Parthenn. That was probably why my powers were suddenly awakened when Valeria snatched the pendant from my neck.

Which means, Valden had always known about my powers and had intentionally tried to hide it without even me realising it.

Why would he do that?