SWNOVELS Chapter 126
Chloe's POV
After a few minutes, the four of us found ourselves in one of the secret locations within the pack house. The atmosphere was eerie, and the sound of my pounding heart was almost deafening. I was filled with nervousness and anxiety, particularly when I glanced at Allan, who was clearly in a bad state.
"Why don't you all head to the hidden cave by the canal of the western lake?" I suggested abruptly. "I'll meet you there, and then we can leave together," I added.
Lisa and Vanessa looked surprised at my proposal. "Why should we go ahead? Where do you plan on going?" asked Lisa.
"Where else? I'm going to gather the other members. Fortunately, most of them are grouped together. However, they can't leave their hiding spot because they're afraid of being discovered,” I explained.
"As members of the alpha's family, we know the secret routes inside the pack house, but it's not the same for them," I clarified.
"W-wait!" Vanessa interjected. I turned to look at her and noticed a complex mix of emotions in her eyes. "What do you mean you'll pick up the other members? Do you... Do you know where they are?!" She asked, frustration evident in her gaze.
I raised an eyebrow, taken aback by her reaction. Then, I nodded. "Yes, I can sense their direction,” I said before realization dawned on me. "Don't tell me... You can't feel where the other members are?"
An alpha is akin to the head of a person, representing the leader of the pack, while the members symbolize the body. The alpha and pack members share an inseparable connection, with the alpha being able to sense their presence, no matter where they are.
Vanessa, as the alpha of the Red Moon Pack, lacked this connection. A complex expression appeared in everyone's eyes until Vanessa let out a pained laugh, accepting defeat. "So, it's like this," she whispered harshly. "I thought there was something wrong with me for not feeling the connection with the pack..."
"But it seems that you're the one who has that connection," Vanessa's words carried heavy implications, leaving us all speechless. I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by a surge of emotions. "Don't tell me that it's because... You're the true alpha—" Vanessa began, but I shook my head and shot her a sharp look.
"Does it really matter?" I snapped coldly. "Does it matter right now?" I continued, emphasizing the dire situation. "The pack is in ruins. More than half of the members are dead. So, tell me, does it still matter?"
Vanessa fell silent, her shoulders trembling with the weight of the realization. "Right now, I have to go and save the others. Go to the cave first," I instructed.
"You can wait for me, but ultimately, I can't order you to do anything," I told them before walking away. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Lisa flinch. However, before I could leave, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned back to find Vanessa staring at me intently.
"I'll go with you," she declared.
"Vanessa!" Lisa's eyes widened. She opened her mouth, as if to stop Vanessa, but halted upon seeing the determination in her eyes. Lisa paled, her body trembling, and eventually nodded, supporting Allan. "Then, be careful... both of you."
XXX
"They're behind the hidden vault. There are approximately forty of them, with the head elder among them," I whispered.
"Forty... Is that all that's left of our pack?" Vanessa whispered back, her voice turning cold
"I can still sense a faint connection with the few others who are outside the pack. We can try to locate them once we manage to escape from here,” I responded.
"So, what's our plan now? Tell me, and I'll follow," Vanessa said, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and obedience. At that moment, she resembled a younger sister eagerly awaiting her older sister's instructions. If someone had told me a few months ago that we would be in this situation, I would have laughed and dismissed it as unbelievable.
"Heh." I closed my eyes briefly before turning to face the vault. It was hidden in another secret room, still undiscovered by our enemies. For now, Vanessa and I could move around and rescue the remaining pack members.
"Open the vault and instruct everyone to remain silent and follow us. We'll use the hidden passage located at the back corner of the pack house, leading to the cave. I'll keep watch,” I directed. "Alright," Vanessa agreed, but fear was evident in her eyes. "I can sense several concealed auras behind the vault, but are you sure they belong to our members? What if it's another ambush..." She hesitated.
My gaze turned icy as I pushed Vanessa forward. "How cowardly! Hurry and go. Don't forget, you were the one who wanted to come with me," I hissed.
"Alright! I'll go..." Vanessa sheepishly complied and ran toward the vault. After a few minutes, she managed to open it. Suddenly, someone lunged at her, ready to strike. Reacting instinctively, I stepped forward and grabbed Vanessa by the collar, pulling her away from the attack.
"W-what?!" Vanessa exclaimed, her confusion matching mine as we looked at the assailant.
The assailant, too, appeared surprised when he saw Vanessa and me. Then we heard him say, "Alpha!"
"The alpha? The alpha is here!"
"The alpha found us! She didn't forget about us!"
"She's here to save us! Everyone, the alpha os here to save us all!" Multiple voices erupted from behind the vault.
Vanessa stood frozen and seemingly had not heard the voices calling to her as she seemed to be still shaken by the attack. I narrowed my brows at her and tapped her shoulders. But, she still didn't move. In the end, it was I who opened the door to the vault. As it swung open, the relieved and exhausted faces of the pack members came into view.
It was only a moment later when Vanessa realized what was going on.
"T-that... I am not—" Vanessa stammered, her face contorting in an awkward expression.
Suddenly, I felt several presences approaching. The presences seemed very menacing and powerful. My entire body turned cold as I realized that they were coming towards us with a very fast pace!
I urgently turned to the others and whispered, "Save the reunion for later and hurry! The enemies are coming!"