Chapter 93

(Maya POV)

“Remember you won’t be alone; we all will be there. If we get a hint that something is about to go wrong, we will get you out of there!” Freddie says as we prepare to leave for the portal.

“Can you remind me just how you plan on getting me out if something happens?” I ask with a slight teasing tone to take the edge off of how scared I really was.

“We have a friend there who can open a portal to get us out if anything were to happen.” Freddie reminds me.

“And we can trust this person?” Tommy asks.

“I believe so yes. However, our uncle will be standing by to bring his men in as well if it is needed. His plan is to remain hidden for as long as possible, but if need be, they will fight to protect Maya.” Freddie explained.

I knew he had spent more time with our uncle and had a sliver more faith in him than me, but this specific reassurance did little to give me confidence. At this point I was ready for everyone to betray me at any given time. The only people that have proven to be on my side absolutely were my mates. As much as I was happy to have Freddie in my life again, I didn’t full trust him either. Maybe I had become too cynical, but people were easily swayed for the right price.

I was walking into a lion’s den, with more lions claiming to be on my side. This morning Thomas sat with me and reminded me that even though my powers were weakened now, I had my other strengths to rely on. I couldn’t think of any if I am being completely honest, but then he reminded me that I was also a wolf. That even though I had placed my wolf far away from my conscious mind in way of my Fae abilities, she was still a part of me. If my life was in danger I needed to call out and let her help me like she had all those months ago.

I wasn’t sure if she would answer my call for help after I neglected her for so long, but I hoped he was right.

The drive to the coordinates were instructed to arrive at was filled with tense silence. We had no idea what waited for us once we stepped through and into Fae territory. Tommy and Eli sat on either side of me and held tight to each of my hands, trying to show a brave face for me but I knew they needed to be near me because of how scared they were. Noah and Thomas were the more calm and levelheaded ones of the group, but I could see the glances they sent my way. We were all on edge, and it made the air around us suffocating.

It took us half an hour to arrive at the coordinates, which led us to an empty field surrounded by tress. Well hidden from any prying eyes, but far outside of our pack’s land. Freddie pulled to a stop and let us step out, he couldn’t be seen by the Fae guard that would be opening the portal.

“Take care sis, see you soon!” He called out before driving away.

I took a deep breath and glanced to each side of me, and saw my mates standing firm by my side. Maybe I didn’t believe in myself yet, but I believed in them. We would make it out of this…together. There was so much I wanted to say to them, but before I could a mist appeared and widened until an all too familiar portal opened right in front of us. A man dressed similar to the guards I had seen before steps through and nods to us.

“You may enter.” He says to us holding his arm out in welcome.

I looked at my mates once more before stepping forward and through the portal. One by one my mates follow me through the portal until we are all standing on the other side and the portal swiftly disappears behind us.

“Wow, this place is actually kind of….”

“Amazing!” Tommy says finishing Eli’s thought.

“Please follow me.” The guard says leading us down the path we are on.

The familiar council hall comes into view shortly after, and we are stopped at the door once we arrive.

“Please wait here.” The guard says entering and closing the door behind us.

“Why do I already have a bad feeling about this?” Eli asks looking around him.

“Maybe because we just walked through a magic portal to an unknown world, and there isn’t a soul in sight?” Tommy replies.

“It is strange for the are to be so abandoned during this time of day.” Thomas adds

“Great. Just great!” Tommy says stepping away and scanning the area.

The guard soon returns and opens the double doors wide. “You may now enter.”

He steps aside and I take a deep breath once more before stepping through the doorway and toward the main area of the meeting hall. The boys follow but are stopped just before we reach the area where the council members are situated.

“Only she is allowed to pass from this point.” One of the guards say.

The boys look at me, but I give them a assure them I will be fine and the step back. I walk the rest of the way until I am standing before the assembled council members.

“Maya you have arrived. Very good.” One of them says

I feel a chill run along my body as I glance at each one of them. Without the energy flowing through my body that I had grown so accustomed to; I was relying on my wolf senses to keep me alert now. However, I never learned to properly use them and now I was being flooded with sensory information that was too much for me to work through.

“Members of the council, I am afraid I cannot accept the role you have laid before me.” I say trying to ignore the feeling I was getting.

“It is your place to stand for our kind and rule, how can you refuse such a calling!” One of the members asks in outrage.

“I no longer possess the abilities worthy of its station.” I say straight out.

The room falls silent for a moment, and I take that as my que to recite the speech I had practiced over and over in my mind.

“I was taken while I was with a friend by a group of men and taken to a witch. She performed a ritual and removed all of my Fae abilities.” I say as little as possible but try my best to keep it close to the truth, because lying 101, its harder to notice a lie if it is laced with enough truth.

“That is impossible. No witch could withstand the amount of power!”

“I assure you it is true! It’s been one full day and my powers have still not returned.” I say truthfully.

“We must test for ourselves if this is true.” One of the members suggests.

“How?” I ask.

Their eyes lift and fix on something behind me. With a swift motion from their hand and I turn to hear sudden cries of pain. The guards are using the weapons they are carrying on each of my mates. An electric pulse shoots from their weapons and knocks each man to the ground in pain.

“Stop!” I cry out turning to the council.

“You make it stop. You have the power to make their pain end, you just need to use it!”

“I am telling the truth!” I cry out but my protests are muffled by the painful sounds my mates are making.

“It is not possible! Show us you are strong enough to lead! Show us what you are capable of and they will be spared!”

“I can’t! I can’t!” I cry out, tears stinging my eyes as I watch my mates cry out form the floor.

One of the council members raises his hand and the guards step away. I rush to my mates and I let my tears fall as I beg them for forgiveness, but I am soon pulled away by the guards as more men with weapons appear through the doors of the council hall and surround my mates. The guards holding on to me pull me in front of the council.

“Show us your power.” They demand.

My head drops and I sob softly. “I have none.”

“Very well.” The guards holding me drop me to my knees and step back, weapons pointed at me. “Kill her.”

I don’t bother to fight any longer, instead I turn enough to take one last look at my mates. I say the last thing I want them to hear and lower my head accepting my fate. The sounds of my mates call my name becomes muffled as I focus on the sound of my heart growing calmer. I had cheated death and now it was time to let it take me. I don’t know where my uncle and Freddie are, or if their informant had been found out and that is why they haven’t come but it doesn’t matter.

“Kill the others too! They serve no purpose once the girl is dead.” That command breaks through the fog I let fill my mind, and I feel it.

A spark just below my skin, faint but there. A flicker of hope!

I can hear the guards struggling to hold my mates down, and I hear their growls as their wolves try to emerge. The pain from the pulses shocking them back into human form each time they try.

“I said kill them!” One of the council members calls out.

I hear their howls and cries of anger and pain and I know I need to help them. They can’t die, not here and not because of me! I feel it again, a jolt of energy and my body shakes under the sudden surge. The guards ready their weapons but take a step back not sure what is happening.

“Kill them now!” A voice thunders out.

I hear more guards rush into the hall and surround us. I could feel a spark in me, but it was still to faint to hold onto. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the feeling, another pulse and this time it’s stronger. This is different though, not like what I felt before.

“Wait…” A voice says in my mind. “Just wait…”

I can hear Tommy, Eli, and Noah’s growls ring out as they attempt to shift again and again.

The guards move closer to me and I know it’s now or never.

“NOW!”