Page 23 of Gift from the Nexus

Loud footsteps fall, echoing through the gym, and I hear my uncle ordering everyone to get in team formations. These men here, apart from Lyker, Rhett, and Lucas, are by far the strongest group I’ve had the privilege of working with. Even those who just got in and have barely gotten acclimated jumped straight into the fray this morning, ready and willing to do exactly what was necessary to protect the students and the academy. They showed no fear, no hesitation, and that’s what I need now.

Stepping out of the command room, I skim over the huge group gathering around now silently, waiting for orders. I falterslightly on the last three teams lined up when I notice we’re a couple men short. Two groups are two men short, and the last is one man short.

The sinking truth hits my gut like a ton of bricks and guilt nearly swallows me whole. By the red-rimmed eyes and muscles shaking from adrenaline, five men lost their lives today. Three Nexuses were torn apart, severed from one another in the most painful ways.

I meet each of the men’s mourning, sorrowful stares and let my condolences and promise of retribution bleed through my eyes. I won’t let this go unpunished. The nod they all give me is an acceptance of my promise, and they’re ready to get out of here.

“We’re moving out—”

The beginning of my brief is cut off when two transports open and out the first step Lucas and his brothers. Then the second, out step Lyker, his entire Nexus, including Aria, Rhett and his Nexus, and twelve other wolves I semi recognize from the pack. All dressed to the T in uniforms, ready for battle.

“You didn’t think you could call me with news like that and not expect me to show up,” Lyker says as he approaches us and claps me on the back.

“You have other responsibilities now. I can’t pull you away from that.”

“I gave fortune teller my word if she ever needed us, we’d be here for her. I meant that. We’re here for whatever you need,” he says seriously, leaving no room for an argument.

My gut clenches painfully at the use of her nickname. Not that I give a fuck he’s given her one. She reassured us it’s just friendly, and I know what Aria is to them even if they don’t. But it’s the name itself.

She knew this was coming and she had to keep it all to herself. Now she’s hurt, in pain, having to deal with who knows fucking what, while we scramble our asses together to find her.

“My Nexus will assign you your locations and provide you with what little information we have. This is a blind mission. If you haven’t figured it out yet, our Primary was the only person captured today. She sacrificed herself in exchange for all the students and E.F. members to be set free. She is our objective. Our only objective. If you find her at your location, you are to protect her with your life and inform me immediately.”

“What are we to do with Mastery members?” a palace team member calls out.

“Kill on sight.”

In a few short hours, there’s no more patience or fucks left for us to give. Corentin finally told Gaster to handle it all while we move out and now we’re standing on the uneven, rocky terrain of Pyrathia with Caspian’s shadows cloaking us in darkness as we observe the structure in front of us. The building’s overall design is much like the prison we were held in, but instead of gray stone, it’s been formed from layers of volcanic rock.

I decided our Nexus, Ry’s, and one of the palace teams would take this location, hoping for two things. One, Oakly can get a sense of Willow, whether she’s here or has been here. And two, she can also get a sense if that traitorous bitch Gima is or has been here too. This is her home territory, so it’d make sense for her to run home to her daddy.

“No signs or trace of Gima. She hasn’t been here, nor do I sense her anywhere within my range,” Oakly whispers with her eyes closed and head tilted to the skies.

“Disappointing but no surprise. I’m sure her father has her under max protection,” Corentin grumbles.

“Willow,” Oakly breathes quietly, but we all hear it.

With a fearsome, feral growl, Draken fucking takes off, not giving any of us a moment to stop him.

“Draken. DRAKEN,” I yell. “Fuck. Oakly, is she here?”

“No, but she was.”

Sprinting ahead faster than I’ve ever seen him move, Draken’s feet barely touch the ground as his body morphs into a partial shift with every step he takes. Blue flames lick and dance across his auburn scales, burning so hot, I swear I can feel their heat from the thirty-foot distance he already put between us. With a laugh equally feral to his growl, Caspian fades through the darkness to follow.

“Shit. When did that happen?” my uncle asks in awe, staring at Draken with so much pride and amazement.

“When he bonded. Ry, how many bodies?” I shout as the whole group of us start charging across the rubble. No preparation, no plan, we all just run after them in sheer anger and desperation.

“At least forty. They’re about to be on their own in a room full of them.”

Sucks for them.

Piling in through the small doorway, the maybe twenty-second head start Draken and Caspian had was plenty of time for them to create a gruesome sight. Bodies lay about with their heads nearly hanging off their shoulders but not completely severed. I guess Draken didn’t think it was worth finishing the job fully and Caspian is using his shadows to hand member after member off to him.

Standing in the center of the room, he’s created a fortress of fire surrounding him, blocking the rest of the room fromreaching him, while bellowing in a scared shitless Mastery member’s face, “Where is she?”

“I…I…”

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