Page 62 of Ravaging Red
Terror reached out its decrepit fingers and it now mixed with the fury and the worry I held deep inside.
“Does Verrian know?”
“She suspects. But you need to stay calm Wolf. Nothing will come of brute force.”
“You’re a great tracker, Drayx. You can enter worlds we don’t even know about. Can you track it?”
“I cannot. It hides in cracks of the Veil that we forgot existed.”
“It’s coming for our bond. For all bonds between humans and monsters.”
“I know.” Drayx turned toward me then, his face shifting in the darkness. “But you must not let it wear you down. Listen to me carefully, Rael. You must keep the baby secret. You cannot let the Council know.”
I clenched my fists. “Why?”
“Because Verrian already suspects. And if I’m right…” He paused, shadows rippling over his form. “Then what we are dealing with isn’t just envy. It’s retribution.”
“Speak clearly, Drayx. What do you know?”
He turned to me then, his features serious. “It means your human may be the vengeance of something that is far older than your lifeline. Than my own. And if Verrian continues to hide in her secrets, she’ll lose control of everything she’s built.”
“So, what do we do?”
He reached out, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Stay. Watch. Protect the ones who love as you do. Because they will come for her, Rael. Maybe not right away, maybe in years to come. But as far as I can see, this creature is set on waging war and when it does…”
“I’ll be ready,” I growled.
Drayx nodded once. “It’s all we can do. We need to keep it from bonding. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. We will talk later. I need some sleep, and you need to get back home.”
“Are we not to stay here?”
“Not unless you want them to take that baby from you. I’ve already spoken to Verrian, you are free to go. I will send word for you when needed.”
“Thank you, friend.”
He quickly vanished into mist and I stood there, breathing hard.
The Council didn’t matter. Not in the way they thought. Because what was coming wasn’t just darkness. It was something personal and it had vengeance in its heart.
For now, I would follow Drayx’s order and take care of my family. I needed to get Red back to safety, back home.
Epilogue
Red
Months later
The Hollow had always held secrets, and this one was no different.
The woods were once a safe haven, but now they grew still. We knew they were waiting for the darkness to appear, and so were we. It was an unnerving feeling that brought chills down my spine. The child growing inside me was all that mattered now.
I stood in the wild moss just beyond the arched stone gates of the High Fang’s family home. It wasn’t a simple den that Rael had carved from the earth, nor was it the cozy cabin where I’d first fallen to my knees for the Wolf who had changed my life.
This was a castle swallowed by the trees, and built deep into the Hollow’s heart. It was protected by magic older than his bloodline. Spires towered over the canopies, half-devoured by ivy and time, and the entire place thrummed with unseen energy. A citadel fit for a monster. Built for a High Fang. And now it was mine too.
