Page 2 of The Flame

Rissa nodded. “So be it.” She turned to Amira. “Is this acceptable to you, my dear?”

Amira studied the men and slowly nodded. “It is.”

“Then these men will be your council.” Rissa drew out a long thin knife and pricked her finger with it then she walked over to the men, lifted her hand, and pressed her own blood on each of their foreheads.

For a moment, the blood burned their skin then it absorbed beneath that as the spot where it had been turned blue then faded.

When she reached the Weres, she stared at them for a moment then touched their faces just as she had done with the others.

Kinsen, Jacks, and Trent hissed as if in pain but when the blood disappeared, they seemed all right again.

“Curious,” Rissa muttered as she moved away. The cut on her hand healed almost immediately and she walked over to Amira. “Are you ready, my dear?”

Amira smiled. “Yes, let’s go.”

Rissa walked to the door and one of her men opened it. She stepped out into the sunlight.

Amira stepped out as well and both sets of men stepped outside.

Nothing outside had changed but as Luther and his men stood there, something felt different as they all paused. Maybe it was something inside of them, but everything seemed odd to them.

“What the hell?” Viper called out from the doorway.

Captain looked spooked too. “Where the fuck did they go?”

Luther stared at them then back at Rissa. “What did you do to us?”

Rissa smiled. “You can see your men but they cannot see you at the moment. I hid you from everyone else when you stepped out of the clubhouse. Inside, they can see you, out here they will not until the other wolves are gone from this place.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It is for your safety. Come, we must move along.” She led the way forward.

As they walked toward the mountain, Kinsen, Jacks and Trent gasped.

“What the hell?” Jacks exclaimed. “When did that get there?”

“What are you talking about?” Bullfrog looked over at them.

Jacks stared ahead. “We never saw the mountain before.”

The Weres could all see the mountain now.

Diesel snorted. “It’s been there all along.”

Jacks just looked at Kinsen and Trent then shook his head.

As they reached the foot of the mountain, Rissa stopped and held up her hands. She began a chant and then waited. After a moment, nothing happened. She looked surprised then tried again. Once more, she failed to open the door to the mountain.

Amira stepped up to her grandmother and clasped her hand. “Let’s try again, Grandmother.”

Both women held up their hands and began the chant.

The earth rumbled and the stone began to move...slowly though, as it had been so long since it had opened. Eventually, there was enough room so that they could all step into the tunnel.

As soon as they were all inside, the stone began to close behind them.

All the men and the Weres turned their heads to stare at it as it closed.

“Welp,” Bullfrog quipped in his grow-like voice. “We are good and trapped now.”

The bikers and the Weres all paused to look at each other.

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