Awakening (2 book series)
Awakening – Following Fate Chapter 109

I steady my hands on my lap and screw my eyes shut forcing myself to calm my racing heart and breathe as slowly as I can, nerves eating me inside out and I am trying not to show it.

Sat in the dark interior of one of our trucks, in the rear, listening and waiting patiently as the sun goes down. Colton and the twins are out running the perimeter of where we wait to get as close to the mountain as possible.

We have a convoy of a dozen trucks all nestled together in a deep dark forest on the far eastern side of the valley below the mountain. A place that took us half the day to get to because of our long detour to go all the way around in a wide berth to a part that Juan can't see from his position. We needed to be close before sunset and yet we needed to be hidden incase Juan got any ideas about starting a battle before the real threat arrived.

We know from some of our pack that the mountain too had been released from the fog spell at the same time as we were and their confusion and exhaustion has hindered them enough to make it easier for us to get within mere miles of the manor. I am guessing Juan and his people have no memory of the week of their lives they lost, because everyone here was affected and no one had the memories left behind like we did in our protected shell. As far as they know, they woke up after a second of seeing the fog and it was gone. Some know more has happened due to linking to family in our pack but none of those people would dare report to Juan. He would know then that they were contacting us and be seen as traitors. I guess in a way, it's an advantage for us as that most of them are dazed and confused and have no clue about the danger heading their way.

The only upside to Varro's army are that halflings can only walk in the dark. Leyanne told us the pure bloods don't need darkness or to hide from sunlight. They can walk around plain as day among us if they desire, but only don't because they cannot conceal their teeth or blood red eyes. Varro's army are all halflings, so we don't even have to worry about the possibility.

We had time to be ready and sit here waiting for the inevitable, watching the mountain for signs as the light fades and tension rises around us. We've seen nothing so far and I jump when the door is yanked open suddenly and Domi hops inside with a mischievous grin. "Sorreeee...... I was in stealth mode." He winks and Remo and Colton appear behind him, leaving the rear doors open and exposing the next truck to view, bringing some needed illumination from the fading sky. We have been silently inside here; Me, Sierra, Radar and the Luna's guard with Meadow up front in the driver seat, just waiting. No one speaking because we are lost in our heads and focusing on what's to come. The witch is out front, standing meters away and staring at the vast mountain looming up in the sky to our left and has been for hours. Gazing into space with a huge black raven sat on her shoulder. She makes an impressive visual with her long-hooded cloak and boho style swaying skirts that move around her ankles in the breeze.

"It's like everything has stopped. I don't know what the hell is going on but the valley, the manor, the guards. No one is moving, no one is doing anything. The villages are almost dead and yet we could feel the pack. We could hear them, but it's so quiet and peaceful I guess they have no idea whatsoever that Vampires are even coming." Domi slides beside me and props his feet up on a bag sat in the central area of the van.

"Didn't anyone warn them after the links returned?" Sierra blurts out, casting a side eye towards me and then Colton and he shakes his head.

"We forbade the pack from passing on the message in case it got to dad and he did something that might hinder us. He will know when they arrive, and by then, we should be ready to protect those we need to protect."

"We did manage to figure out that the pack is split in two," Remi is the one to voice the intel this time as he stretches and flops down on one of the metal benches we are occupying and sighs loudly.

"Village that Juan built in the valley looks like a prison camp now. It seems everyone who stood against him is confined to a fenced off barrack of sorts."

"Juan and his loyal are holed up in the manor and have a perimeter fence around most of the valley, making it more like an army base than the home we knew. It's not hard to scale but they have loudspeakers all around, like maybe they have been using the weapon to counteract vampires in the same way we have." Domi finishes his brothers' sentence and Colton looks lost in thought, gazing at me without focus as he visualizes what they saw.

"It's not the home we knew. It's......... he's lost his mind and our people are more like prisoners, than pack. It was hard to see it and stay away." Colton's pain erupts in my own heart as I feed from his emotions and he locks eyes on me properly, a sheen to their surface as his raw pain shines through.

"We always knew he was capable of so much more than we had seen. I guess without having to keep up an act, he finally showed his true self." Sierra bites out harsh words, her voice rasping as she makes it clear that she detests that man with a vengeance. She may still be bonded to him, but her mind and soul have a venom that overshadows any love she may be forced to carry. Even bonded to a mate and made to care, we can still harbour resentment and something close to real hatred when a relationship breaks down. Maybe it's because of the love that the anger and hurt can become so much more potent when we no longer want our chosen mate.

I catch Radar shifting slightly and pick up on his tense stature and the way he keeps his eyes on the floor even when sat right by Sierra's side. He has been her shadow since she came down from her room this morning and stuck by my side. Radar as attentive as always but yet still cannot look his Rema in the eye.

"We think we know which direction they'll come. We rounded as far as we could to scope out without being seen and we think they will head in from the west point. There's a shaded forest that leads in far from the outer roads. A trail wide enough and long enough to conceal them at first. Everywhere else is too open unless they take this route the way we did." Colton continues briefing us.

"And if they do?" my heart pounces into my throat and I lock my eyes on my mate, fear rising up in my stomach that we may encounter them head on and intercept before they hit the valley at all. It may be better that way for those in the valley, but we are hoping on added numbers from the villagers if we get there first.

"Then we have you. And the witch. And the hope we end this without a fight." Colton winks at me, showing a confidence I know he isn't really feeling, and it does nothing to console me.

"That is not going to happen, Master Santo." Leyanne's voice wafts our way as she climbs into the back of the truck and all eyes are diverted to her. The twins immediately go all gooey eyed and turn to her adoringly but are met with a deadpan blank gaze as she wafts past them to nestle firmly in the centre. Leyanne seems intolerant of any kind of lust aimed her way from males.