Alpha Leo and the Heart of Fire

111. A Forgotten Language

LEO.

“That’s the last one.” Li Sheng says tossing the deactivated device onto the ground. Four had gone off in total before we had managed to find the rest and disarm them. I had felt thirteen tethers snap, meaning we had lost thirteen lives. Eric and Emmet’s selfish plan had cost not only me but instead had cost the lives of many innocent people.

Those who had been trapped, and there had been many, had been accounted for and we had retrieved the bodies of our dead too.

They ranged from the ages of eleven to ninety-seven. 1

“Continue to comb the pack grounds until every area has been covered just in case there’s more detonators.” I say coldly.

I need to fucking go after them. I know there is a team out there, but I still need to do something too.

“Will do Alpha.” He replies, lowering his head before he runs off.

Alejandro and several others were now in one of my meeting rooms, gathered around a map, trying to find out where Azura and Corrado had vanished to, and the possible places they may have gone.

“There’s the forest there…” Elijah says, frowning deeply.

He, Damon, and several others are here too, but time is just moving too fucking slow. With each passing moment, who knows what she’s going through. I’m a fucking mess inside, but I’m fucking trying to keep my shit together. I can’t lose them, I need them.

I walk over to the table, and look down at the 3D hologram map that covers the entire table.

“I don’t know… isn’t that too close to your place? Maybe to the west, Dante’s gone to check that side out…” Alejandro mutters as I stare at the spot that the blimp of the tracker had last been, before it vanished.

“He’s misleading us.” I say quietly, feeling my anger rise. This is a fucking game to him … I want blood… I want to fucking kill.

“Meaning?” Alejandro asks.

“This is where Azura’s tracker went off radar … a place that’s got literally three dense forest areas around it… making it the ideal place for us to fucking search… I’m certain he went in the opposite fucking direction. Trust me, I know how fucking bastards work.” I say menacingly.

“Then where do you think they may be?” Liam asks. His anger is palpable, but I can see the worry for his sister in his eyes. 1

I look down at the map, zooming out and scrolling fifty miles in the opposite direction. “The caverns,” I say, tapping the map.

All eyes turn on me, and Alejandro cocks a brow. “Why do you think that?”

“It’s the last place he’d think we’d look… that place has magic that can cancel out a lot of shit. Azura’s tracker couldn’t have just blipped out unless she’s in a location that blocks the outside off…” I run my fingers through my hair, only for the strands of my hair to fall back in front of my forehead.

“How sure are you?” Damon asks, frowning.

“Pretty sure. Raihana wasn’t able to teleport to Azura either. She had something of hers and Judah doesn’t possess that kind of magic. So why the fuck did the teleportation not work? Unless ofcourse there is a power strong enough to counter it. Raihana is meant to be one of the strongest witches alive, so tell me what can fucking counter her? Trust me, this is the place to search.” I say confidently, turning away.

They seem to take a second to mull over my words before Alejandro slaps his hands together, rubbing them. “Right, let’s listen, he has the fucking brains.”

Yeah, I do.

“Remember, he’s fucking fast; from the footage, we can see that he seems to have a link with the shadows…” Elijah is saying.

I frown. Shadows… I suddenly remember an image from a certain book I had gone over. A book that contained drawings and symbols that no one was able to read because of the language.

I need to go over it again.

“So what’s the plan?” Ace asks and I’m brought out of my trance. My eyes flash as I frown deeply.

Oh, I fucking have a plan…

I turn back to the table, “We prepare to move out. I’ll fill everyone in as we prepare.

Gear up and move out. There’s something I need to check. I will catch up.” I command, turning away once more. I needed to check this…. “Delsanra, can you come with me for a moment?” I ask, turning to the white- haired woman.

She looks up and nods before hurrying over and we head towards my apartment.

That book may be gone in the fire, but I had scanned pretty much most of it onto the computer to look through them with ease. I had also tried to restore some that were pretty damaged.

all these books duplicated and saved. Who knows when we

something.”

get overly confident until I am certain…

untouched. Everyone else has gone ahead, but something told me I needed to know what we are up against to win. He had thwarted us a lot

needed to find them. The longer I’m here, the longer they suffer

Fear of what may happen to her is rising as I keep on making notes, and the papers in front

trails off, as she

I have up on the screen. So that’s

my messy scrawl and I sit

to the ones at the top. “Can work to

glancing

“Shadows?” She asks.

with. I was trying to check if it would work if I

it?”

has.” I say, pushing the final sheet, which now contains full sentences that I had been working

leans down, frowning as she reads the

the passage that are too damaged to read, or simply not fully readable,

thunders as she scans the page. “Shadow wraiths are subspecies of the wraith family… What

you sure?” I ask, sitting back and looking

page, as I stare at the image depicting a monster-like creature with smoke and

from a human, we hadn’t paid it any attention when we had all tried to

survive and to gain a solid physical form… Resulting in them disguising themselves in the identity of their hosts. With incredible speed and strength, Shadow Wraiths are even stronger where there are shadows present. Wraiths cannot be killed unless

necks.” She turns to me. “Do you think

say, standing up. I have a sword which is fully

you even figure

fucking late, though.” I say

be called on for assistance, but its help is very limited. Wraiths feed on high levels of energies to grow stronger…” Delsanra says realisation dawning on her. “Wraiths sense beings with high levels of energy wanting to either simply linger

say coldly. “Can you get those herbs?”

but… how will we find

I had an idea about that… “Leave that to me… Can you call Janaina.” I say, looking

hold

the caverns. I had made one

Her scent lingers.” Dante says, smiling faintly at me. I can’t smell it, but his sense of smell

and I’m not sure which one is angrier. Kiara had stayed at the Pack to heal those who had been injured in the explosions, but I think right now,

to interfere?” I ask Dante. He glances back at them and sighs.

Dad won’t listen.” He says quietly.

goddamn

fucking are. Now get the fuck out of here.” Alejandro growls.

can’t stop me. At my age, you did a lot more than

for debate. Take her home.” Alejandro snarls

going to sit by whilst Azura is out there! You are so damn

only had an issue with

Skyla, get the hell home.” Alejandro’s command rolls off him, and I see Skyla’s eyes flicker, rage and anger consuming her and she’s trying to

from her and Skyla clenches her jaw

She says, her voice shaking with anger, before she casts one last look at her dad, and I feel

but smothering her isn’t going to

entrance to the caverns is half a mile from here.” I say, “He will have backup and they are armed with the bullets we created. Do

out front.” Jin replies.

how about we go get this damn

on my back is ready… and I have everything I

will handle those.” Dante

Raihana says, stepping forward, her power crackling around

walks

as Dad and

told them where exactly we are going to attack from.

nod as the Five step up behind me, and our

and even when the rest shift – aside from me, he

fast and my heart thunders when I catch the extremely faint scent. Azura’s scent. It is barely noticeable, but it is here.

this entrance. It was