Chapter 60: Sound The Alarm
Tears rolled down Eli’s cheeks as Adam’s shadow disappeared past the treeline. He looked up at Rhea, his small mouth trembling. "When will he come back? I miss him so much, Mama."
Rhea crouched down and wiped the damp tracks from his face. Her own heart broke into pieces as she looked into his eyes. "I have no idea, darling," she whispered softly. "But while we wait for his return, I think we can do something fun together."
Eli’s face brightened slightly. A spark of curiosity lit his eyes. "I know what we can do," he said, his small chest heaving. "Uncle Adam and I always run into the woods. He teaches me how to practice hiding in the tall trees."
Rhea’s brows pulled together sharply, but she quickly forced her face to smooth out. "Well, I would love to hunt like that, but Mama is very tired right now from the long journey. Why don’t we go inside, and you can show me your room?"
Eli nodded with a burst of excitement. "Yes!" he cheered. "I want to show you my wooden shelf. Uncle Adam carved it just for me."
Rhea swallowed the hard lump in her throat. She followed the quick patter of his boots, but her mind raced painfully. She had only been reunited with her pup for an hour, and every single word out of his mouth was about Adam.
Moments later, they reached a heavy wooden door. Eli twisted the iron handle with his small hands and pushed it open.
"Come in, Mama. Uncle Adam says I am special, and that is why I get my own sleeping space."
Rhea stepped inside and looked around. Her heart brimmed with a quiet gratitude. The space was small, but Adam had built the walls thick. He had sealed the seams to keep the room warm and block out the roar of thunderstorms.
The realization hit her like a physical blow. Adam knew. He knew that Eli was terrified of thunder and that his little body got cold at night. He had protected her pup from the elements.
"Mama! Come here," Eli insisted, tugging her sleeve. "Look at this toy! Uncle Adam bought it for me from the trading pack. And he also taught me how to tie my boots. Come, I will show you."
Rhea’s eyes burned with unshed tears as she watched her child drop to the floor. He had grown so big, and she had missed every single milestone. Even now, as she looked down at him, she secretly wished he would look at her with the same adoration he held for Adam.
"Uncle Adam taught me to loop the laces tight because warriors cannot fight with loose boots," Eli explained, concentrating hard on the leather strings.
Rhea chuckled softly, the sound thick with emotion. "You are much too young to be a warrior, my child. But one day, you will be a great warrior. Just like Mama."
Eli finished tying his knot and looked up at her, shaking his head flatly. "No, Mama. Like Uncle Adam."
Rhea stared at him. A sudden spike of jealousy flared in her chest, turning her scent slightly sour. While she was trapped in her grief, Eli had attached his soul to Adam.
She hated herself for the jealousy. Adam had kept Eli alive. Yet every smile Eli gave the BloodVeil Alpha reminded her of another memory she had been robbed of.
She leaned down and pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her nose in his hair to stamp her scent over him.
The next few hours passed quickly as they caught up. Rhea sat on the edge of the mattress, listening quietly as Eli told her countless stories about the big BloodVeil Alpha and how much he loved him.
Finally, Eli let out a heavy yawn, his eyelids fluttering.
Rhea smiled, a warm wave of peace spreading through her chest. "Time to rest now, my little warrior," she murmured.
Eli nodded sleepily and climbed under the thick blankets. "Will you read me a story, Mama? Uncle Adam reads me stories before bed, but sometimes, he is really bad at doing the voices."
Rhea chuckled softly, a genuine smile touching her lips. Inside, River felt a small sense of victory. At least there was one thing Adam was bad at.
She read the story Eli picked out, her voice a soothing purr in the quiet room. She watched with a tender heart as his eyelids grew heavy, his small chest finally rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm.
He had barely drifted into a deep sleep when a horrific scream echoed from the courtyard outside.
Rhea’s silver eyes snapped open. Her body went completely rigid. Inside her mind, River stood up on all fours, her phantom ears pinning back as a low growl rumbled in her throat.
Rhea flicked her gaze to Eli. Her chest heaved in shallow breaths. He was still sound asleep, tucked safely under the furs.
Suddenly, another sharp scream sliced through the dark. Rhea’s brows pinched together in a fierce glare as she looked toward the glass window.
"We are under attack! Sound the alarm!" a warrior’s frantic voice roared from the yard.
Rhea’s heart skipped a violent beat.
"Something is wrong, Rhea," River snarled in her head, her claws digging into her consciousness. "I smell strangers on the wind. Heavy copper and rogue musk. Enemies."
Rhea gently moved away from the bed. She tucked the heavy furs securely around Eli’s shoulders, then moved to the window. She parted the heavy curtain by an inch and peered outside into the dimming light.
A rogue warrior sprinted directly past her window, a gleaming iron sword raised in his hand as he hunted down a sanctuary guard.
Her pulse hammered like a trapped bird against her ribs. She looked back at the bed where Eli slept peacefully. Her mind unraveled with terror.
I need to protect him. I cannot let them take him from his bed again, she thought desperately.
"The only way to keep him safe is to go out there and destroy whatever evil is crossing these walls," River barked, her primal instincts taking over. "The last thing we want is to be trapped in this tiny room like caged prey. If they come through that door, we have no escape."
Rhea’s chest heaved as she weighed her wolf’s words. River was right. A cornered wolf was a dead wolf. She moved back to the bed, bent down, and pressed a soft kiss against Eli’s warm forehead.
"I will be back before you wake, my darling," she whispered into the dark.
With quiet steps, she moved to the bedroom door and touched the handle. She tightened her grip on her dagger.
"Are you ready, River?" she asked silently.
Inside her skull, the great silver wolf bared her fangs, ready for slaughter.