RISE OF THE LYCANS - Mates and Bonds

Selena

“A Goddess in distress…” Flaym repeated.

“The full moon is in two days. Maybe it’s a warning or countdown,” Rex suggested.

“Or maybe the Goddess needs our help,” Grandma said as Flaym’s phone started ringing.

Lukas speared some beef with the fork and held it to my mouth. I took the delicious bite and listened as Flaym spoke with Zander. Flaym’s hand curled into a fist, and everyone could sense the tension radiating from him.

“What happened?” Lukas asked as Flaym ended the call.

“Zander can’t locate Zane or my sister. The tracking on both of their phones has gone dark.”

“Maybe the battery died?” Grandma suggested.

“On two different phones at the same time?” Flaym replied, pushing back the chair and abandoning his meal.

“Could they still be inside the church?” Storm asked. “Maybe they got locked inside waiting to get a closer look at things.”

“The tracking would still work on their phones,” Ranger told her.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Lukas said.

Grandma dropped her fork and wiped her mouth. “I’ll get my purse!”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Lukas and Rex said in unison.

“Not without my purse, I’m not…” She moved to retrieve her bag.

“I’m not babysitting, so don’t even ask,” Storm warned.

“Ranger will stay here with Sol and Selena. You need to wait here, Grandma. It could be dangerous,” Rex tried.

She started to protest. “Honey, I’ve seen demons before—”

“It’s not just the demon. It could be Jules, too,” Rex told her.

“There are three lycans here, and you want me to worry about a half-witted donkey?” She said as she stuffed half of a baguette into her purse. “Let’s go, we’re losing time!”

“You’re not going to win this,” Alpha Orléans said, shaking his head. “Give me a moment. I need to get my silver throwing knives in case we have a run-in with the half-witted donkey.”

“I should come with you,” Sol said. “In case someone needs healing.”

“What if Zane and Cynder show up here?” Ranger asked.

“My Gamma will come with me, and Henri will stay here,” Alpha Orléans said as he tucked silver blades into a holster that was strapped to his shoulders under his jacket.

“Does that thing break away when you shift?” Flaym asked.

“It’s not as bad as shifting with underwear,” he smirked.

“Spare me,” Storm scoffed. “Try shifting with a bra on, then come tell me about the elastic band in men’s underwear.”

It was just after ten when we slipped out the side door of the club, and it wasn’t completely dark yet. The sunset in Paris was later in the evening because of its northern position from the equator. If Jules was looking for us, it wouldn’t be hard to spot ten shifters out for an evening walk.

“Look at all these people out and about,” Grandma said. “I suppose it will help us blend in.” I suppressed a smile because there was no way in hell all these Alphas could blend in.Sol smirked, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was.

The Cathedral came into view, and I felt the wind kick up. Storm looked to the sky above, and her eyes swirled. People often lingered on the bridges or along the river in the evenings, and the sudden shift in temperature had many rushing off to find dry shelter from the coming storm. A rumble of thunder rolled in the clouds above, and I noticed my mate’s eyes swirling. Lukas and Storm were trying to clear the humans from the area.

Another roll of thunder sounded, and I watched a couple quickly pack up their picnic beside the river. Grandma Dori reached into her purse and rummaged for something. I expected her to pull out a travel umbrella at any moment and was surprised when she unfolded a blue rain poncho.

“Do you think Father Phony had something to do with it?” Grandma asked.

“Father, who?” Alpha Orléans asked, and Lukas quickly explained the priest we encountered.

“The Church will be locked, but I’m sure we can find a way inside.”

We walked across the bridge, and Lukas wrapped his arm tighter around me, trying to keep me close. A lycans body temperature was a little higher than other shifters, and I sought comfort in his warmth. The front courtyard of Notre-Dame came into view as the first drops of rain started to fall. The water splattered on the ground all around us, but not on us. My mate’s eyes continued to swirl, and I knew he was keeping us dry.

The tall doors of the church were closed, and Flaym tugged on the iron doors to see if they were locked.

“We’ll need to break in through the side door,” Flaym said.

“What about security?” Sol asked.

“I can call Zander to see if he can bypass the alarms.” Ranger removed the phone from his pocket as Flaym jumped the iron fence.

“I’ll take care of that,” Flaym said and disappeared into the shadows. “Put on a night show.”

When we were young, we often had sleepovers under the observatory’s glass dome. We stuffed ourselves full of sweets while we searched out the constellations of the night sky. After the snacks were consumed and we were tucked into our sleeping bags, Lukas and Storm put on a night show with thunder, lightning, and heavy swirling rain. I sometimes pretended to be afraid of the big claps of thunder, so Lukas would scoot closer to me.

“Are you ready, Princess?” He smirked as his eyes swirled faster.

The cracks came one after another. Storm lit up the left bank of Paris, and Lukas turned his attention to the right side of the river. The thunder grew stronger, and the wind kicked up debris. I had a feeling Lukas was intentionally causing the booming flashes because he enjoyed having me bury my head in his chest.

“You might want to ease up on the rain,” Rex warned. “It’s going to flood the small streets and down into the metros.”

A few moments later, the church went completely dark, and I assumed Flaym had found the electrical breaker box. Grandma complained about the wind ruining her hair and how her level four super-hold hairspray wasn’t holding up as advertised.

“These aren’t even tornado-level winds,” she griped. “I need to get a refund.”

The red side door pushed open, and Flaym motioned for us to come in.Rex scooped Grandma up and sprang over the iron fence. Ranger did the same with Sol, and before I knew it… Lukas had me cradled in his arms and bounded over the fence with ease.

“My Gamma will wait outside to ensure no one sneaks up on us,” Alpha Orléans said.

“Be careful, it’s dark in here,” Flaym warned.

“I have candles in my purse,” Grandma told him as Rex set her down inside the church.

I heard the sound of a zippo strike, and the gentle glow of fire lit up the place. Rex held a fireball in his hand, and Lukas extended his hand out to draw a small ball of flames from Rex. Storm’s eyes continued to swirl, and I knew she was using her lycan senses to ensure we were alone. Her nostrils flared, and I breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded her head, indicating we were alone.

“The good news is, we’re alone,” Rex said with a sigh. “And the bad news is, we’re alone.”

“Are you sure?” Alpha Orléans asked. “We should search the place.”

“Lycan senses are far more sensitive than other shifters,” Storm told him.

“The church sure looks different at night,” Grandma said. “All those gargoyles outside looked a little demonic. I swear they better not start moving, or I’ll burn this whole place down.”

“Keep her away from the candles,” my wolf whispered.

“The gargoyles are there to ward off evil spirits and symbolically remind people about hell.”

“Speaking of demonic, which confessional was it?” Ranger asked.

Storm motioned with her head and led the way. We walked across the checkered flooring to the side chapel where the confessional was. Ranger yanked the door open, and there was nothing but the purple cushioned bench where the priest sat. He poked his head in and looked around at the bare walls. Alpha Orléans examined the sections where the parishioner kneeled to confess.

“There’s nothing here,” Lukas announced and turned his attention to the high ceilings. His eyes swirled, and he looked into the darkness of the empty church.

“Let’s check the other side chapels,” Rex said, and Storm moved to examine the other sections of the church.

“There’s an attic,” Alpha Orléans announced. “I’ll go have a look… see if you can find a basement.”

“I don’t know why I bothered with the rain poncho,” Grandma said, pulling off the vinyl cover. “I bet my hair is a hot mess.”

“I’ll check the storage near the gift shop,” Flaym said.

“Grandma, you’re not going anywhere right now,” Lukas told her sternly before she insisted on finding a restroom in the dark. “Come sit here with Selena and Sol while we look around.”

He motioned for us to sit down on a wooden bench nearby, and we did.

“Fine, but I’m going to light a few of these candles,” Grandma said, reaching into her purse. “This whole night visit isn’t giving me peaceful midnight mass vibes. It’s giving me creepy haunted vibes or something.”

Lukas stayed close, examining the flooring, looking under the alters, and running his hands against the stone. Grandma lit a candle and shuffled to a large painting on the wall. I looked around and couldn’t help feeling like we were missing something. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on Cynder. I called to her through the mind link, and got nothing.

“If they’re here, Erick could be using strong magic to block us from sensing them,” I suggested.

“Is that supposed to be King Herod?” Grandma asked. “They said he was possessed by demons when he ordered the slaughter of all the innocent children of Bethlehem.”

“You mean the type of demons that possess people without them knowing they’ve been possessed?”

“That’s what I’m thinking, but I’ve never been possessed by a demon, so I can’t say,” she said.

“There’s an entire rack full of candles over there,” Sol pointed. “Maybe we should drag that here and light them up?”

“I’ll get it in a moment,” Lukas said. “Grandma, please sit down so I can concentrate on the search.”

“The bench is hard on my tushy,” she grumbled, and I recalled the big plush purple cushion in the confessional.

“There’s a seat pillow in the confessional,” I told her, and made my way to it.

“Hey, Storm,” Ranger’s voice called out from somewhere in the Nave of the church. “Do the chandeliers between the pillars look familiar to you?”

“No,” her voice rang out from the other side of the cathedral. “The one I saw may have been bigger, more opulent, and had red velvet curtains or walls behind it.”

“Red velvet?” Alpha Orléans asked, his voice sounding from somewhere high up in the church near the organ. “There’s red velvet and a massive chandelier at the Opera House.”

I reached for the pillow and realized it had a clip or button securing it to the seat to keep it from slipping off. The glow of the candle beside me told me Grandma was there. I gave the pillow a tug, and I heard the sound of a clip snapping.

“What’s that?” Grandma said as she wedged her head into the confessional with me.

“What’s what?” Sol asked, trying to peer over my shoulder.

“It looks like some kind of scratch,” Grandma said, and I crouched low for a better look.

“Isn’t that…” I paused a moment. “Isn’t that the star of chaos?”

I ran my finger over the small symbol etched into the wooden bench hidden under the seat cushion. The confessional flooring disappeared, and I shrieked as I dropped down what felt like a playground slide. I was plunged into total darkness, and the sudden drop in temperature sent a cold chill through me. I landed with a soft thud and heard the sound of someone else sliding behind me.

“Selena?” Cynder's voice rang out nervously from the blackness.

“What in the hell are you doing down here?” Grandma asked.

“Grandma!” Cynder shrieked.

“Why can’t I see anything? What’s going on here?” My sister’s voice sounded from somewhere behind me.

“We think the tunnel is enchanted,” Zane said. “Even my Alpha sight can’t see anything in the darkness.”

“Zane!” I breathed a sigh of relief. “Have you found Caspian yet?”

“No,” he replied. “We’ve been down here for a few hours, hoping Lukas would come to the cathedral when we didn’t turn up.”

“Welp, we’re all here,” Sol told him. “Lukas was just standing near us when the confessional swallowed us up.”

Everyone stood quietly for a moment, listening for my mate. I looked up and saw nothing. It was pitch black in here, and the temperature drop, along with the scent of damp earth, told me I was somewhere deep under the church.

“I lost my damn candle,” Grandma said. “Hang on a moment… I’ve got more in my purse.”

“Lukas,” I called through the mind link.

“Ranger isn’t replying through the link,” Sol announced frantically.

“Lukas?” I tried again. “Storm?”

“My phone was fully charged!” Sol sounded desperate. “It’s not working.”

“Nothing works down here,” Zane told her. “I couldn’t get any light from mine to look around.”

The sound of a cigarette lighter flicked, and a gentle glow of fire pulled us from complete darkness.

“Zane, honey, you’d better hold the candle,” Grandma said. “I don’t want to drop it.”

He took our only source of light from her, which seemed to push back the darkness. Zane walked in a slow circle, assessing the pit we had fallen into.

“Where’s the slide?” Sol asked, and I realized it had disappeared.

“We tried to feel around for it and climb back up, but there was nothing there.”

“Is the confessional a portal?” I asked no one in particular as I looked up, desperately hoping to find Lukas peering down at us.

“I don’t think so,” Zane said. “We haven’t been transported anywhere—”

“How do you know?” Grandma asked.

“I think we’re still under the church,” he told her. “There’s a tunnel over there, and I can sense a lot of water”

“Can you draw water into this chamber and float us up?”

“Not without depleting the air supply down here,” he shook his head.

“Grandma, how many more candles do you have in your purse?” I wondered if we should explore the tunnel and risk getting lost in the darkness or wait for Lukas to figure out how to get to us.

“I have three left,” she replied.

“I think we should blow out the candle and wait to see if Lukas finds us first,” Cynder said, and Zane nodded with approval.

“It’s cold down here,” my sister sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. I wrapped my arms around her and tried to mind link my mate again.

“Where’s the fire element when you need it?” My wolf whispered.

“We’re going to be fine,” Zane assured my sister.

“I have half a baguette in my purse,” Grandma said. “We could see what’s in the tunnels and leave a trail of breadcrumbs for Lukas to find us.”

“That might not be a bad idea,” Cynder replied. “If the confessional is protected with magic, they might not be able to sense it.”

“I just touched the small star with my hand, and the bottom pulled us in.”

“The same thing happened to us,” Zane told me.

“Then it shouldn’t take them long to find the star, right?”

“I don’t know,” Sol said hesitantly. “The confessional was the first thing they searched.”

“They’re going to blame me,” Grandma said, sounding defeated. “They’re going to think I walked off and you two followed.”

“But I’m the one who returned to the confessional for the seat cushion.”

“It’s okay,” Zane told us. “It’s no one’s fault. If Erick willingly came through this tunnel, then it has to lead somewhere.”

“Maybe it leads to the catacombs or something,” Grandma said. “I hear there’s a maze of tunnels under Paris.”

“Grandma, give me the baguette,” I held out my hand.

“Honey, I know being pregnant is making you hungry, but we need the bread for the trail,” she told me.

“I’m not going to eat it. I want you to focus on walking behind Zane and Cynder so you don’t trip on anything. I’ll walk behind you with Sol and drop the breadcrumbs.”

The ground shook violently, and I was nearly knocked off my feet. Sol’s scream turned into coughing when a plume of dust and dirt started falling from the ceiling, making it difficult to breathe. I knew Lukas had realized I was missing and would probably tear down the entire church looking for me. My wolf let out a deep howl, calling for her mate, and I prayed Kas would hear her.

We stood in silence at the opening of the tunnel, looking up, hoping to see Lukas open up the earth below his feet and rescue us.

“Let’s hope he calms down,” Zane said as Cynder buried her nose in his shoulder. “The last thing we need is to be buried alive.”

“I can’t be buried alive under here,” Grandma said. “My hair is a disaster, and I’m playing in a poker tournament next month.”