Chapter 180: Rebuilding
Selene’s POV
We took Lucas to Icefang, the rebuilt Icefang. At least he didn’t get to see it in its state of partial desolation.
"Icefang is beautiful," he said as we entered its gates.
"Welcome to Icefang. Forgive my manners," I told him from the seat beside him in the car.
When we alighted, I told the guards to take him to a safe space and keep him under close monitoring. I had to go and check on my husband, William.
I reached his room and found him awake, his eyes fully and widely open. I guessed the journey I’d gone on hadn’t been so dangerous after all, because I had come back to him safely.
"Hey, William. I’m so happy you’re awake. Thank the Goddess." I held him and embraced him tightly.
"I’ve missed you, Selene," he said. "Dreams and thoughts of you, your voice, that was what kept me going."
I smiled, seeing him talk after such a long time. It felt like forever since he had been shot because of me.
Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I started to voice my appreciation.
"William, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what made you deem me worthy of being killed for. You could have died for me, and I can’t thank you enough..."
"Oh, Selene, please. It’s what I said at the altar on the day of our marriage, okay?"
I cried and held his hands.
"You’re a real husband, the realest husband out there. There’s none like you," I said, and kissed him on the forehead.
He was still recovering, but my parting words to him were a promise. "Just to make it up to you, before you’re fully recovered, I’ll make sure the people who attacked us pay for their crimes."
I stood up, and William uttered, "Selene!"
I stopped to hear him out.
"I know I’ve never said this to you before, but I’ll say it now. I’d do what I did for you over and over again," he said.
What the...? That was supposed to be romantic, but no.
"No, William. The opportunity isn’t coming again, okay? You’ll be alive, and you’ll never have to jump in front of a bullet," I said to him before leaving.
I started heading to where Lucas was being kept.
The place was nice, comfortable and serene. Icefang, for sure, had those kinds of places.
"Here he is, Luna." Damien opened the door for me, with two other guards beside us.
"Hey, Lucas. We’re going to begin our plan immediately. How can you grant us access into their midst?" I asked him.
"I can give you what you want, but what’s in it for me?" he asked.
Look at this criminal, asking for payment.
I laughed hard.
"You can’t be serious, Lucas. I hope you know that we know there was a bounty over your head, and the Valdris government is looking for you alongside your criminal friends. This is a crazy move. You don’t get to call the shots here," I said to him.
"And yet I escaped. I got out of the streets entirely and continued to live a normal life. That’s what I want from you, a normal life like the one you met me enjoying," he said.
"It depends on what your definition of a normal life is, because what I saw you living in that motel was not a normal life. You’ll always be looked for. There will always be trails on your back, which will make you watch it from time to time. You’re still in prison, Lucas. The only difference is that this prison doesn’t have gates."
He shook his head as if he agreed with me. Proud male species. "Just anything to keep me undiscovered," he said.
"Done. Now give me what I’m looking for, and don’t waste my time."
"They’re the Bernia government, and where they stay is private property allocated to them by the government. You can’t gain access to the property. You can try, but only those who have access can enter the place," he said.
"Lucas, don’t waste my time. Do you have access to the place or not?"
"When we were first introduced to the place, we were given biometrics to grant us access. If they’ve deactivated mine, it means they’ve given up on me and were never expecting me to return. But if not, then they believed I would come back and help them carry out their missions," he said to me.
"So what’s it going to be?" I asked him.
"We can only hope it’s the latter, and that I gain access, because if I do, then it’s lights out for them," he said.
"Even if you’re logged out on arrival, you have to beg. Your people, your friends, the people who once believed in you as their leader, will grant you access," I said to him.
"When I enter first, you’ll all be on standby while I go and convince my friend Ciro. He’s a computer hacker. He can manipulate anything. He’ll turn all their surveillance and security off, and then you can enter with your people and do as you please," he said.
It sounded good, but I knew it was easier said than done. All Lucas needed was the mind and the guts to do something like this.
"Look, let me tell you what this is about and who it’s for," I said. "It’s for your people, the werewolf race, the people they intend to wipe out. They’re humans, and they see us as competition they need to eliminate. We must fight to protect our own and preserve our race."
He nodded. He was feeling my speech.
"We leave tomorrow at sunset. As it gets dark, so will their lives. For now, I have a burial ceremony to attend."
"Alright, Luna. I’m ready," he said.
It was the burial ceremony of Alpha Roran of Bloodmoon and his Luna, Sienna. They had been shot and killed on the night of the festival. I went there to represent Icefang. Roran was my first Alpha, the first I ever knew of, and I was recognised as a dignitary when I arrived. I saw Astrid and her husband there. I had been on the run since that day and I was very tired, but I held my head high. I also saw my parents, Caden and Lyra. I would have to go and say hello to them after the procession.