Alpha Leo and the Heart of Fire

Chapter 83

83. Where it Began

LEO.

“I remember this place.” Jin said quietly, looking around. It was me, Azura, Jax and Dan as well. Ace and Li Sheng were still trying to track down Judah.

We had come fully equipped just in case shit went down and I had Azura with us. I would not risk anything and intended to ask Raihana or maybe even Delsanra to place a protective spell around her, just in case something happened. I needed her and our pup safe.

“Who doesn’t?” I replied to Jin. We spoke quietly, yet our voices seemed to echo through the dark tunnels, bouncing off the walls and reaching our ears.

It had taken us two hours to get here, and now, with each passing moment, that dark feeling of foreboding grew. I looked around the darkness. I could still feel the darkness hanging in the air… as if a shadow of her presence remained within these caverns.

My gaze went to the far wall. Just when we turned a bend, I remember when she had created a child Wendigo… Yet even as a monster; the child was a child… its eerie wailing chilled me to the core, and I remember her throwing it against the wall and killing it… spreading blood and guts across that entire wall… 3

I had to clean it…

When people hear that I have a sharp memory and can remember pretty much everything, they say I’m lucky or are simply impressed… sometimes… sometimes forgetting things is a blessing…

“Leo.” Azura’s voice pulled me from the darkest corners of my mind, and I exhaled slowly.

I tried to get rid of the dark, damp smell that filled my nose, a smell I was so used to while growing up.

Jax scuffed his foot over the floor, and I saw a bone beneath his feet. “This place is hidden by magic, but it’s a shame it’s not fucking burned down.”

“Didn’t the Lycan king try to destroy it?” Jin asked, looking around slowly.

“I don’t know… I didn’t want to know…” I murmured. The caverns had a few entrances but only our pack really knew those, and some were extremely hard to get to, or even blocked.

Like the one I had helped Delsanra escape through all those years ago.

Dan frowned, scanning the paths ahead. “I don’t think any amount of magic or power could destroy this place… Can you guys not feel the heaviness in the air? Darkness and evil remain here…”

“Then is it fucking smart to be down here? Don’t want to disturb anything.” Jax added, Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

kicking some bones out of his way.

I raised an eyebrow. I thought he didn’t fucking want to disturb shit.

“Scared?” Dan grinned, looking at Jax.

“Not really, there’s very little I’m scared of.” Jax countered. The tension seemed to lift a little.

“Emmet’s been down here. I don’t think that will make a difference.” I added, holding Azura tight as we walked down a narrow winding path.

Jax nodded. “What about you Luna? Scared?”

“No, not at all… I was just thinking Kiara’s been down here too… Just thinking how you all grew up here…” She said, frowning slightly.

“Luckily, it’s all in the past.” Jin said to her with a small smile.

It was good to see them warming up to her.

We slowed down seeing the faint light ahead, and as one we all readied our guns, making Azura raise an eyebrow.

“That was damn sexy.‘ She murmured as we rounded the corner into what was obviously a makeshift lab. ”

The place was empty of all life, though.

‘Yeah?‘

‘Oh yeah, you look sexy with a gun… so will you give me a gun?‘ She asked as I lowered my gun slowly, taking in the equipment, the fridges, the boxes that lay to the side.

‘I’ll think about it.‘ I replied arrogantly, making her frown.

She was fucking perfect.

“He was so confident that no one would find this place.” Dan murmured, as he did a quick walk around, almost as if to check if there was someone hiding just in case, but I could tell from the scent no one had been here in a while.

“Check the room next door. Is there anything else in there?” I asked as Dan went over to the door, blowing off the lock and kicking open the door ahead, gun at the ready.

“Crates of stuff… looks like supplies… and… Leo, I think this is the substance that was added to the drugs.” He called.

I crossed the room, taking Azura with me as I entered the smaller room, a room that was fucking full of products. Crouching down, I sniffed it, swearing.

“Yeah, it’s the fucking poison.” I stood up scanning the room. Emmet wasn’t done… from this room it was obvious he was planning to make many more too.” I picked up a handful of bullet casings.

Far more…

“He couldn’t have been doing this all alone, right?” Azura voiced the very thought that was in my mind.

I don’t know… it was possible, but it would mean being away from the pack more often than not… and he wasn’t away that often…

“He had help… rig the place up, I want cameras out in the woods around here and Jax, clear this shit out. All of it.” I commanded, turning away and re–entering the main hall. 3

An hour had passed, and we had probably been through most of the cavern, aside from the rooms sealed shut by Endora. The rest was stripped and searched thoroughly. We found a little

paperwork and some numbers of buyers and suppliers, but nothing strong enough or solid enough to explain much about how he paid for all these supplies.

“Jin trace these numbers. See If you can find anything on them, otherwise try calling. Dan, take some samples and see if you can find any scents or any clue… We have the fucking dinner tomorrow, too. We need to get this shit sorted.”

My gaze went to Azura, who was walking along the edge of the wall, her eyes fixed on the floor. She had been walking around and crouching down at times, but as long as she didn’t venture far, I let her carry on. “Dinner?” She tilted her head, looking at me curiously.

“A Cartel business party Beautiful, and before you ask, no.”

She frowned, “We’ll see.” She answered, making Jax snicker.

“Boys, think we have a new boss.” He smirked. 2

I glared at him, picking up all the files when Azura hummed. “Emmet has a small foot… like it’s a size 8 or 9… if you look around the edge… in the dirt some of these shoe prints look big… like an 11…” She said peering up at me from where she was squatting. 3

Frowning, I waked over to her, trying not to stare at her ass as I crouched next to her, my gaze dipping to the footprints. They were faint, but she had a point…

“Could be deliveries being brought in or work boots, but definitely not something to overlook

nice going Luna.” Jax added with a wink.

“What do you excel in?” Dan asked her.

“Weapons, I’m excellent with different weapons. Mama taught me to fight, and she’s

relentless and tracking was another I’m pretty neat at. Just don’t tell me to handle academic stuff. I dislike studies.” She replied.

“No worries, you got Leo with brains by your side.” Jin replied. 1

My eyes skimmed the ground sharply, “Yeah, I don’t think this is something to let slide…” I said, taking my phone out and taking some pictures.

It was a few hours later, and we had just headed back to the pack. We had grabbed some pizza on the way and were now in the lounge in the mansion. It had been quiet on the drive home. The visit to the caverns had taken its toll on all of us. The raw memories of our past returning to the forefront of our minds. We would remove the rest of the machinery and stuff from the caverns soon, but I was hoping if

Emmet had an ally they’d go to the caverns before we went in with far more men… but we did remove the drugs and powder for the bullets from there just in case. I was not leaving that shit lying around.

Jin was getting the cameras installed and had some men from the Cartel there with him. Right now,

I hated to say this, but I was beginning to not trust anyone from the pack… my pack.

At times like this, Shane came to mind. Saying the Five, just didn’t fucking make sense…

He was missed…

Dan sat back after taking a pizza slice, and Jax looked lost in thought.

“You seen Kareena lately?” He asked, looking at me.

Guess Shane was on his mind too…

“Not in a few days, but Azura has.”

Azura nodded, eating her pizza, “She’s not doing great.”

“Yeah… She isn’t.” Jax frowned. “I get it now… when you asked your mated men to step away, I never did… But death really is unpredictable.”

Frowning, I looked across at him. “Yeah… We lose more than one, it’s rare for one to survive without the other… but I want Kareena to survive… I know Shane would want her to live on.”

“Yeah, he would…” Dan mumbled.

A silence fell and suddenly it felt like no one was hungry anymore…

Azura leaned against me, her heart racing. Her fear over me dying sifting through the link and her anger towards Judah rising. She hated him with everything she had.

‘It’s going to be ok.‘ I said firmly, looking down at her.

She tilted her head up, her gorgeous eyes holding a vulnerability as she searched my eyes, before nodding slowly. “Promise?” She asked softly.

“I promise.” I replied quietly, leaning closer and kissing her deeply…

Tomorrow was the dinner, and I truly hoped we got some answers from Web. He sold the bullets… then did he know something about Judah? 3