Crossing Paths with the White Wolf

Chapter 6 - Helios

Helios P O V

“Tuli, we need sleep. If this is the way to get sleep, we need to think about it,” Markus argued.

“What about the coma, Markus?” Celeste said and I saw tears appear in her eyes.

“It’s not like I’ll be asleep for the whole night. We just need to draw them in. Right Helios?” He asked.

“Yes, I will set up an ash circle around him. Once he is asleep, we can wake him. He should be able to step out of the circle while the Nahual and Alû should be trapped.”

“See, perfectly safe,” Markus said.

Celeste just crossed her arms and stared him down. After a minute, she stirred the mole sauce and pointed at both of us, “If something happens to you, I’ll kill both of you.” she said, and walked away through a small door that I assumed was the pantry.

“Sorry, she’s just tired. She is usually not this murdery,” Markus whispered.

“Don’t try to explain my worry away, Markus. I have every right to be mad that my mate is bait.” She came back out with a bag of rice.

“Ha, that rhymes” Beta Gillian said as he entered with Camila. Celeste narrowed her eyes at him and he paled slightly before turning to Markus. “Danny and Maya went to get an ingredient Gonzalo noticed was missing. They should be back in about 10 minutes. Gonzalo is still looking through things. We’re just here to grab some Tupperware containers for mixing things,” he said as he went into a cupboard and grabbed some containers and spoons. Camila looked a bit hostile but unsure at the same time.

“Baby, you OK?” Beta Gillian came around to her side.

Camila looked at Celeste, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I – I am not sure I can do this,” she said, and then left the room in tears.

“Go.” Celeste tells Beta Gillian, then turns to me. “Give her time. Her dad passed away in one of the attacks where you attempted to grab my mother before she met my father. It’s not easy for her.”

I looked at the ground, a lump in my throat before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Celeste looking at me sympathetically. “She will come around. They just need to see the real you.”

“How do you do it?” I asked her quietly and she looked at me confused. “How do you look at me and not see the people you’ve lost because of me? Out of everyone here, you’ve lost the most because of me, but you were still the first one to give me a chance.”

“Because I get to look at them grow up because you stopped when you saw the truth. Because we’ve been safe in this pack house while you’ve been hunting those coming after us. It’s not always easy, Helios, but I don’t want to live in the past. Your actions were misguided, done in anger at what you thought was a wrong done against your mother. I don’t blame you for it.”

“I d-don’t blame you either.” I heard, and I looked over at Camila walking back in with Beta Gillian. “I’m sorry. Celeste has explained many times what happened.” She snorted lightly as a tear left her eye. “Honestly, you didn’t even actually hurt my father. You didn’t kill anyone that day, but you destroyed some structures and while they were trying to assess the damage, a large rock fractured from the mountain fell on one of the houses and crushed him. We couldn’t move the rock in time. Blaming you was easier to do than to deal with my grief and, well, I’m tired so I’m emotional.”

“I – I am to blame. I have done a lot of wrongs. I don’t expect to be forgiven easily. I just…” I turned to Celeste, “I’m eternally grateful that you’ve given me a chance.” I turned to Markus, “I never expected to be welcomed into your home so soon. Thank you, I will do all I can to earn your trust.”

Markus shook his head, “I saw the vision Helios. I was there when you found out what happened. I was wary at first. Getting over Celeste being taken while she was pregnant, knowing what you intended to do, was not easy, but that was more me than you. Like Camila said, it’s easier to blame than to deal with your emotions. If I didn’t trust you, do you think you would be holding my son?” He smirked as Cory tried to eat my button again, having dropped the waffle. I smiled and nodded, gently taking his mouth away from my shirt and grabbing the new waffle Celeste was offering.

We all stood there just silently reflecting until we heard the front door open. “Oh f**k yeah, that smells amazing!” Gamma Daniel, and his mate Maya, their little boy sitting on her hip that I knew was named James from Celeste’s emails, walked in. He stopped at the door and noticed all the expressions in our faces and asked, “What did I miss?”

Beta Gillian laughed, “Therapy session.”

“Oh good, I hate the mushy stuff. What are you making Luna?” He went around the counter to look at the pot.

“Mole, did you find what Gonzalo needed?” She said as she gave him a spoon with a bit of sauce on it to try. He moaned and held up the bag in his hand, then moved to the other end of the room.

“Babe, where did we stash my stretchy pants? Gonna need them tonight.” He grinned at her on his way out.

“I don’t know how he’s not fat yet. Celeste, is this the recipe from Mrs. Rodriguez?” She asked as she sat on the other side of me. She put little James on her lap and held out her hand to me. “Hi, we haven’t officially met. I’m Maya. It’s nice to see you when you’re not trying to take my best friend,” she smirked at me, making me blush.

“Maya!” Celeste chided her friend as everyone laughed.

“What? You know I am not comfortable with awkward Luna, I am simply saying he’s OK in my books.” she said and I couldn’t help laughing then.

“You have very honest people around you,” I said and she grinned at me.

We had dinner and then Markus, Gonzalo, Gamma Daniel and I took a walk around the packgrounds. I was interested in the forests, where they may be able to hide. Celeste was helping set up the room where the other women and their kids would sleep. We walked all around but we couldn’t see anything. No indication that they were in the woods.

“Let’s head back and prepare. I don’t think we’re going to find anything in here,” I said.

“Could it be we’re wrong and it is something in the environment?” Gamma Daniel asked as we headed back.

“Celeste saw the creatures, even if she thinks she dreamt it. I don’t think she did. It’s too much of a coincidence that she dreamed the exact creature I suspected, Gamma Daniel,” I said.

“It’s just Danny, please. What’s the plan then?” he asked.

“Gonzalo and I will set up the trap in Markus’ room. Celeste is letting us borrow the baby monitors so we can see when the Alû and Nahual show up. Once they start feeding, we wake up Markus and kill both the creatures.”

“How are you planning on killing them? You said they were spirits,” Markus asked.

“There is a spell to make spirits corporeal. That’s what Gonzalo has been working on this afternoon. Once they are corporeal…well, they aren’t immortal, so we just need to kill them.”

“Sounds…easy?” Markus asked.

“It won’t be. They have both been feeding off your pack for a month. They will be strong. I don’t know what physical strength they will have. We should be ready for anything,” I said firmly.

“Danny, have Gabriel, Zack, Brenda and George protect the girls. Make sure Valeria is also there. She won’t be happy but, considering she’s expecting, I won’t take the chance. She can have medical supplies in there with her just in case. Make sure the doctor on shift is ready in case someone gets injured. Have anyone living near the packhouse in their bunkers. I want the warriors in their homes but ready to come to aid. We don’t want to show our hand.”

“Yes Alpha,” he said as his eyes glazed over as he mind linked orders. Beta Gillian met us at the door.

“What can I do to help?” He asked.

“You and Danny are to set up camp in the Alpha rooms tonight. I need you all to nap until then and take some energy drinks once the night begins. I need you guys alert,” Markus said.

“Can we not use a decoy tonight? Does it have to be you?” He asked.

“I’m sorry Beta Gillian, but at this point I’m pretty sure the Nahual is addicted to the fear that comes from Markus. We all have a distinct odor, it’s the same with fear. The Nahual honed in on Markus’ fear at the battle in the pyramids. It traveled all the way here for it. It has been feeding on him for weeks. He will know it’s not him. I won’t let anything happen to him. I owe Celeste too much to fail,” I explained.

Beta Gillian sighed as he looked at me and nodded. “It’s just Gillian. Celeste trusts you, so I do as well.”

I looked at Markus. “Is everyone like this?”

“Yes, they all trust Celeste with their lives,” he said, and I couldn’t help but see the adoration for his mate in his eyes.

“She has done nothing but looked out for everyone in this Pack. She’s gone through hell and back and still finds a way to try to give second chances. Well…except for Alpha Geoff. She had a deep hatred for that man. She even told him that Sandra wasn’t his and that she was dead before he was put to death just to see him crumble.” He shuddered at the memory. “Scary Luna.” We laughed as we walked back into the packhouse.

We prepared the trap and added a salt ring around the room just in case. “I think we will also try to catch an hour or two of sleep. I’ll see you guys in a couple of hours” I said as Gonzalo and I headed to our suites.