Chapter 4

Dark images flashed through Deak’s mind as he tossed and turned in his sleep. Images of his mother fighting with his father. He heard his mother’s voice whisper to him. But he couldn’t make sense of what she was telling him. Deak thrashed as the images became darker. It was the memorial for his mother. Deak was fifteen when his mother died. So many secrets that he had to hide. He heard his mother’s voice again in the distance. “Remember Deak, remember what I told you,” his mother whispered. Deak bolted upright from the bed, lifting his hands to cover his ears from the painful scream ringing in his head. “Deak, it’s alright. You’re awake. It was just a dream,” Vita cooed as she rubbed his back to calm him down. Deak pulled his hands away from his ears and sighed in relief when the screaming was gone. He rubbed his face as he tried to erase the memories from his mind. “I’m fine now,” Deak told Vita as he exited the bed. He walked into the bathroom to throw some cold water on his face, hoping to rid himself of the images he had been trying so hard to forget. When he returned to the room, Vita sat in bed with her bedside light turned on. “You should sleep,” Deak told her. He walked over to the window and looked at the dark night before him. Deak rubbed where the bracelet continued to burn his skin as it whispered about power and freedom, but he refused to listen. He was worried that the darkness within him would want to feed on that power that the bracelet promised them to try and gain control over him and his wolf. Vita walked up and wrapped her arms around his stomach, and rested her head against his back. Deak closed his eyes as the touch of his mate calmed his nerves. “Don’t shut me out,” Vita whispered. “I’m not trying to, my Vita. There’s just a lot to take in all at once.” Vita kissed his back and tried to pull back from him. Deak grabbed her and pulled her around to the front of him to face her. “My Vita, I care for you so much,” he told her as he brought each of her hands up and kissed them. “I’m worried without my magic, I’ll lose the side of me that you’ve grown to know. There’s a darkness inside me I’ve tried to contain for many years that yearns to control my wolf and me. I don’t want you to get hurt if that happens.” Vita shook her head. “I won’t get hurt. You won’t hurt me.” “You don’t know that. Even I don’t know that for sure.” “I know your heart is good; you want to do good, or else you wouldn’t have sacrificed so much to rescue me,” she assured him. “You are my mate. I would do anything for you,” he admitted. “And you still will. You haven’t allowed the bracelet to sway your thoughts and feelings about me yet. You are strong, and you will fight this.” Vita swore. Vita reached up to the back of Deak’s neck and pulled him down as she pressed her lips against his. Deak let out a groan as he returned the kiss. *** Madeline sighed as she sat next to the window, waiting for daylight to come. The thought of going back to Silver City kept her up all night. It had been years since she had been back to the enchanting city. She was curious to see how much the place had changed since her younger days. Madeline heard a knock between the joining rooms. “Mother, are you awake?” Zachary asked through the door. “Yes, come in,” Madeline told her son. The door opened between the two rooms, and Zachary walked in. “Everything okay?” he asked. Madeline nodded and sighed, “Just remembering the last time I visited Silver City.” “You seem worried.” “Silver City can be everything you hoped and expect it to be, full of fun and excitement. But you must be careful and not let it get the best of you, or you could be trapped there.” “Trapped, how?” “By the allure and the promises it will tell you it can fulfill,” she explained. The sun was starting to rise; Madeline closed her eyes as the sun warmed her skin. “Come, we must get everyone up and go. The entrance to the town is only open for a short amount of time. If we miss this one, we will have to wait days before it reopens again.” Zachary looked confused at his mother but shrugged and returned to his room to wake Ruby up. He had never been to Silver City, nor did he ever want to go to visit. He was only there to support his mother and ensure she was safe. Zachary closed the door between his room and his mother’s and looked over at Ruby asleep in the bed. His heart swelled as he watched his beautiful woman. “I can feel you are watching me,” Ruby said with her eyes still closed. Zachary chuckled as he leaned over her in the bed and kissed her. “I can’t help that I find you so beautiful,” he said with a shrug. Ruby opened her eyes and looked at her mate. Ruby was a fool when She was happy that she and Zachary were getting a second chance at love. She was glad she swallowed her pride and opened her heart to her mate. “Good morning,” Zachary whispered. “Good morning,” she responded. “We need to get up and get going. According to my mother, the entrance to Silver City is only open for a short window of time. If we miss it, the entrance doesn’t open again for a few days.” Zachary recited. Ruby looked at him the same way he looked at his mother. In defense, Zachary threw his hands up, “Hey, I don’t make up the rules.” Ruby nodded and got out of bed to prepare for their exciting day. As she walked by the wall opposite the adjoining door, she pounded on it and mind-linked. Ruby: Wake up, you two. It’s time to get up and get going. Tabitha groaned. She looked up at the headboard and narrowed her eyes. Did Ruby not know she wasn’t a morning person? Why did everything have to start early? Marco leaned over and pulled his mate back into his arms. “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered. “What's good about waking up so early?” Tabitha scoffed. Marco chuckled at his mate. He knew Tabitha hated waking up early, but knew she didn’t want to miss out on a chance to visit Silver City. “Today, we see the glittering city,” he whispered with enticement into her ear. Tabitha’s eyes opened wide. “Alright, I’ll get up. But there better be some good coffee at breakfast,” Tabitha warned as she entered the bathroom to get ready for their big adventure. Surely it would be a journey to remember.