Chapter 208
VALENCIA’S POV
I moved my hand through my hair before looking at the massive trees that looked over ten times my size, and a sigh left my mouth.
’Tell me, is there a chant of some kind that will make them let me enter inside them? You know about a lot of such stuff, don’t you?’ I asked Aurora.
It has been 5-10 minutes since I stood before these forests, contemplating whether I should just go inside them without much thought.
It sounded and looked a bit unhinged. I would do it sooner or later, but I wanted to know if there was a way to do it quickly and with less drama or fewer casualties.
’There is no such chanting that I have heard or know of,’ Aurora answered, and I rolled my eyes at her.
Useless, stupid fake wolf, I muttered under my breath before taking a deep breath.
If there were no way to do it, I would do it my way.
Taking out my bow and arrow from my bag, I swung it around my shoulders since I didn’t know if the forest spirits had already informed the alpha and if they were waiting for me on the other side of the haze.
’To save a life,’ I kissed my arrow like always before placing it on the bow string.
Gazing at the sky one last time, I shot the arrow on the ground right at the entrance, the swinging sound making me smile.
’Let’s go,’ I said to Aurora before taking my first step into the forbidden forests.
Nothing happened.
I honestly thought there would be an army of people waiting for me so they could kill me or probably imprison me for crossing their forests and then bring me directly to where Theo was, so I would run the horses of my brain and think of how to get out of the place.
But there was nothing.
It was both disappointing, unnerving, and calming at the same point that I struggled to decide which emotion to hold onto.
With a deep, shaky breath, I started walking, keeping my senses at high alert.
After taking a few steps, I paused.
It wasn’t because someone finally appeared, I got attacked, or the forest spirits blocked my path, but because of how beautiful it looked.
Looking at the beauty of this forest, I could finally understand why those pack members never tried to come out of these forests either.
It was almost akin to heaven on Earth.
I didn’t know if this was just a delusion the spirits created or something more to the story, but it was definitely enchanting.
’Sometimes beauty is cunning,’ Aurora commented to bring me out of my dazed state, and I nodded in understanding.
As much as I wanted to call her a joykiller, I knew she was saying this only for my benefit.
I increased my speed when I noticed it was starting to light up and I had little time to infiltrate the pack and bring back Theo.
Though I believed the forest spirits must have already informed the alpha, I still wanted to hold onto that little hope that they wouldn’t during the night.
As I was walking as fast as I could, I almost stumbled onto an uprooted stem.
Not being able to hold myself upright because of the sudden event, I was about to fall face first on the ground when I felt something wrap around my waist and hold me in place.
The touch left as soon as it appeared while I looked around to see who it was.
This touch… It almost looked and felt so comforting and calming, as if it tried to take away all the weariness and anxiousness from inside of me.
I gulped.
’Did you feel it?’ I asked Aurora, but she said nothing, and I sighed.
If it had been worth worrying about, she would’ve definitely said something about the matter, but if she didn’t, I shouldn’t worry and continue walking.
I started walking again, turning in the direction of the water because that was the easiest way to reach the pack. I smiled at the small rabbit that appeared out of nowhere.
I bent down, wanting to grab it as it smelt me, biting my shoelaces as if it were a piece of grass.
The animal probably smelt the outside scent on me, which the animals here rarely do, which attracted the curious being to me.
I gently rubbed my two fingers on its forehead, and the rabbit fell to its side, placing its head on my shoes as if enjoying the massage.
“I would’ve surely stayed if I wasn’t in a hurry to save my friend’s life,” I whispered to the rabbit, even though I knew it wouldn’t understand what I was saying.
I was about to pick it up when the rabbit suddenly stood alert, its ears alert. I looked around when I felt someone near us, too.
Holding the dagger in my hand, I waited for the person to appear.
“Piku p>
It was a soft voice, and I looked into the eyes of the teenager, who was probably a couple of years younger than me.
“Who are you?” The girl asked, looking at me as if I was some kind of alien.
Her gaze went to the dagger in my hand and I quickly held it before me to tell her I didn’t mean any harm.
“Look, I am not here to harm you or anyone. Your alpha has captured a man recently. I am here to take him away,” I said.
“How were you able to pass the spirits’ security?” The girl looked at me wide-eyed, her shock resonating in her eyes.
I would’ve loved to play the hero, too, but now wasn’t the time to bask in the glory of what she was saying.
I either needed to take help from her or turn her unconscious and leave. My next action definitely depended on the kind of reaction this girl was going to have about my presence.
“So you are Kiara’s mate’s friend,” The girl said.
Judging from what she said, I figured Kiara was probably Theo’s mate who was beheaded and sadness engulfed me.
“You can’t be here. Do you even know what they do to strangers? Have you not heard any stories? The security guards have already woken up and will come here to take their positions anytime. Come with me. I will help you hide till the sun sets in and then leave without making a noise,” the girl said.
She tried to pull me away, but I held my ground.
I wasn’t here to hide and then leave without being caught.
I was here to save my friend.
“I am not -” I started, but her words shocked me.
“You can’t save your friend. He will be beheaded in two hours, and there is no way you will be able to reach the middle of the pack without being noticed,” The girl said.
However, I was too dazed to hear anything else.
What did she say? Theo was going to be beheaded in two hours? How dare they lay a hand on my man? Anger immediately started to take over me.
As if I would allow that to happen.