THE ALPHA’S DESTINY 2 (Fulfilling The Prophecy) - Chapter 97: Chapter 97
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JULIA'S POV
My rough hands clung to the surface of the embankment as we climbed to the lair entrance. Stones burrowed into my knees, peeling at my skin. My palms were sore and bruised. Dozens of scratches littered my arms and legs.
With each inhale and exhale, my lungs burned and came close to blistering. I was tired, and I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. My fingers dug harder into the wall and I halted, resting the side of my face on the surface of the ridge.
"Julia, don't stop now. We're almost there." Declan's voice was an encouragement. I scanned down below to have a glance at him and regretted my decision to do so. The dropdown below seemed endless, as darkness was all I could see. "Just don't look down, Julia."
"He's right, Jules. Look at me," Zander stated from above. My eyelids were heavy as I lifted my gaze to greet him up above. "That's it, Julia. We're almost there. See, James is already at the top."
"OK. I can do this," I chanted, lifting one leg after the other and pulling my weight upwards. Sweat and tears drenched my face the more I struggled to get to the top.
The cold moved inside my nostrils now, only to meet the warmth of my blood, my defence against such ice. My body seemed like a rag doll when Zander hauled me up onto the ledge. Icy wind washed over my skin, sending my frame into a shiver. My feet moved, one foot in front of the other in defiance of the wind, in a rage against the winter blasts, at ease with the volcano that breathes under this snowy mountaintop.
I glanced at the unblemished orange sky beyond and drew mental pictures, in case this was the last time I'd see the clouds. The realization that I was nude struck me when Zander's palms rested on my bare back. The coolness of his touch brought the synapses of my brain to a standstill. My body reacted as cold bumps lined my skin like formatted soldiers in battle.
"I'm sorry, Julia, but we must continue now," Zander motioned for us to enter the cave. I glanced upwards again. This was where the mountain ended. There was nowhere left to go than in or down.
"OK." I folded my lips and proceeded inside. The vibration of the waterfall rolling down the mountainside faded, being replaced by a powerful wheezing noise that resounded throughout the chamber. "What is that?" I queried.
"It's the sound of breathing," Declan answered. But Zander's hearing was the strongest, and he picked up more than one distinctive breathings.
"Just stay close and keep quiet," Zander warned.
We took careful steps, picking our way across the drudgery, trying our best not to disturb anything. I wavered, wiping away droplets of sweat from my forehead.
The air was becoming hot and stale, burning my lungs like fumes from brimstone. The ground of the cave belched up constant waves of foul and rancid odours that smelt like sickly excrement.
Mounds of old, gnawed bones littered the floor. A hilly heap of greyish ribs and grinning skulls as high as the ceiling. My skin crawled and the hairs on my neck rose like the hackles of a dog. Fear, a feeling that I was used to, but this time it felt like melting tallow under the surface of my skin, feverish and hot. The sanguine-red moon was out now, flooding the Holt, giving off an unearthly glow of flame and fire. The sour tang of fear and sweat wasn't enough to soothe my dry mouth.
"I think we are here?" James predicted. But for some reason, I sensed we should go on further. Through a narrow passageway, I ventured. The three werewolves cursed lowly under their breaths as they squeezed their massive frames through.
"Good Lord," I beamed when I stepped into the room.
Gold coins, priceless jewellery, precious metals, and elite weaponry were scattered on the floor and piled up in adjoining chambers. But the riches weren't the reason for my outburst.
A dragon almost as wide as the cavern was curled up on the floor, fast asleep. Its wings were maybe one hundred feet in span, my ears rang violently as I listened to it snore. Its scales were golden and seemed harder than any metal or stone. No weapon had a chance to pierce its impenetrable hide, I thought to myself. But the most interesting things were its necks. Five long necks all twisted and intertwined with each other, like serpents in their nests.
"Where are the heads?" James asked.
"We have to follow the necks like snakes and ladders to find the heads," Declan instructed. Zander was caught up in something written on the wall next to the entrance. "Alpha, what is it you see?"
"It's a painting along with an inscription." Zander read it out loud. "Here lies the beast of the darkened cave, the dragon king. His fifth head shall be awakened when his queen comes."
James and Declan hastened over to Zander. I felt the shift in their energies. "What is it?"
"It's you," Declan announced. I hustled over. There was a painting on the wall of a five-headed dragon, and sitting on its head in the middle was me. The craziness of this all was too much for me. So, I stepped backward and stubbed my ankles on one of the many bones littering the area.
I stumbled, but before I could fall to the ground, a warm, soothing wind was enough to keep me on my feet. The smell of wet lumber and wild berries infiltrated my nose. I bit my lips, loving the scent that now surrounded me.
"You better be careful, Julia. It's too early for you to be falling for me." A melodic voice, sweet as a wind chime, echoed from behind me.
My eyes kept forward, watching the stunned looks on the men's faces as the fear I felt magnified.
My rough hands clung to the surface of the embankment as we climbed to the lair entrance. Stones burrowed into my knees, peeling at my skin. My palms were sore and bruised. Dozens of scratches littered my arms and legs.
With each inhale and exhale, my lungs burned and came close to blistering. I was tired, and I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. My fingers dug harder into the wall and I halted, resting the side of my face on the surface of the ridge.
"Julia, don't stop now. We're almost there." Declan's voice was an encouragement. I scanned down below to have a glance at him and regretted my decision to do so. The dropdown below seemed endless, as darkness was all I could see. "Just don't look down, Julia."
"He's right, Jules. Look at me," Zander stated from above. My eyelids were heavy as I lifted my gaze to greet him up above. "That's it, Julia. We're almost there. See, James is already at the top."
"OK. I can do this," I chanted, lifting one leg after the other and pulling my weight upwards. Sweat and tears drenched my face the more I struggled to get to the top.
The cold moved inside my nostrils now, only to meet the warmth of my blood, my defence against such ice. My body seemed like a rag doll when Zander hauled me up onto the ledge. Icy wind washed over my skin, sending my frame into a shiver. My feet moved, one foot in front of the other in defiance of the wind, in a rage against the winter blasts, at ease with the volcano that breathes under this snowy mountaintop.
I glanced at the unblemished orange sky beyond and drew mental pictures, in case this was the last time I'd see the clouds. The realization that I was nude struck me when Zander's palms rested on my bare back. The coolness of his touch brought the synapses of my brain to a standstill. My body reacted as cold bumps lined my skin like formatted soldiers in battle.
"I'm sorry, Julia, but we must continue now," Zander motioned for us to enter the cave. I glanced upwards again. This was where the mountain ended. There was nowhere left to go than in or down.
"OK." I folded my lips and proceeded inside. The vibration of the waterfall rolling down the mountainside faded, being replaced by a powerful wheezing noise that resounded throughout the chamber. "What is that?" I queried.
"It's the sound of breathing," Declan answered. But Zander's hearing was the strongest, and he picked up more than one distinctive breathings.
"Just stay close and keep quiet," Zander warned.
We took careful steps, picking our way across the drudgery, trying our best not to disturb anything. I wavered, wiping away droplets of sweat from my forehead.
The air was becoming hot and stale, burning my lungs like fumes from brimstone. The ground of the cave belched up constant waves of foul and rancid odours that smelt like sickly excrement.
Mounds of old, gnawed bones littered the floor. A hilly heap of greyish ribs and grinning skulls as high as the ceiling. My skin crawled and the hairs on my neck rose like the hackles of a dog. Fear, a feeling that I was used to, but this time it felt like melting tallow under the surface of my skin, feverish and hot. The sanguine-red moon was out now, flooding the Holt, giving off an unearthly glow of flame and fire. The sour tang of fear and sweat wasn't enough to soothe my dry mouth.
"I think we are here?" James predicted. But for some reason, I sensed we should go on further. Through a narrow passageway, I ventured. The three werewolves cursed lowly under their breaths as they squeezed their massive frames through.
"Good Lord," I beamed when I stepped into the room.
Gold coins, priceless jewellery, precious metals, and elite weaponry were scattered on the floor and piled up in adjoining chambers. But the riches weren't the reason for my outburst.
A dragon almost as wide as the cavern was curled up on the floor, fast asleep. Its wings were maybe one hundred feet in span, my ears rang violently as I listened to it snore. Its scales were golden and seemed harder than any metal or stone. No weapon had a chance to pierce its impenetrable hide, I thought to myself. But the most interesting things were its necks. Five long necks all twisted and intertwined with each other, like serpents in their nests.
"Where are the heads?" James asked.
"We have to follow the necks like snakes and ladders to find the heads," Declan instructed. Zander was caught up in something written on the wall next to the entrance. "Alpha, what is it you see?"
"It's a painting along with an inscription." Zander read it out loud. "Here lies the beast of the darkened cave, the dragon king. His fifth head shall be awakened when his queen comes."
James and Declan hastened over to Zander. I felt the shift in their energies. "What is it?"
"It's you," Declan announced. I hustled over. There was a painting on the wall of a five-headed dragon, and sitting on its head in the middle was me. The craziness of this all was too much for me. So, I stepped backward and stubbed my ankles on one of the many bones littering the area.
I stumbled, but before I could fall to the ground, a warm, soothing wind was enough to keep me on my feet. The smell of wet lumber and wild berries infiltrated my nose. I bit my lips, loving the scent that now surrounded me.
"You better be careful, Julia. It's too early for you to be falling for me." A melodic voice, sweet as a wind chime, echoed from behind me.
My eyes kept forward, watching the stunned looks on the men's faces as the fear I felt magnified.
End of THE ALPHA’S DESTINY 2 (Fulfilling The Prophecy) Chapter 97. Continue reading Chapter 98 or return to THE ALPHA’S DESTINY 2 (Fulfilling The Prophecy) book page.