Chapter 162: The Missing Moonfire

Della slipped into the first entrance to the tunnels she had found the first time she’d attempted to escape Malachi.

She pulled the metal door open from the ground and slipped inside. Alone, she walked through the underground herself and soon enough, she came across the entrance of the cave.

The massive blue wolf sat there, chained. His eyes were closed, and his body was shivering.

The moment she walked into the cave, Asteria shrivelled and curled inside of her, groaning loudly. It wasn’t because of Moonfire pain, it was because of Gideon.

When she was still human, she knew that Gideon was constantly in pain and that always broke her heart. But now that she had her wolf, she understood the pain he was going through.

Locked in here for years, fighting against insanity every single day...

That’s the true definition of suffering.

She walked up to him and placed her hand on his fur. The Moonfire dripping from his skin, flowing through his veins, felt hot against her skin.

Gideon opened his eyes and looked back at her. He let out a small, delicate howl the moment he saw her — he saw what she had become.

His body moved forward and wrapped around hers, pulling her closer into him. She sat down, pressed to his burning furs and then she began stroking his back.

He was the reason she was here.

Not Malachi.

She’d promised Malachi she would merge him back with his wolf, and as much as she would like to not keep that promise any longer... Gideon was also the one in severe pain every day. The only way to save him was to... insert him back where he belongs.

Gideon howled softly again, still staring at her. She kept on running her hands through his fur, her eyes staring emptily back into his wounded, haunted ones. If the mate bond were still here, she would probably understand what he was trying to tell her.

Fortunately, she didn’t need any mate bond to know that he was worried.

"I finally got my wolf," Della said quietly.

She tried to smile at him, but her lips didn’t even twitch.

"But I understood how to awaken her too late. I died, and she brought me back to life,"

Gideon looked horrified. His blue eyes were trembling from something different now, and he drew her even closer to him to console her. Unfortunately, she could only feel the heat from the Moonfire.

Not the warmth in his actions.

"I didn’t come here to bore you with the story of my pathetic life," She said, cupping his huge face with both hands. They barely covered a quarter of his face, "I’m here to tell you that I haven’t forgotten about you, and I plan to serve as the bridge needed to put you back into Malachi’s body,"

Gideon leaned closer and rubbed his face against hers, letting out another small groan.

"I’m fine. I really am," She replied, as though she understood him. Maybe she did. In her own way, "I’ve just finally understood that...the world would never accept me. A rotblood...is a rotblood. It doesn’t matter how righteous you are, and I’ve made up my mind that I’m not gonna...try to please anyone again. I’m done begging. I’d rather take what I want. I have Asteria now. We are powerful now,"

He was still staring at her, deeply concerned.

Moonfire rolled down her arm, sizzling as it went. Her skin remained unburnt.

"I’ll be visiting you frequently from now on," She continued, "Although, I’ll be going to Nightveil. Alpha Cassian offered me to come there, and I agreed. He’s given me a small section in the Castle, away from everyone else. No one ever comes there, so it’s the best spot for me. Moreover, I won’t be staying at Nightveil all the time. I’ll be visiting a few graveyards not too far from here, so I’ll always drop by to see you,"

He rubbed his face against hers again.

"I’m sorry I can’t merge you two now. I uhhh, I don’t want to see Malachi anymore. But I guess that’s selfish of me, because my decision will only make you suffer for a longer time,"

Della shut her eyes.

"You know what? I’ll bring Malachi here the next time I’m coming here. I’ll do it. Then, you’ll never have to suffer again,"

The wolf remained silent, but it’s large tail gently wrapped around her waist.

It raised its head, and then it stared at something behind her.

Della turned around to see what it was. There was nothing there except of the barrels of Moonfire that were lined all around the wall. Then, she noticed something.

Some barrels...were missing.

She has a photographic memory of this place ever since she first walked in here. She always knew how things were kept, or when something was out of place. So the moment she turned around, she could tell a few barrels were missing.

"Has someone else been here?" She asked, turning back to Gideon.

The Wolf howled a little.

"How sure are you?"

It said nothing.

She turned back again and stared.

It’s not like Gideon could have taken those barrels on his own. What could he possibly use them for?! Plus, he’s chained so he cannot move from where he is.

Which means someone else was here.

Maybe while he was asleep or something.

And it cannot be Malachi because, well, wolves cannot touch Moonfire. They would collapse before they even got halfway in.

Could it have been a human? If so, what would they need Moonfire for?!

"Have you ever sensed anything out of place since you were chained in here?!" She questioned again.

The wolf shook its head.

He’d sense it if it were a werewolf, but humans are harder to sense than wolves.

Della’s palms caressed his fur a little faster now, her eyes seemingly distant.

She didn’t know what was happening, or what was really causing the disappearance of Moonfire.

She didn’t even care.

If humans wanted to burn the Wolf realm to the ground, she was in full support of it.

She was just worried about Gideon. She wanted to get him out of here. Which means...she would have to go and see Malachi about this sooner than she had anticipated.

Ugh! How annoying.

Hopefully, she won’t rip his head off.