Eternal

Chapter 14: Tinder

Chapter 14

As soon as the fog lifted a giant stone structure erected straight into the bright blue sky. It looked more like a backdrop than a real place. I had only seen castles like these in cartoons and never believed they were real, much less hidden at the top of a mountain. The brilliant architecture was surrounded by a myriad of beautifully lush trees and I could faintly make out little cottages spread through the dense forest. I half expected a unicorn to be casually roaming about it looked so fairytale-esque.

"Tay... Tay... Tay!" I was brought out of my stupor by fingers snapping in my face. I looked to Ian with what I'm sure was pure, unadulterated confusion in my different colored eyes.

"That's a castle," I stated in disbelief.

I had to have been dreaming. Or on drugs. Or it was a mirage. Or—"Are you gonna pass out? Because Daxton will be pissed at me if you pass out," Ian interrupted my spiraling train of thought. No, I was not going to pass out, I wanted to tell him but the words escaped me.

The road became more level as we slowly rolled through what looked like the beginnings of a quaint village. Even with the castle looming in front of me, begging for my attention, I was surprised to see there were actually people out and about. Men, women, children, families—all living up here as if they had no idea there was an entire world below them.

I was quiet as we came up to giant gates twenty minutes later. It looked to be the only way in or out of the castle since there were very high stone walls going each direction as far as the eye could see.

Is the rugged terrain to get here not protection enough? Bry scoffed.

Guess not. Did you know any of this was here? I inquired. Maybe Evander had said something to her prior to the... incident. I didn't like thinking about the pain I selfishly caused by rejecting him.

No, I am just as confused as you are, Tay. It felt nice to know that my wolf wouldn't keep things from me.

Ian quickly got out and talked to the guard I hadn't noticed before that looked to be keeping watch over the gate. I saw the beta nod and the large wolf bowed to him, signaling to someone else with his pointer finger.

The gate creaked open and Ian hopped back into the waiting drivers seat. I still couldn't be sure if I was hallucinating or not because this felt like something out of a movie.

"Welcome to Tinder, little Luna. Home of the Highborn Wolves and a refuge to all wolf shifters who do not wish to live with a human society." Ian's smile was as bright as the white fluffy clouds that peppered the sky around the castle. He started pulling up the long, loose gravel that would've been considered a driveway but honestly looked more like just a road. There was grass greener than anything I'd ever seen on both sides, with shrubbery following us all the way to an open foyer. There were four cars parked here and Ian slid ours next to a bright red Ferrari.

Talk about rich, I thought to myself.

"Ian... This is impossible right? I was knocked out and this is all a dream?" I finally found my voice. I jumped out of the SUV and did a three-sixty turn to survey everything. I had to crane my neck all the way up to see where the castle ended in the bright sky.

"Sorry Tay, but you're very much awake and we are on a tight schedule. Here, take this." He handed me a jacket and my brain caught up to the fact that it was incredibly chilly, causing goosebumps to break through on my arms. "We've actually come on a really good day. The skies are almost never clear and often times it's snowing—the weather must've known you were coming."