Willows Salvation- Crescent Moon Book 1

Chapter 42

A week had gone by and my strength had significantly improved. Chris finally let me out of our room on day 5 when I could make it up and down the steps by myself. You would think that sleeping for so long I would be well-rested and full of energy, but Doc said since I had extensive injuries and even though my wolf helped me heal it would still take time for my strength and stamina to return. Chris stayed by my side the whole time except for when he had pack business to attend to. When he wasn't there Athena or Trixie were there. I had learned so much about when I was gone and the weeks to follow. Apparently there was a coven of witches that lived on the north end of the territory now. They stripped Isabella of her powers and helped Chris find me. They were given sanctuary as his way of thanking them. Athena told me how crazy Chris was when I was gone and how they never stopped searching for me. Some of it I knew thanks to my out of body experience, which in the end confirmed that I really did almost die.

I was so glad to be surrounded by friends even though a part of me was sad. I still needed to talk to Chris about the whole mate thing so that weighed on my mind. We needed to talk about it and I hoped soon we would. We talked about various dumb things. Really just getting to know each other. Like what our favorite colors were, favorite foods, favorite movies. I learned more about his family and how he grew up. He knew mine so there was no point in bringing it up. He really treated me like a queen. To be honest I kind of liked it. Many times at night when we laid there holding each other I wanted to talk to him about how us being mates worked now. His mark had faded from my shoulder and kept getting more faint as the days passed on. I could still feel the pull towards him and my wolf constantly howled mate but I was too scared to ask. I really should talk to Doc about it but not today.

I made my way slowly downstairs in time to see Chris coming up from the basement looking frustrated. When he saw me his demeanor changed and he walked over to me "Willow how are you feeling? Do you need to rest?"

"Chris I'm fine. Stop fussing, please. I love our room but if I stay there anymore I might go crazy. What were you doing down in the dungeon."

"Basement"

I smiled at him. He could call it what he wanted but it was a dungeon. "Whatever. Why were you down there?"

He ran his hand through his hair and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "What is it, Chris"

Looking at me I could tell he was bothered by it "It's not important right now."

I stared at him trying to figure out why he was skirting around it. Shrugging my shoulders "Okay." I leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He looked relieved that I wasn't going to ask anymore.

"What do you say we go get some lunch"

"Yes, maybe we can go for a picnic in the garden."

"Sounds amazing. Why don't you head to the kitchen and start packing it? I have something to do in my office real fast" I smiled at him and started to walk towards the kitchen. Making sure he was heading to his office. When I felt he was a safe distance away I sprinted for the basement door and yanked it open and ran down the steps. I was going to see for myself what he was hiding from me. He turned around real fast and sprinted towards me. "Damn it, Willow. Willow stop. Wait for a moment."

I walked the length of the dungeon and saw nothing and no one. "Willow stop"

I turned and faced him a tad out of breath. "Chris. I don't get it. What was such a secret that you couldn't tell me? Why were you down here? There is no one here."

He looked at me extremely uncomfortably which was making me very nervous. He didn't speak for the longest time which made me more nervous. I walked past him and stopped in front of the cell he kept me in when I first got here than the one Leo put me in while I was in heat. Oh, I hoped I wouldn't have to go through that again. A shiver ran up my spine as I turned around to look at him. "Chris what's going on?" He must have sensed the fear in my voice because he finally started to explain.

"I didn't want to have to tell you this yet. I still don't feel like its the right time" He was shifting from foot to foot again. I didn't like seeing him this nervous. Actually now that I think of it I had never seen him this nervous. His eyes found mine and I could see a tinge of regret and uncertainty. "Ok Willow. Well, the thing is the week that you were gone we invaded Blood moon packhouse. When we found no trace of you and no one there I left two warriors there. Just in case chance, we missed something or you were brought back there." I felt like this was taking to long but I was willing to let him take his time to say is. I could tell he didn't want to.

"Okay"

He cleared his throat "Well someone did come back to the house and the night I found you, while Doc and Trixie were trying to fix your wounds they were brought here."

The confusion was clear on my face. I wasn't sure what he meant. The cells were empty. "I don't understand there is no one here."

"That's just it. I had them thrown in the hole. It's not up here with the rest of them"

"The hole?"

"Yes. Willow I really don't want to do this right now."

"I don't care. Your acting weird Chris. What is it? Who is here that has you so nervous and upset?"

He walked over to me and pulled me in for a hug. I hesitated before I hugged him back but I did. He seemed to calm me just by his touch and I him.

"Willow. There is a secret door in the last cell on the left. Along the back wall." I walked to the last cell and ran my hands over the wall watching it shift slightly

"Chirs that still doesn't explain what you're not telling me. Do I know this person that you have thrown in the hole."

After another long pause "Willow its your mother"

I stood there and just stared at him. He had to be joking right. I mean this was a joke. "I need to sit down" I leaned on him for support. "It's up to you what you want me to do. Do you want her dead or do I leave her locked up for the rest of her days?"

All of a sudden felt very claustrophobic. My mom was downstairs. At first, anger swam through my body and then fear. My mother was downstairs in a place called the hole. Do I talk to her or go back upstairs and pack that picnic lunch. "Willow you don't have to do this today."

"If I talk to her will you stay next to me?"

With a nod of his head, I took a deep breath and we were heading down into the pitch black of the hole.