The ill fated lovers (the Alpha king and his Queen luna)

XII

"Remind me once again why we are here?" Austin's whisper cut through the still night as we slipped into Silvermoon territory. The darkness was thick, almost palpable, and the cold air clung to our skin. We deftly avoided the patrolling wolves, their forms barely visible in the murky gloom. Austin's vampiric strength and agility made it easier to evade detection, and I felt a pang of relief as one wolf disappeared into the night, unaware of our intrusion.

"I have something to take care of. And you're following me," I replied, my voice barely more than a breath as we ventured deeper into the woods. The increased security since our last visit was palpable; it was as if the forest itself was on high alert.

"Oh, yeah, I just invited death for myself without any agenda," Austin retorted sarcastically, his voice tinged with dark humor. The tension between us was almost palpable, a mix of fear and frustration that crackled in the air.

"There are traps set up everywhere. A small mistake and alarms will go off everywhere—not to mention my own traps. So don't do anything reckless. Just follow my steps," I instructed, my tone firm and urgent.

"How do you know all this?" he asked, his curiosity and wariness intermingled.

"I have lived a long life, my son," I smirked, a hint of pride in my voice.

"Yes, Grandma," he said, shaking his head with a hint of a grin, but the humor didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Hey, come back, you wil—" My warning was cut short by a sharp click. My heart raced as I realized what had happened.

"Don't take another step. Don't. You've stepped on a mine, and don't utter a single word no matter what I do now." I grabbed his shoulder, halting him with a firmness that belied my own rising panic.

I crouched down, my fingers trembling slightly as I began to clear the soil around the mine. The wire leading away from it seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness.

"Daeliah, do you know what type it is?" I asked, my voice strained as I tried to remain calm. My inner wolf, a constant source of both strength and doubt, was ever-present, echoing warnings and concerns.

Don't do anything stupid. If you try to diffuse the mine, an alarm will go off, and in thirty seconds, the mine will explode, tearing us apart. If you attempt to disable the alarm, the mine will detonate instantly. Either way, we're done for.

"Wow, that was motivational, D," I muttered, my frustration and fear leaking into my voice.

"Am I dying today? I'm still a virgin. I haven't even kissed anyone yet," Austin said, his embarrassment mingling with his anxiety.

"Shut up. You're not dying, and let me think," I snapped, glaring at him as I tried to focus. His fear was palpable, a stark reminder of the stakes we were dealing with.

"I can hear guards coming," he said, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and urgency.

Think, think, think. Great. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan.

"Listen, Austin. When I tell you to, remove your foot from the mine. I'll try to freeze it. It won't hold for long, but it should give us enough time to get away," I said, hoping my plan would work.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I focused on freezing the mine. My heart pounded as I felt the chill of my magic seep into the ground. Austin followed my instructions, lifting his foot with a shaky nod.

As soon as we started running, the mine exploded behind us with a deafening roar, sending us tumbling to the ground.

"That worked," Austin said, his voice tinged with annoyance as he scrambled to his feet.