And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie

Chapter 99: Betrayed & Captured

Damian.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but everything Kate had told me in my office kept swirling through my mind. The entire evening I had spent with Ivy and the others, I couldn't help but think how Kate was right. I needed to be honest with Ivy. I couldn't keep hiding the truth.

I didn't explain everything because some things were too hard for me to explain, but! let her know what I was doing. I told her I was going, and it was to help fix whatever the hell was going on with me. Ivy deserved to know, just in case something bad happened. I didn't want her thinking my demise was her fault. I loved her more than I realized.

Before the sun had risen across the horizon, I had slipped from my bed where Ivy laid sleeping and prepared to leave. Walking around the room, my eyes darted to her angelic sleeping figure.

She was extraordinarily beautiful in every way possible, and even though she didn't find hersell attractive with her massive protruding belly... I did.

In fact, knowing she was pregnant with our children made her that much more desirable. I couldn't get enough of her, and through the evening I showed her as I pleased her like no other. Expressing my love for her... in case I wasn't able to again.

As I prepared myself to leave, I found it hard to go. The thought of leaving her was excruciating. Especially because I knew there was a chance I may not come back.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I leaned over, kissing the side of her head once more. My lips lingered just a moment longer than they needed to before I pulled away and made my way towards the bedroom door. Was I actually doing the right thing, or was I being selfish by leaving?

I was constantly conflicted and had been for days since I had found the woman who supposedly could help me. It wasn't easy moving forward with what I was doing, but I just kept reminding myself I was doing this for he sake of the pack, for the sake of Ivy, and for the sake of my unborn children,

Leaving my bedroom, I quietly shut the door to avoid disturbing her and made my way down the hallway. After my conversation with Ivy last night, I did go talk to my brothers, and I told them exactly what was going on. They were in shock and disbelief over the situation, saying it wasn't possible, but in the end they knew I wouldn't make something like this up. If I said it was true, then it was. Talon wanted to come with me in the end. To have my back, protect me if I needed it, but that wasn't possible.

I had sworn to the woman I would come alone.

She was an outcast in hiding. An enemy of the council that would be killed if she was found, and though I had found her, I promised I wouldn't give her up.

She didn't trust me, and she had every right not to. Could I possibly be walking into a trap? I had asked myself that many times.

However, I refused to break trust with this woman if she was the only one who could help me get answers to whatever was going on.

Climbing into my car, I didn't waste any time as I made my way down the road toward my destination. It was over an hour away and still dark outside, so making pace, I let the wheels of my black sedan push forward w th force, propelling me down the road and onto the highway

The entire time I

drove, my mind kept playing over everything that had happened since the moment Ivy had walked into my life. Fate had brought her to us, and with fate we would eventually see what our future had in store.

By the time I slowly began to reach my destination, I pulled off onto a dirt road that lead through a heavily

wooded area. When she said seclusion, she wasn't wrong, and as I drove forward, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The more and more I thought about it... the more it felt like a trap.

Yet, when the road finally gave way to a clearing in the center of the

forest, my eyes landed upon a small brick and wood cabin nestled beneath the trees. Smoke billowed from its chimney while candlelight flickered in the windows.

It was a very ominous sight to behold, but considering her life of seclusion, I almost expected more. Perhaps dead carcasses and vines seemingly unhinging the area.

Yet, there were none. It was old, but looked like someone had dropped here it.

Putting the car in park, I stepped onto the dirt drive and closed my car door. With every footstep I took closer to the door, predicted my outcome. That was, until the door opened, and I was faced with an old crone of so ts whose hair had grayed but eyes looked far younger than the outside appearance.

"Vivian?" I said, clearly with slight hesitation. "You came," she smiled. "I did, and I came alone just as you told me to."

"I see that. That was wise of you. I do not take kindly to having people at my home who are not invited. I'm sure you can understand why." Holding the door open for me, she allowed me to step into her home before clo sing the door behind me. Her body seemed more frail than it should be.

"I do understand," I replied as I watched her make her way towards a chair placed by the fire. "Your gifts are highly sought after, and the council would not

have any problem of relieving you of those gifts if they had the chance."

Hesitating for a moment, her eyes met mine as she slowly nodded in agreement. So you want to figure out why you are losing your wolf?" She gestured for me to take my place

LI

in the seat across from her.

"Yes, I can feel that something isn't right. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it, and I know I am dying."

A small chuckle left her lips as she stared at me curiously. "That is both correct and incorrect."

"Would you care to elaborate on that?"

After all, I was here for answers, not to be told riddles. If I wanted riddles, I could have stayed there with Priscilla and eventually had hoped I figured everything out.

Not drive an hour away by myself to be made to look like a fool.

"I can, but ill explain to you the truth, you cannot change the fate that is coming for you. I want you to realize you cannot alter your destiny. You must let it take its course."

Taking a moment, 1 froze in my thoughts, hoping she was simply joking, but after a moment, I quickly realized she

was not. "You say once you tell me what you know, even if I wanted to change my fate, I wouldn't be able to."

"Yes. That is correct," she replied. "Your fate is sealed and what I see will come to pass, no matter the way you look at it. It is best that you try not to alter the course and let what is going to happen."

"Very well," I said after a moment of letting that information sink in. There was nothing like being told your future is sealed and no matter what you do, you're not going to be able to change it, which obviously means yo u are going to die.

I knew this day would come, though. I knew I would not live long enough to see my children grow. And while that may be the truth, I will listen to what this woman had to say, regardless.

They say knowing your future is a privilege, but I find it to be a curse.

Knowing you're going to die, knowing the reason why, knowing the events of what is going to happen and not being able to change it is not a blessing.

It's nothing but a curse, and one you're doomed to fulfill.

"Damian, your wolf is not dying, but... you are going to die. Everyone dies eventually. The issues that you have, though, are far greater. Your Lycan is gone... stripped from you when you protected your brothers from th e creature. What you remember of your past isn't

true."

"I'm sorry... what? You're saying that my memories are false?" Hearing myself ask this question out loud made me feel crazier than I already was.

All I remembered from that day was my mother's dying and unleashing a power within me that stopped the darkness. Everything else was stuff Allison had told me in bits and pieces.

"That is correct. The information you were fed for all these years was lies, Damien. They were all lies. But I cannot tell you which was true and which were lies. That is something that you will have to figure out yourself. "I understand, and you said I'm not dying. Then what is wrong with me?" I asked,

hoping for clarification.

"You're a very impatient man," she chuckled, hier gaze boring into me behind calculating eyes. "I can see your mate has her hands full with you. However, she was accurate when she said that your wolf could not die b Furrowing my brows in confusion, I stared at her. How the hell would she know Ivy said that to me?

"Don't look so surprised. I see everything... Well, almost everything anyway. So I know what has happened and what has not. Your wolf is not dying. What happened is the power Ivy possesses was released and curre slowly because of her certain circumstances, but you and your brothers help her sustain it."

"I see," I replied, pondering over what she was explaining. "How is it we help her sustain this? My brothers are not feeling the same way that I do. They were actually quite shocked at what I was describing." "That is because they have their Lycan blood and soul. You do not. Yours was stripped from you. So, therefore, you do not have that power to help channel hers. Which is why, in turn, over time, it will end up killing you "So my link to Ivy is going to be what kills me. How much time do I have? Are we talking months, days, weeks, years?" Fear crept through me slowly, like twisting vines.

I wasn't afraid to die, per se. I was afraid of Ivy finding out that she was the reason I was dying. Everything we had done to complete the circle, and everything we had gone through, was what was killing me. If she knew the truth, she would never forgive herself.

"You misunderstand me. That could allow you to die, but that is not how you died, Damien. Your death is one that changes the world. Unfortunately, I cannot

see beyond that day for you." A glimmer of amusement in her eye caught my attention and for a moment, found a sense of uneasiness wash over me.

"What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately. If I give you that information, then I will meet my own end. What I can tell you is that you go out beautifully and with a purpose." The moment the words left her lips, the front door flew open, and as it did, However, it was too late.

By the time I could even take a step forward, I was shot with tranquilizer guns, and ny vision quickly went blurry as I dropped to my knees.

"What is going on here?! We had a truce, witch!" I growled in fury.

She had betrayed me, and even though I had gotten some information from her, it didn't matter.

Black figures moved about the room as one, in particular, walked towards her, handing her a scroll. "Good work, you're free."

"Thank you," she replied before the figure turned towards me with a wicked smile.

I couldn't believe she betrayed me, and as I looked into the figure's dark eyes, 1 immediately recognized him. It was Alokaye, the man who had tried to take me before.

"This will not stand," I snarled at him.

However, my display of aggression did nothing. Instead, he dropped into a crouching position next to me and smiled. "I told you I would see you again. I bet you weren't expecting this one, were you?"