during the first expedition to find Tyrell, the
same one which had nearly killed Derek and Jace’s uncles, Brody and
Isaac.
“Now that we have the formalities out of the way,” Derek piped
up, “we should get to the matter at hand. We have some other people
here who are helping us, but most of them are vampires and are
sleeping now. Until then, we’ll inform you a little on what’s been
going on, if that’s all right with you.”
“That would be perfect,” Anson said. The older wolf seemed even
more eager than Jace to catch their enemies, which was
understandable given the circumstances.
Noah sat back down, and Jace noted the increasing strain on his
face. Derek and Rhys took over the conversation. “We’ve reached the
conclusion that Tyrell Hall might be here due to the lingering energies
The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate
63
in the area,” Rhys said. “Preliminary investigation at the power plant
told us that we might be on the right track, but it’s very difficult to
pursue it further.”
“While most of the damage from the nuclear emissions has
dwindled by now, magical beings, especially witches, are influenced
by it,” Derek added.
That explained the obvious difficulties Noah seemed to have for
no apparent reason. “But if it’s hard for you to be here, wouldn’t the
same thing apply to Tyrell?” he asked the warlock.
“The energy in itself isn’t painful,” Noah replied. “It is, first and
foremost, a fuel. But as its core is unstable and dangerous, it isn’t
recommended for anyone with strong magical abilities of our
alignment to use it. I expect my father couldn’t care less about reason.
He’s probably thrilled about the potentially destructive
consequences.”
Paris hummed thoughtfully. “So, you’re certain that he came
here?” When Noah nodded, Paris continued, “But at this point, he
must have left, right? Why stay in this area?”
“I don’t know if he got what he was looking for,” Noah replied
tightly. “I can’t be inside the power plant without feeling like my
mind will explode. If not for Rhys…” He shook his head, as if
discarding what he’d meant to say. “But we can’t go yet. We don’t
know in what direction we should be heading.”
Jace could easily understand their predicament, especially since
they didn’t have any further clues. His mind whirled as he sought
solutions, a blur of Paris’s busy thoughts lingering at the edge of his
consciousness.
“I’ll try once again today,” Noah said at last. “But even if I
succeed, it’s likely that we won’t know where he went.”
“Not necessarily,” Paris replied. “Just the fact that he came here
tells us something very important. What is he looking for? More
power. His magic was already very strong. Why did he need this
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Scarlet Hyacinth
boost? And why do so after he allied himself with my mother? There
has to be a connection.”
Noah blinked at him, as if considering the words. “Tyrell is
always trying to find more and more power. I’m not sure if it’s
necessarily linked to her.”
“I don’t know,” Reed offered. “If he’d wanted to tap into it, he
would have done so before releasing Aria.”
“There’s one thing that’s certain,” Anson said. “Tyrell hates
shifters. He thinks we are weak, enslaved by our emotions. Like many
others, he blames us for the fact that humans are now aware of the
existence of paranormal beings. He wants to eliminate us. And yet, he
freed Aria from her imprisonment. It all comes down to why he did
that.”
“Aria is anything but weak,” Paris said. Through their bond, Jace
caught flashes of memory as the other wolf remembered distant
episodes from the past. “She wouldn’t have minded killing me if it
meant furthering her own ambitions. She’s always pursued her own
purposes at the expense of others. I lied to myself for a very long
time, trying to believe that she meant well, but