Kevin’s POV
“Are you ready?” Liam asked me as he stood before me.
I nodded as I rose from my chair, looking at the desk in my study. I had done everything that I needed to do. I had cleared my duties up to the next one month and I wouldn’t be missed much if I wasn’t around for that long. I didn’t plan to stay absent for that long though. I hoped to find Ella as soon as possible and bring Ella back home. I was going to drag her if I had to. She didn’t have to worry about my ten years. I had thought it through and didn’t feel bad when I had given it up. She didn’t have to feel sorry for my sake.
“Let’s go.” I said to Liam.
I met Andre at the door. He was about to come into the study and bowed as he saw me. “I came to check if you were still around.”
“I’m just about to leave.”
“Have a safe trip, my lord.” He said.
“Take good care of the men.” I told him in response.
I didn’t tell anyone that the Luna had traveled off from the pack without my permission but instead told them that we had been planning on a vacation and the Luna and the kids had gone early. Only Liam knew the truth and it was going to stay that way. I had made Andre the acting general of the men since Liam also wouldn’t be around..
“Will do that, my lord.” He bowed.
“Let’s go.” I said to Liam and headed towards my bedroom.
I had already packed my stuff the previous night and it wasn’t long before I stepped out of the bedroom with the bag to join Liam who already had his bag slung over his shoulder. I had only needed to pick the bag.
I had told the maids and servants that I was going on a vacation so didn’t need to sneak out of the house as Ella had probably done. No one found it strange that I had a bag with me and they all bowed as they saw me and wished me a safe journey. Some of them even told me to extend their regards to the Luna when I meet her.
“We have a long way to go.” I sighed as we walked far away from the house.
Liam chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me. I’ve been through this journey before, remember?”
“We took the longer path then but I don’t have the time to do that now. Do you mind if we take the shorter path this time?” I asked, staring at his eyes to be sure he knew the implications of what I was asking.
He had to know that the journey was a lot more dangerous than it had been seven years ago and I needed his consent. I wouldn’t endanger his life without letting him know what he was getting himself into.
He didn’t even blink. “I’m ready for the journey.”
“Thank you.”
“I already told you, my lord, that I would fix this mess with you.”
“Thank you for your friendship and loyalty, Liam.”
He nodded. “Let’s go, my lord. I don’t think we have much time to keep thanking each other.”
I laughed at his words. He was endearingly sarcastic. “We don’t.”
We got to the house of the red witch and I wondered if Ella was still there. She had taken the longer path so it wouldn’t have been long that she got here. We had fought off a fair share of strange creatures on the way but I felt it was worth it when I sniffed Ella’s scent in the air and also that of the boys. They were here or were probably still here.
I had hope brimming in my chest as I burst through Elizabeth’s door. She glanced up and frowned at the intrusion, clearly not expecting anyone. She seemed annoyed at how I barged in but her face relaxed when she saw me.
“Oh! It’s you.” She smiled as if there was a secret she couldn’t wait to share and her day had just been made interesting with my presence.
I didn’t care for her games at the moment. “Where is my family?”
“You mean the beautiful woman and three boys that were here recently?”
They had left? Did that mean that Ella had gotten it done? Had she restored my lost ten years?
“They went back home already?” I asked, thinking that I should have trusted Ella and not rush after her.
She chuckled. “They left for the human world.”
“Human world? Why would they?”
“I told her to. That is the condition for her to get what she came here for.”
I scowled. “Don’t play games with me.”
“Have you ever known me to play games?”
I sighed. No. She was always straightforward with her wants. “What did you tell her?”
I gasped as she told me everything that she saw and told Ella. I had only prepared to be absent for one month but it seemed like my pack was going to have to do with their alpha for more than that.
I couldn’t believe I was going to be absent for three months. I wondered how far Ella had gone in her journey.
As if she was reading my mind, she spoke up. “She couldn’t have gone far. You can catch up to her if you hurry. I’m sure she is still in the south.” She peered into her viewing globe and nodded. “Yes, I’m right. She is still in the south.”
I turned to Liam. “Let’s go.” I said and walked out of Elizabeth’s inn without another word to her.