Chapter 467: The House That Should Have Been Silent

Chapter 466: The House That Should Have Been Silent

Present Day

Sophia stared at Orion.

"Is something the matter?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, I have to tell you..."

The door burst open at that point.

"Garrett," Orion said with a groan.

"I’m really sorry," Garrett said, bowing. "But Elder Caspian and Daniel sent me to get you, and they said it’s urgent. You need to get to Eldric’s home. They also told me to come with the Luna too..." He faltered as he saw Sophia’s blue orbs staring directly at him.

Garrett swallowed. He looked down suddenly, a blush climbing to his cheeks. "I was told to get you too."

Orion stared at Garrett with a raised eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He just turned to Sophia.

"Whatever it is you were about to tell me, can it wait?" he asked her. "If Garrett came running like someone set his ass on fire, then it must be important."

Sophia nodded. "Yes, but I’m confused. Why would they need me, and in Eldric’s home no less?" she asked him.

Orion stood up from the bed. "Remember when I told you that things happened while you were unconscious? Well, this is one, but rather than saying it happened while you were unconscious, it happened a while ago. Even before now."

"But I’m still confused," she told him.

"I’ll give you the shortened version. The Eldric we know—the last one you spoke with at the shrine—isn’t the Eldric you first started working with at the library. This is different. And whoever is in Eldric is ancient and wants to speak to only you and me," he told her.

Sophia just gave Orion a look.

"I know it sounds absurd, but you are important, shorty, and he wants to speak to you. And um... we have to go now," he told her.

"I have questions, but I’ll just go with you since you said it’s urgent," she told him.

Orion watched her closely.

"Can you run?"

Sophia slid her feet down to the floor.

The moment her left ankle took her weight, a sharp, unpleasant reminder flared through it.

She sucked in a breath. It throbbed just from that little movement she made.

"I’ll take that as a no," he said to her.

Before she could argue, his arms were already around her.

"Orion—"

"I’m not debating this."

He lifted her cleanly off the bed.

Sophia barely had time to hook her arm around his neck.

They were halfway to the door when a nurse rushed in from the corridor.

"Alpha—wait, she’s not cleared to leave yet—"

Orion did not stop.

"I’m sorry," he said genuinely, already passing her. "I’ll bring her back."

The nurse reached out instinctively.

"But—"

The door was already swinging shut behind him.

The corridor blurred past Sophia’s shoulder as Orion moved fast and sure, his hold firm and steady.

She pressed her face lightly into his shoulder, heart thudding.

Within minutes, they were outside the medical facility. The pack compound was abuzz with its usual activity. When people saw Orion carrying Sophia, they peered toward them curiously, but Orion didn’t mind, and Sophia hid her face in his shoulder.

Eldric’s home came into view soon.

Caspian and Daniel stood outside the door.

Both of them turned the instant Orion appeared.

Orion slowed only long enough to lower Sophia carefully to her feet.

He kept one arm around her waist automatically.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

Daniel exhaled.

"It was Sam."

Sophia blinked.

"Sam?"

Caspian nodded.

"She came to us this morning."

His expression was tight.

"She said she kept hearing someone calling your names. Both of you—and it sounded like Eldric’s voice. And it didn’t start just this morning. The night before, she heard groaning. It was loud and also repeated, and she and Eldric and Jeffrey are the only ones who stay around here. She knew then it was Eldric and came to us this morning."

Orion’s jaw set.

"When we went to check on him," Caspian continued, "Eldric was not... well. He was insistent that you both come immediately."

He paused. "That’s why we sent Garrett."

Orion glanced at Sophia, then turned back to Caspian and Daniel and nodded.

"All right," he said.

He turned to Daniel and Caspian.

"Give us some space."

They hesitated only for a heartbeat.

Then both nodded.

Remembering how Eldric had insisted that Orion come without an audience the last time, they decided to give enough space but still lingered nearby in case something happened.

Orion reached for Sophia’s hands.

"Stay close to me."

She nodded.

He led her into the house.

The smell hit her first. The house smelled like ink and parchment—numerous ones.

The house was turned upside down, and there were numerous parchments on the floor.

But they didn’t have the time to focus on the parchments. Orion and Sophia turned to Eldric, who sat on a wooden chair. He looked smaller than normal and even more haggard.

His shoulders were hunched.

His skin was pale.

His hair was dishevelled in a way Sophia had never seen before.

Dark shadows clung beneath his eyes.

He stared at the both of them, then adjusted his glasses.

Orion’s voice broke the silence.

"You look worse than before."

Eldric gave a thin huff of something that might have been a laugh.

"I feel worse than before."

He straightened with visible effort.

"I don’t have much time left. It is considerably shorter than before," he told them.

Orion nodded as his gaze swept the room.

He dragged a spare chair away from the desk, where he noticed a drawing of a woman, but he didn’t pay it any mind yet. He needed answers from Eldric first.

"Here, shorty, sit. You only just recovered," he told her quietly.

Sophia nodded, then sat down.

Orion remained standing.

He turned back to Eldric.

"You said you wanted to speak to us."

Eldric nodded.

His gaze flicked briefly to Sophia.

Then returned to Orion.

"Yes."

Orion folded his arms.

"Are you finally going to tell me who you are?"

For a moment, something unreadable crossed Eldric’s face.

"Soon. But first, I will tell you a tale. A tale as old as time. A tale that holds both the beginning..."

He paused.

"...and the end."

Eldric shifted slightly in his chair.

Before continuing, his eyes lifted and fixed on both of them.

"But first," he said quietly, "I need to know what you already understand."

He tilted his head.

"What do you know about the prophecy?"

Sophia frowned.

"The prophecy?"

She looked to Orion, confused.

"What prophecy?"

Orion turned to her slowly. He wasn’t actually surprised that she didn’t know the prophecy.

"There is a prophecy," he said gently, as if choosing the words carefully for her. "One that every pack member knows."

"What does it say?" she asked him.

Orion exhaled through his nose. "One thing you should know is that it’s likely not true, okay? But the prophecy basically states that when our kind is in need, the true Luna will arrive, and she will save us all."

Eldric watched Orion closely.

His mouth curved slightly.

"Is that all you intend to tell her?"

Orion did not respond.

Eldric’s eyes narrowed just a fraction.

"You’re leaving something out," he said softly. "Something very specific and important."