Page 72 of Wolf Alliance

Thankfully, with their wolf vision, they climbed the stairs into the abyss and saw the tunnel ahead despite how dark it was. Once the other wolves had descended the steps, Accalia led the way.

Erik hoped the rest of the men would find them soon because he didn’t want such a small force to come upon the brigands. Then again, if they were to fight using their swords, they needed to have their clothes and weapons.

They wandered through the tunnels forever, the moss-covered stones damp with moisture. Erik was afraid Accalia had forgotten how to navigate to the castle entrance, but she sat down on the stairs and looked up. She shifted. “That leads to my chamber. We should wait here for the others to catch up. They’ll smell our scent and know the way to go.” Then she shifted back into her wolf.

They waited for what seemed like forever, hearing naught in the underground tunnels, which probably meant no one could hear them down below.

Then they heard footfalls and heavy breathing. Erik prayed it was his kin and Alasdair’s men, not Freigard’s. Logan was leading the pack. Erik smiled and shifted.

“’Tis about time. I thought we would have to send someone to show you the way,” Erik jovially said.

“You ran as wolves. If we had, we would have been here already,” Logan said with the same lightheartedness, as he and Rory gave them their clothes and weapons.

Then Erik dressed and so did Accalia. They armed themselves and she pointed to the stairs. “My chamber is beyond the door. There’s a secret wall behind my bed. It looks like part of my bed. We’ll be able to listen and make sure no one is in my chamber. We dinna want to alert anyone that we’re slipping in this way.”

Erik agreed. He was so glad Accalia was his mate. She was not only goodhearted but also clever when it came to battle plans.

Erik preceded her into the secret wall, followed by Logan, Alasdair, and Rory. They listened but didn’t hear any sounds at all. At this time of day, unless a maid was cleaning a room or someone was sick, there wouldn’t be anyone in the bedchamber. He wouldn’t put it past Freigard to be using the bedchambers for his people though.

Accalia squeezed in to show them how to open the compartment on her bed and Erik went first, followed by the other men. Accalia went last, though he wanted to keep her safe in the tunnels. He couldn’t leave her behind should Freigard or his men find her. But she was right about identifying who her people were as opposed to Freigard’s men.

They went over to her chamber door and listened. They could hear voices from far away, most likely in the great hall. The hallway seemed clear. Erik opened the door and didn’t see anyone. “The hallway is clear,” he whispered.

“My da’s chamber is straight down there on the right.”

“We’ll check each of the chambers on the way.” Erik didn’t want anyone coming out of a chamber they might pass by, strike them from behind, and alert Freigard they had trouble.

They went to a chamber on their right and Erik peeked in. The chamber was empty.

“My uncle’s chamber,” she said.

At least he had seen her da and uncle, so he knew who they were. They moved down the hall. There was no one in the chamber on the left up ahead.

“That is my aunt’s chamber. Davina is my da’s and my uncle’s sister.”

So they would know a woman was supposed to be sleeping in there and he smelled her scent. But also men’s scents.

“And that is my younger cousin, Cameron’s bedchamber. He’s four and ten summers.”

Everyone would know he would be a young man, not a full-grown warrior, should one of them come into the chamber in the night.

He suspected everyone in her pack was in the great hall. Or they could be in the dungeons. Though he was hopeful Freigard hadn’t killed anyone.

They reached her da’s chamber and Erik heard Accalia’s breath hitch. He opened the door, but no one was in there either. They heard talking down below and he was certain everyone was down there until nightfall.

“We could wait in all the chambers and if Freigard’s men show up, we’ll deal with them,” Accalia said, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“And if ‘tis your people?” Erik asked.

“We move them into the tunnel. They’ll be safe there,” she said.

Erik glanced at Alasdair. He inclined his head. “We’ll divide up and lay in wait.”

Erik smiled. “Aye. They willna know what hit them.”

“What about our scents in the hallway?” Accalia asked.

“He wouldna know any of us, but you,” Erik said, “aye?”