Velhellan Gates

35: Velhellan Gates

Noah pushed the Dumbell from his chest, keeping his posture strong and steady as he breathed out every time he lifted the heavy thing.

That's the sight Stefani walked into when she angrily barged into his private gym, holding her phone in a tight grip. The screen almost broke in her hand. Who could blame her? She's angry. And the person responsible for her anger was right in front of her.

"I have been calling you for half an hour, Noah! Why didn't you answer my call?"

Noah continued with his exercise while only sparing the angry Stefani an indifferent glance. "I put my phone on silent mode. Why?"

Stefani huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Lara called me."

Noah froze. "Why?"

Stefani sighed.

"Did she call me?"

Stefani threw her hands in the air in frustration. "I don't know! Why don't you check your own goddamn phone, hm?"

Noah placed the weights on the rack and sat up, wiping the sweat from his face. "What did she say to you?"

Breathing in to reign her temper, Stefani wanted to smack Noah in the back of his head but decided against it.

"She asked me for a 2 week leave."

Noah's wolf perked up at that news. "Why?"

"Something came up. Family matters."

Noah's expression crumpled at that. "Family matters?" He didn't get it.

Stefani rolled her eyes. "She went back, Noah!"

"To her home?"

"Yes!"

Noah cursed and stood up. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Stefani made an offended gasp. "Excuse me? I'm not the one who silenced their phone."

Noah shook his head and said nothing back. Instead, he went to fetch himself a clean shirt and his car keys.

"And where the hell are you going?" Stefani asked, following behind him.

"Shit!" Noah groaned when he forgot he wasn't wearing any shoes. "To her!"

He went back in his room to get some shoes when Stefani said.

"Don't bother, I already went to her apartment. She's not there."

Noah's jaw fell. "What?"

Stefani groaned and rolled her eyes. "That's why I'm so annoyed at you right now!" She made an exasperated sigh and sat on the couch. "I called you like, 10 times to tell you she's gone."

"Dammit!"

Noah went back into his room and started packing.

"Noah," Stefani frowned. She went to check on him and saw the man was already packing his bags. "What the hell?"

"I have to go with her. I can't leave her alone and defenseless."

Stefani took his clothes from him and placed them back. "I know that, and I agree with you. But going to Velhellah is suicide, Noah! Seriously! The moment they discover who you are, they will kill you!"

Noah snarled, telling her to back off. But Stefani was much more stubborn and bull headed than he was.

Stefani stood her stood and look him straight in the eye. "I know you too well to know that you don't care about your safety, Noah. With our mates, we all become irrational and reckless sometimes. But think practical here for once. If you die there, Lara will become more vulnerable."

"Dammit all!" Noah threw his bag in frustration and sat powerless on the floor. Stefani did not flinch at his outburst and crouched to his side. 

Noah closed his eyes and willed himself to control his breathing. His mind clouded with anger and worry...

"Why didn't she tell me?" Noah muttered under his breath. Hurt that Lara wouldn't come to him about this…

Stefani rubbed his back. "I don't know… I think Lara has a reason for doing this. My initial guess is that she didn't want to bother you, so she told me she was leaving instead."

Noah sighed. If Lara had told him about this, he wouldn't stop her. Rather, he'll come with her, support her, cover her back.

But she left. Rather than telling him personally, she left. And her actions hurt him and his wolf. If only she were a werewolf like him, Lara would feel the intensity of his hurt from their mating bond. But Lara wasn't a werewolf, she's a vampire. To tie her to him for eternity, he had to perform the claiming.

Seeing his expression, Stefani guessed what he's thinking. "How many days?"

"Eight."

Stefani nodded thoughtfully and stood up. "You really have to go after her… But first we have to find a way for you to cloak your scent and your abilities."

Noah sighed. She's right…

Knowing what he had to do first, Noah stood up. "Do you have something in mind?"

Stefani nodded. "Yeah. But it will not be easy."

***

After the great purging, a dark time in the vampire history which almost killed them all off from the face of the earth. The vampire king of that time, Lara's great great-great-grandfather, hid Velhellah from the reach of mortals.

With the use of great magic, the King transported Velhellah to another realm. The other races sometimes called it the dark dimension, but it was a place perfect for their kind. Especially because it was a place stuck in eternal night.

The vampires, however, had no source of food in that sunless realm. So, once a year, a special group of vampires goes out, tasked to replenish their 'stock'. And by stock, they meant fresh human blood.

And so there are 4 official hidden gates located around the world which are used as transport routes for their food only. There's a hidden gate beyond the edge of Clebridge that Lara knew of, though. Because if she uses the official gates, the guardian of those gates, stone golems who strictly follow her father's command, will obviously stop and report to her father. She didn't want that.

Luckily, Lara was a misbehaving child. Her adventures with her partner in crime, Cedric, brought her to a useful discovery.

A way for her to secretly get in and out of Velhellah without her father noticing.

It's a stealth mission, so Lara left her car in a motel parking lot and went ahead on foot. The location of the gate is in the middle of the woods. Exactly at the edge of the city. As Lara continued to tread the dark trail towards the gate, everything around her was eerily quiet. The silence was deafening. However, if she focused her senses, she can hear the chilly breeze blowing the branches of the trees and the little insects making their nightly noise.

There's only minimal light coming from the crescent moon so normal people wouldn't be able to see the path without a flashlight, but Lara's improved eyesight and senses helped her walk the trail without difficulty.

  ***