Chapter 249: Tunnels

Damon, Finn and Darren stood in the primary school field, away from the screaming children at the other end. The teacher was aware of their visit, but it still didn't mean they weren't overly cautious, even if he was their Alpha King. He was still a stranger, and they didn't want any problems to arise. 

Another teacher led them to the bunker's location. It was presented as a tiny grey building containing backup power generators. Signs were placed across the door, but when the teacher unlocked the door, it revealed a door in the ground to which they lifted up, and lights flickered on. Damon stared at the seemingly never-ending ladder and looked back at the teacher in concern. 

"You get kids to climb down this?" He scolded, frowning and wondering if any of the children freak out from climbing down it because of the height or get scared because the light bulbs barely lit up the sides. 

The teacher nodded vigorously. "Yes, they are used to it. It is also a great technique of facing their fears," He tried to reason, which did not work on the young Alpha. 

"Or making their fear worse.." Finn muttered. "And add another fear like  claustrophobia onto their list.."

"I will speak to your Alpha about this. The bunkers need to be reconstructed-"

"But that would create a lot of noise and reveal their locations! Alp-"

Alpha Damon stepped up to the teacher, his eyes glowing, and a monstrous growl resounded the room, causing the teacher to drop to his knees and bare his neck, his body shaking in fear. 

"It also seems like you need to be taught some manners," Darius' deep, majestic voice drawled with a low growl at the end of his comment. He looked down at the quivering man on the floor and clicked his tongue. "Get up." On his order, the teacher stood with trembling legs. Finn snatched the keys from him.

"You are dismissed. Don't let me see your face again," Darius' voice boomed, shaking the walls along with it. The man hobbled back, his legs still shaky in fear of the Alpha King's wolf. For a moment, the room was silent and still, with the three werewolves staring at the hole in the ground. 

Darius was still fuming more than Damon about the teacher's lack of respect. If it hadn't been for Damon fighting for control over his body, he was confident his wolf would make a point by punching a hole through the wall. But with their strength, that wall would ultimately fall down along with the rest of the building. 

While Damon took long, deep breaths, the other two glanced at him like he really might break the building apart. 

Darren shut the door and looked anxiously at Damon, gulping. "I think I should go first," He announced hesitantly. 

Damon stared at him for a moment as his wolf settled back down. He struggled to pay attention because of Darius's raging commentary and loud growls. It was causing him a splitting headache. His wolf wasn't just acting up due to the teacher, but he was feeling extra irritable because there were no traces of Aila's scent anywhere. 

If her scent was left behind, only the trackers might be able to smell it. But the longer they'd been searching through this town, the more his mood began to sour, even though they knew the possibility of finding them was nil. 

Damon nodded to Darren's suggestion, and the ex-Delta first started to climb down the metal ladder. Damon was next, followed by Finn. It took them a whole three minutes in eery silence until their feet met the ground again. They looked around and found that the bunker was massive, with multiple beds, storage units, kitchens, bathrooms; it was large enough for more than just the primary school children. 

Then after some more searching, they came across another door that led down a very dimly tunnel. Although the light didn't bother them with their heightened senses. Damon led the way down the tunnel, followed closely by Finn and Darren. He kept sniffing the air, but like everywhere else, it seemed hopeless. They continued to walk down the tunnel for another twenty minutes, making Damon wonder if they had walked across the whole town. 

"This is so long.." Darren muttered, cutting through the silence that Damon had preferred.

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Damon whipped his head back to Darren. "I didn't realise this was running into your precious, pathetic time," He snapped. His irritation was apparent now, and why he preferred the silence, especially when it was Darren talking. If Finn had said the same thing, he might not have snapped at him so badly.

"Finn isn't stupid enough to say that," Darius growled.

Darren lowered his gaze instantly and bowed his head slightly. Damon was about to speak again until he felt a slight draft, and his hair brushed across his face slightly. "We are nearly there." One side of his lips tugged up as he continued forwards until they finally saw another door at the end of the tunnel. 

Finn almost ran to the other end and yanked the door open, brightening the tunnel with the outside light as he inhaled the fresh air. 

"Alpha, we are just climbing down the tunnel now," Jake reached out to him through a mind-link. "We couldn't pick up a scent, but we will try down here as well."

They would be at least twenty minutes, depending on whether they pick up Cassius and Aila's scents. The sound of Finn throwing up brought his attention back to the Delta near the open door. He walked to Finn's side, first searching the field of tall, wiry grass with only a muddy that led around a corner, before returning to look at the Delta.

"What's wrong?" Damon finally asked once his assessment of the area was safe. Although it should be considering Darren was scouting the area, following the path and back. 

"I got claustrophobic," Finn muttered with an audible sigh and wiped his mouth. 

"I didn't think you were claustrophobic. If you are, then you should have helped Ajax outside," Damon replied in annoyance but still peeked at Finn's clammy face with a shake of his head. "Speaking of which, if you're feeling better, ask him to find us and tell us where we are."

Ajax would be much quicker than if they were to run around by paws. The shapeshifter, at least, could get a bird's eye view of the area. Once their location was confirmed, he'd split Kane's group up into two, and a few of them could search the area. 

Damon was pacing by the time Jake and Zeke arrived; at the same time, Ajax popped his head out of some of the grass. Using it to hide his naked body. The trackers confirmed Damon's suspicions; they couldn't pick up any more of his beloved's scent. Ajax also told them they were 

located on the other side of the town, and the path led to the next town over. 

With this information, Damon sent out a mind-link to Kane before setting off with his trackers in the same direction. He ordered Finn and Darren to bring the cars and for Ajax to cover them from above. They tracked down a few trails in the other town for the rest of the afternoon, confirming Aila and Cassius did use the tunnel. How they knew where it was, was a mystery, but he didn't put anything by the ancient vampire.

Now exhausted but also feeling refreshed from running in his wolf form and letting Darius take control for some time, he closed his eyes in the car. The vibrations and the noises of the motorway lulled him into a sleep that for once was peaceful, making him wonder if the tiniest progression had set his heart at ease if only a little. 

When he next opened his eyes, the sun had gone down, and the blanket of night fell over them, revealing the luminous moon and stars as a canvas above the grassy fields. The car slowed down, and he knew they were nearing the packhouse. Darren suddenly pressed down on the brakes, causing the wheels to screech and everyone in the car to fling forwards, straining against the tightened seatbelts. 

"Darren! What-" Damon growled until his eyes snapped to a certain vampire that had been showing up in his nightmares. 

Damon ripped the seatbelt off, yanked the door open, causing it to fall to the ground and leapt towards the white-haired vampire in that damned suit.

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