Chapter 235: The Invasion

Rhydor’s POV

I stood frozen in the middle of the courtyard, my eyes locked on the pile of fallen stone where the back section of the pack house used to be.

Thick, gray dust and suffocating smoke still hung heavy in the warm air, rising like a dark mountain toward the sky.

My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. That exact collapsed corridor was the private entrance leading down to the hidden subterranean chamber, the place where my sweet mate’s body rested in her silent, floating sleep.

My mother was already sprinting toward the crumbling rubble, her dark gown trailing in the dirt as she moved with shocking speed.

"Go!" she shouted over her shoulder, her tone firm and leaving no room for argument.

"I will handle things down here and check on the lower levels. You are needed above!"

I took a half-step toward her, hesitation pulling hard at my chest.

I hated the thought of leaving her alone near an active blast site, torn between protecting my mother and guarding Azura’s hidden resting place.

Go now, son, my father’s deep voice suddenly echoed inside my mind, his mental link cutting cleanly through my racing thoughts.

I am right behind her. I will take care of your mother and secure the lower chambers. Move!

I gave a sharp nod without even seeing him, turned on my heel, and sprinted back out toward the main gates.

The moment I breached the outer archway, pure, unbridled chaos hit me like a physical wall.

Soldiers clad in unfamiliar, dark iron armor had breached our outer perimeter wall, clashing violently with my pack warriors.

The terrible sound of metal striking metal echoed across the open fields. Wolves roared in fury, tearing into enemy ranks while the dirt beneath our feet turned slick and dark with fresh blood.

Arrows whistled through the smoky air, and fires were already beginning to catch on the wooden outer posts.

Silas! Axel! Where are you? Give me a status report! I barked into the pack mind link, my voice booming in the heads of my commanders.

There are far too many of them, Rhydor! Silas’s voice hit back instantly, breathless and tight with strain.

They are pouring in from multiple directions at once, hitting our flanks! I cannot even pinpoint where their main breach came from. It’s as if they planned this exact ambush down to the second!

Axel! What is happening at your unit on the eastern wall? I demanded, scanning the chaotic battlefield as I pushed forward.

Silence met my link. Nothing but static and quiet wind.

Axel, answer me right now! I snapped louder, putting full Alpha authority into the command.

Oh, little Axel is feeling a bit sleepy at the moment, a smooth, mocking voice purred directly into my mind link, cold and entirely unfamiliar.

Why don’t you come over here and take him to bed yourself, Alpha?

I froze dead in my tracks, every drop of blood in my body running ice-cold.

"Get out of my head," I growled out loud, my jaw clenching so tight my teeth popped.

The strange connection snapped shut like a heavy iron door, leaving behind a sharp, ringing silence.

I didn’t wait another second. I moved into the fray like a man possessed.

I cut through the incoming enemy soldiers with vicious, blinding speed. One after another, men in dark armor fell to the earth around me.

My heavy battle axe sang through the heavy air, catching the hot sunlight as my internal fury burned brighter than any flame.

Blood splashed across my leather armor, but I didn’t feel a single scratch. I was a force of pure destruction, carving a path toward the eastern unit.

Suddenly, Silas burst through a cloud of gray smoke from the right side of the field, his long sword dripping crimson onto the grass.

"Where is Axel?" I demanded in a low, dangerous voice as we came shoulder to shoulder.

Silas shook his head frantically, wiping a smear of red dirt from his sweat-stained forehead.

"I do not know! He was supposed to be holding the eastern post with his men, but the line collapsed!"

"He has Axel," I said, the sharp realization sinking into my chest like an iron anchor.

Silas’s face went completely pale, his eyes widening in horror.

"I will take the western side and push their archers back. You handle this!"

He didn’t wait for a reply, turning and sprinting back into the bloody chaos to lead our men.

I turned back toward the eastern path, but a heavy enemy warrior suddenly lunged at me from the shadows with a raised broadsword.

I brought my axe up, blocking the heavy steel blade with a loud, ringing clash. With a swift twist of my wrists, I struck hard, driving my blade into his chest.

He collapsed into the dirt without a sound.

I stepped over his body, searching the clearing for the next threat.

Another armored soldier stepped out from behind a burning supply wagon, swinging a long spear.

But halfway through his stride, he stopped dead in his tracks. His head tilted at an awkward, unnatural angle.

His pupils dilated until his eyes shifted into a strange, glossy color, and his lips slowly curved into a sickly, mocking smile that clearly did not belong to a simple soldier.

"Long time no see, boy, or should I say short time," the soldier said, his voice carrying a double layer, as if two people were speaking through the same mouth.

"I never knew I would stand face to face with you on your own front lawn."

"Stop acting like a coward," I said, my voice coming out deathly cold as I tightened my grip on my weapon. "Come out and face me yourself, you scaredy-goat."

I stepped forward and struck him down in a single, fluid motion, slicing through his armor before he could even raise his spear.

Before his body even hit the grass, another soldier stepped out from the smoke behind him. His eyes carried that same glossy, wrong shine, and that same twisted smile was pasted across his face.

"Scaredy-goat?" the soldier mocked, his voice echoing unnaturally across the open field.

"No, little Alpha. I am definitely not the type of man who normally gets scared by little boys playing with axes."

I lunged forward and struck him down too, my axe biting deep into his side.

"Come face me yourself, you absolute idiot!" I snarled into the bloody air, my vision turning red around the edges. "Why are you hiding behind weak puppets?"

"I am right here," a low voice whispered from directly behind my left ear.

I spun around with all my force, swinging my axe in a wide, deadly arc.

The blade cut deep, and another possessed soldier dropped lifelessly onto the bloody grass.

My internal rage exploded past its limits. The sheer mockery of this dark magic was tearing my patience to shreds.

I dropped my axe, threw my head back toward the smoky sky, and let out a deafening roar as the bones in my spine cracked and shifted.

Logan took over instantly. My massive, coal-black wolf burst through my skin, his paws hitting the bloody dirt with crushing weight.

My wolf was pure muscle and ancient rage, tearing through the remaining enemy ranks like a dark storm. I ripped through leather, crushed iron armor, and scattered soldiers across the clearing until the immediate path was completely cleared.

Then, I came to a dead halt.

A single wolf was standing at the edge of the clearing, guarding the narrow forest path.

His fur was a distinct dark grey streaked with long black marks across his shoulders. He was massive, muscular, and deeply familiar.

It was Axel.

My third-in-command was standing right in front of me, but he was snarling fiercely, his lips pulled back over dripping fangs.

His eyes were completely wrong, glowing with a bright, unnatural gold rather than his normal soft brown.

How does it feel to be helpless, Rhydor? Axel’s mind link hit my head, but the tone was horribly distorted, layered with that cold, dark entity’s laughter.

I lowered my head, my black wolf letting out a deep, vibrating growl that shook the leaves on the nearby trees.

Snap out of it, Axel! Fight him!

Do you honestly think he can control himself right now? The dark voice echoed through Axel’s throat, forcing his jaws to move in unnatural ways.

Do you really believe this weak boy has the strength to resist my will?

I didn’t waste time answering with words.

Axel lunged forward with unbelievable speed, his jaws snapping inches from my throat.

I reacted instinctively, swinging my massive black paw and hitting him across the chest with enough force to knock him sideways into the dirt.

He scrambled back to his feet instantly, his glowing golden eyes showing zero pain or restraint, and lunged at me a second time.

As he leapt into the air, I ducked low, driving the heavy crown of my head directly into his ribcage and neck.

He went flying backward, crashing hard onto the grass. Before he could recover, I pounced, planting my heavy front paws firmly on his shoulders and pinning him helplessly against the muddy ground.

He thrashed violently beneath me, snapping his jaws wildly at the air and snarling like a feral beast, but my black wolf held him down with absolute, iron strength, refusing to break his bones while keeping him completely immobilized.

I truly wonder what it feels like inside that stubborn head of yours, the cold voice whispered smoothly through the air.

Without warning, a blinding, white-hot explosion of pure pain detonated straight inside my skull.

It felt like a red-hot iron rod was being driven directly through my temples, trying to pry my consciousness apart from the inside out.

The agony was so intense that my vision blacked out for a split second. My muscles locked up, my black paws slipping off Axel’s shoulders as I fell sideways onto the dirt, thrashing against the invisible intruder’s invasion.

The dark entity was trying to slip into my spirit, trying to seize control of my wolf just as he had done to Axel and the soldiers.

No! I roared inside my own mind, locking my jaw and digging my claws deep into the earth.

I fought back with everything I had left. I focused on the memory of Azura’s face, on the solemn promise I had made to protect her body, and on the ancient blood that flowed through my veins.

I built a solid wall of pure, unyielding Alpha pride around my mind, slamming the doors shut against his invasion.

I held on through the agonizing heat, refusing to bend, refusing to break, and refusing to hand over the keys to my body.

Suddenly, the unbearable pressure snapped. The burning pain in my skull vanished as quickly as it had arrived, leaving behind a dull, thumping ache.

I pushed myself back up onto my front paws, shaking my massive black head as the air returned to my lungs.

I was still in complete control. My wolf was still mine.

How on earth are you able to resist me? The dark voice echoed out of Axel’s throat, sounding genuinely caught off guard and deeply surprised for the first time.

No Alpha in this entire region has ever been able to avoid me taking full control of their mind. How come a young fool like you can push me out?

I didn’t know the magical answer to his question. I didn’t care about the ancient logic behind it.

But as I raised my massive head and locked my dark eyes onto his glowing golden gaze, I let my deep wolf growl vibrate through the silent forest.

It only means one thing, I projected into his mind, my voice filled with pure, unyielding promise.

I will be the one ending you.