Chapter 236: We Need You

Genevieve’s POV

I lifted both hands toward the pile of heavy, fallen stone blocking the entrance.

The shattered slabs of rock trembled for a second before lifting straight into the warm air.

With careful, focused movements, I moved the debris aside one piece at a time, clearing a safe pathway down into the dark passage.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the stone path behind me, and I turned to see my husband marching toward the blast site.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my brow pulling into a deep frown.

"You need to go out there and help your son defend the main gates."

"There is no way I am leaving you down here alone while all this madness is going on," he replied, his voice firm and completely set.

I looked at his worn face, a small, sad smile touching my lips despite the chaos around us.

That was just who he was, stubborn, deeply protective, and always standing right by my side no matter how dark things turned.

I turned back to the cleared entranceway and walked down into the dim, cool passage.

The hallway split into two separate directions, leading to two hidden underground chambers. One room held Azura’s suspended form, while the other held young Amanda.

I decided to visit Azura’s chamber first.

The heavy iron door was untouched by the blast above. I pushed it open slowly and stepped inside.

Azura’s body was still floating peacefully in midair, wrapped in that calm, mystical light.

There wasn’t a single scratch, dent, or mark on her pale skin. Her preserved form remained entirely unharmed by the collapsing stone above.

Satisfied that she was secure, I stepped back into the hallway, pulled the heavy iron door shut, and sealed it tight.

Next, I walked down the second corridor toward Amanda’s chamber.

The wooden door was firmly shut. I lifted the heavy latch, pushed the door inward, and stepped into the quiet room.

Amanda was lying quietly on the soft mattress against the far wall.

Unlike Azura, she wasn’t floating in the air. She was just resting comfortably under a light blanket, her chest rising and falling in a steady, peaceful breathing pattern.

She looked like a sweet girl lost in a deep, dreamless sleep.

My husband didn’t step into the small room behind me.

"I will keep watch out here in the hallway," he called out softly from the open doorway.

I gave him a quick nod, and he pulled the door closed to give us privacy.

I walked closer to the side of the bed, reaching out my hand to touch Amanda’s soft hair.

I smoothed the long strands away from her forehead with gentle fingers, my heart aching with heavy worry.

"We need you right now," I whispered into the quiet room, leaning down closer to her face.

"I do not know if your spirit can hear my voice through this sleep, but please... our pack desperately needs you."

Silence filled the dark chamber. No sound came from her lips, and her eyes remained tightly shut.

A single hot tear escaped my eye, slipping down my cheek and dropping onto her blanket.

I felt helpless standing there in the dark. I didn’t know what else to do or what spells were left to try.

Then, out of nowhere, I felt a strange vibration pass through the floorboards.

It was a single, short pulse that rattled my boots before vanishing entirely.

I turned my head quickly, staring down at Amanda’s sleeping face. She was still lying there motionless, her chest moving in that same slow, calm rhythm.

A second later, the strange vibration hit again, pulsing through the room with slightly more force than before.

I stood frozen beside the bed, staring at her form as hope flared in my chest, waiting to see what would happen next.

****

Rhydor’s POV

Axel pushed himself up off the grass, his jaw pulling back to snarl at me once again, but before he could launch himself into another attack, his entire body went completely limp.

His massive grey wolf form dropped straight onto the muddy ground. His eyes snapped shut, his fangs retracted, and his heavy frame lay still in the dirt.

I rushed over to his side immediately, lowering my snout to nudge his shoulder with my head.

His ribs were still expanding with steady, warm breaths. He was alive, just knocked unconscious by the sudden departure of the dark entity.

I let out a long, heavy breath of relief, stepping back from his unconscious body.

A quiet rustle sounded at the edge of the forest clearing, and I snapped my head around.

A lone figure was strolling casually toward me down the dirt path.

He walked with a slow, unhurried pace, moving as if he didn’t have a single care in the world or a single threat to fear.

"How on earth is this possible?" the figure called out, his voice carrying a light, mockingly curious tone.

"Did your mother bind your mind with some of her stupid, pathetic witchcraft?"

I didn’t give him a single verbal answer. I kept my black wolf stance low to the earth, my muscles coiled like tight springs and my claws digging deep into the dirt, ready to launch forward at the slightest movement.

He stepped out from the shadows of the tall trees, coming into the clear daylight.

He looked surprisingly young, appearing to be right around my own age. He had shoulder-length, raven-black hair falling around his shoulders, sharp brown eyes, and a cocky smirk resting comfortably on his features.

"You fool," I said, my voice coming out as a deathly cold growl.

"I honestly thought you would be much older. An ancient, evil monster. Not a simple child."

The young man’s smirk widened, his brown eyes flashing with dark amusement.

"A child, you say?"

I let out a low, dangerous growl from deep within my chest, taking a small step forward.

"Can a simple child do something like this?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

He lazily stretched his right hand out toward me.

An invisible, crushing energy suddenly gripped my entire body, yanking me forward through the air with terrifying force.

I snarled, digging my claws wildly into the hard dirt, trying with all my strength to anchor myself to the ground.

It was completely useless. I was dragged across the clearing like a helpless puppet pulled by invisible iron strings.

He snapped his fingers, stopping my body inches away from where he stood.

"Shift," he commanded in a cold, smooth voice.

I clamped my jaws shut, holding onto my wolf form with everything inside me and refusing his command.

"Do you honestly think that just because you resisted my mind invasion, you can resist my direct physical command?" he asked, looking genuinely amused by my struggle.

His expression hardened instantly, his eyes darkening.

"Shift right now!" he barked louder.

The spoken command hit my chest like a falling boulder, carrying a massive, soul-crushing weight that shattered my wolf’s hold.

Pain shot through my spine as my black wolf form collapsed, forcing me back into my mortal human body on the cold dirt.

My limbs immediately locked up. I couldn’t move a single muscle, paralyzed from the neck down.

He brought his hand down toward the earth, the invisible pressure forcing me down until my knees slammed hard against the stone pathway right in front of his boots.

He bent down, bringing his face level with mine.

"I am the Alpha King," he whispered, his tone dropping into a freezing, lethal chill. "The greatest and most powerful ruler that has ever walked this earth. An Alpha King like me never loses to a simple pack boy."

He reached out his right hand, grabbing a fistful of my long brown hair, and yanked my head back violently until I was forced to stare straight up into his eyes.

He opened his mouth, leaning his face closer to mine.

I felt a sickening, hollow sensation pull at the core of my chest. My strength, my vital energy, and my Alpha power were actively being ripped from my soul, flowing out through my throat and being pulled directly into his body.

I fought against the pull with every ounce of willpower I possessed, tightening my spirit and refusing to surrender my life force to him.

In my mind, I lifted a desperate plea toward the sky.

Moon Goddess, please. Give me just one chance. Just one opportunity to strike this monster down and protect my people.

A sudden, overwhelming surge of fiery strength erupted through my blood, burning right through the magical paralysis locking my limbs.

I reached behind my lower back with my right hand, my fingers wrapping around the cool wooden handle of my battle axe.

I whipped the weapon out from its sheath and swung it upward with all my might, slicing cleanly through my own long brown hair right below where his fingers were holding it.

The heavy grip on my head vanished, and I was free.

Before he could react to the bold move, I drove my forehead straight into the center of his face.

A sharp, loud crack echoed through the clearing as his nose broke under the blow. Blood burst from his nostrils, and he stumbled backward three paces, clutching his face in shock.

By the time he wiped the blood from his lip and looked up, I was no longer standing in front of him.

I moved with blinding wolf speed, circling his left side like a shadow. I swung my blade hard, striking the back of his leg and forcing him down onto one knee.

As he tried to twist around, I struck his outstretched arm, preventing him from lifting his hand to use his magic again.

I kept moving in continuous, blinding circles, landing strike after strike before he could react.

He was healing from the cuts, but the rapid wounds were coming too fast, making it impossible for him to stand upright or gather his focus.

I saw my golden opening and took it.

I lunged forward, placing both of my heavy battle axes directly against the sides of his neck, forming a sharp steel trap around his throat.

If he made a single sudden movement or tried to utter another spell, his head would instantly be severed from his shoulders.

"Wait! Please wait!" the Alpha King yelled out, pure, unadulterated panic lacing his voice.

I froze, holding the sharp steel tight against his skin without cutting deeper.

He slowly lifted his face to look up at me. The harsh, arrogant glint in his brown eyes vanished completely, replaced by a soft, deeply vulnerable expression.

His lower lip trembled, and his posture shrank down.

"Rhydor, please," he stammered out, his voice cracking with emotion as he stared up into my cold eyes.

"Stop this right now. Do not kill me, please."

I pulled my brow down into a sharp, disgusted scowl.

"What kind of pathetic king are you supposed to be?"

"A scared one," he whispered, his voice cracking as tears filled his eyes. "A scared brother who just wants his family back."

I stared down at him in total shock, refusing to buy into his sudden change of character.

"You are definitely not my brother," I growled out, tightening my grip on the handle of my axe.

"All I ever wanted in this life... all I ever truly was..." he sobbed out, hot tears streaming down his bloody cheeks, "was a boy trying to be strong just like you. So you would finally look at me and see that I was useful."