CHAPTER 93: CHAPTER 93: RONAN’S GIFT

The ancient voice echoed through the sacred stones, but before Elara could react, the world exploded into chaos. A pillar of fire shot up from the farm below, so bright it turned night into day.

Through the mate bond, she felt Ronan’s desperate anger as he broke free from whatever was holding him. "He’s alive!" Kael shouted, relief flooding their link.

The mysterious presence in the stones faded as their attention snapped back to the fight. But Elara filed the memory away—something important had just tried to contact her. "We have to get back," she said quickly.

"Wait." Kael put his hand on the center stone. "The sacred areas have power. Maybe we can use it to—" His words were cut off as a huge explosion rocked the mountain.

Through their bond, both Ronan and Darian’s pain hit them like a physical blow. "Now!" Elara asked. Kael’s ice-slide carried them down the mountain at rapid speed. As they got closer to the house, the damage became clear.

Half the main house was on fire. Dream-touched pack members were fighting each other in the courtyard. And in the middle of it all, Alpha Marcus stood with his hands glowing dark energy.

"He’s starting the binding ritual," Kael said grimly. "Without you there." "What does that mean?" "He’s using our brothers as props. If he completes it, they’ll be bound to his will forever.

And when you arrive, you’ll be forced to submit or watch them die." Elara’s silver light blazed brighter. "Not happening." They landed hard in the courtyard, ice and silver energy scattering the dream-touched wolves.

Through the smoke, Elara saw Alpha Marcus standing over Ronan and Darian. Both of her mates were trapped in bars made of dark magic, their faces twisted in pain. "Ah, there you are," Alpha Marcus said quietly.

"Just in time for the finale." "Let them go," Elara commanded, her Luna authority ringing in her words. "I don’t think so," Alpha Marcus smiled coldly. "You see, I’ve learned something interesting about Bridge Walker magic. It’s not just about linking different mates.

It’s about connecting different types of power." His dark energy pulsed, and both Ronan and Darian screamed. "Stop!" Elara lunged forward, but invisible obstacles held her back. "The ritual requires pain," Alpha Marcus explained casually.

"The more agony your mates suffer, the stronger the binding becomes. And once it’s complete, you’ll be mine to order." "Father, don’t do this," Kael begged, stepping forward. "Disappointed in your son?" Alpha Marcus asked.

"He’s been feeding me knowledge about the Luna’s powers for weeks. Such a dutiful boy." "That’s not true," Elara said strongly. "Kael’s been protecting me." "Has he?" Alpha Marcus’s smile broadened. "Then why are you here, exactly where I need you to be?" Ice-cold reality hit Elara.

The holy grounds. Kael bringing her there. The convenient time of their return. "You planned this," she whispered. "Of course I did," Alpha Marcus laughed.

"Every Alpha heir visits the sacred sites when they’re ready to claim their birthright. I just needed Kael to bring you there at the right moment." "The right moment for what?" Kael ordered, confusion radiating through their bond.

"To wake up the original Alpha spirit," Alpha Marcus explained. "The one that’s been sleeping in those stones for three centuries. The one that gave our family its power in the first place." Elara’s blood ran cold. The voice she’d heard. The presence stirring in the old stones.

"You didn’t just take me to the sacred grounds," she said to Kael. "You took me to a prison." "What are you talking about?" Kael asked desperately.

"The first Blackwood Alpha," Alpha Marcus stated. "He made a deal with something dark to gain power over other dogs. But the deal came with a price. When he died, his spirit was trapped in the holy grounds until a Bridge Walker could set him free." "And now he’s free," Elara realized.

"And hungry," Alpha Marcus added. "Three hundred years of imprisonment tends to make one... irritable." The temperature in the patio plummeted. Not from Kael’s ice, but from something much cooler. Much older.

"Hello, children," came a voice that made everyone’s bones ache. "Did someone mention my name?" A figure appeared in the center of the courtyard.

Tall, pale, with eyes like frozen stars. He wore the clothes of a monster from centuries past, but his presence was anything but human. "Ancestor," Alpha Marcus bowed deeply.

"I’ve brought you the Bridge Walker, as promised." "Have you?" The old Alpha’s gaze fell on Elara, and she felt like he was looking into her soul.

"Interesting. She’s much more powerful than expected." "She can free the other Primordials," Alpha Marcus said hopefully. "Bind them to our will. Make us the rulers of all magical beings." "Yes," the old Alpha agreed. "She could do that. But why would she want to?"

"Because if she doesn’t, her mates die," Alpha Marcus said plainly. But the ancient Alpha was looking at Ronan and Darian with attention. "Fire and truth. Rare gifts.

It would be a shame to waste them." He waved his hand, and the dark magic cages dissolved. Ronan and Darian fell to the ground, gasping. "Grandfather?" Alpha Marcus looked confused. "What are you doing?" "Correcting your mistake," the ancient Alpha said coldly.

"You think like a modern dog. All force and control. But true power comes from knowing what people want most." He walked over to Ronan, who was trying to sit up.

"You, fire-child. What do you want most in this world?" "To protect her," Ronan gasped, looking at Elara. "Always." "And you, truth-seer?" the old Alpha asked Darian. "To make sure she’s happy," Darian answered weakly.

"Even if it costs me everything." "Perfect," the ancient Alpha smiled, and it was frightening. "You see, cousin, you were trying to break them.

But broken tools are useless. What you need is to give them exactly what they want." "I don’t understand," Alpha Marcus said. "You will."

The old Alpha turned to Elara. "Bridge Walker, your friends want to protect you. So I’m going to give them the power to do exactly that." Dark energy spilled from his hands into Ronan and Darian.

But instead of causing pain, it seemed to strengthen them. "What are you doing to them?" Elara asked. "Giving them what they need to keep you safe," the old Alpha said. "Even from yourself."

Ronan stood up, and his flames were different now. Darker. Hungrier. When he looked at Elara, his eyes held a possessiveness that made her step backward.

Darian rose as well, his truth-sight burning with cold fire. "We can see everything now," he said softly. "Every threat. Every danger. Every person who might hurt you."

"Including the ones you can’t see yet," Ronan added, his voice holding undertones of violence. Through their bond, Elara felt their love for her. But it was twisted now.

Obsessive.

Dangerous. "You corrupted them," she whispered. "I enhanced them," the ancient Alpha amended. "Now they’ll never let anyone hurt you.

Even if it means hurting everyone else." "This isn’t what I wanted," Kael said, fear in his voice. "Isn’t it?" the old Alpha asked. "You brought her to the holy grounds. You woke me up.

You set all of this in motion." "I was trying to save her!" "And now she’s saved," the old Alpha said. "She has two mates who will kill anyone who threatens her. And one mate who will do anything to please his father."

"That’s not true," Kael argued. "Isn’t it?" Ronan’s fires flickered dangerously as he looked at his brother. "You led her right into a trap. You’ve been lying to her for weeks." "I was protecting her!" Kael shot back. "Were you?"

Darian’s truth-sight focused on Kael like a laser.

"Or were you protecting yourself?" Elara felt the mate link fracturing. The old Alpha’s corruption was turning her mates against each other. "Stop this," she ordered.

"Why would I stop?" the old Alpha asked. "This is entertaining. Three brothers, all claiming to love you, all ready to destroy each other to prove it."

"Because it’s not real love," Elara said strongly. "Real love doesn’t possess. It doesn’t corrupt. It doesn’t turn people into guns."

"Doesn’t it?" The ancient Alpha’s smile broadened. "Then why don’t you show me what real love looks like?"

Before Elara could reply, Ronan moved. His flames rushed toward a group of dream-touched pack members who were getting too close to Elara. But his fire didn’t just drive them back. It consumed them totally. "Ronan, no!" Elara screamed. But it was too late.

Her mate, twisted by old magic, had just killed members of their own pack. And from the look in his eyes, he was about to do it again. "Don’t worry, love," Ronan said, his voice holding echoes of madness. "I’ll burn away anyone who threatens you. Everyone who threatens you."

His flames started spreading toward the main house, where Luna Evelyn and other pack members were hiding. "Starting with the ones who are too weak to protect you properly."