Chapter-HundredTwenty Six, Blood Rain,

Chapter-HundredTwenty Six, Blood Rain,
Alpha Jayden’s POV

The cabin felt colder with every passing hour.

Like death itself sat inside these walls waiting patiently for us to fail.

I sat beside Gemma’s body in silence, unable to pull my eyes away from her face. She looked peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Like she was only sleeping.

But I knew better.

The darkness surrounding her soul was growing stronger every day Luicen kept her trapped.

And now blood rain fell across the entire realm.

That alone told me the balance between life and death was beginning to break.

Thunder shook the mountains outside while crimson rain slammed violently against the cabin windows. The scent of iron filled the air so heavily it made my wolf restless beneath my skin.

Nathan stood near the fireplace sharpening blades while Logan paced back and forth like a caged animal.

Nobody spoke much anymore.

Because every conversation somehow ended the same way.

Fear.

Fear that we were already too late.

Then suddenly—

CRACK!

A violent blast of silver light exploded in the middle of the cabin.

Everyone jumped to their feet instantly.

My claws slid free automatically while Logan snarled beside me.

The magic grew brighter.

Then three figures stumbled out of the portal.

Kings Larry and Barry.

And Lara.

The portal vanished behind them with another violent crack.

My stomach dropped immediately seeing the state they were in.

Covered in dirt.

Blood.

Ash.

Lara could barely stand properly while a deep cut stretched across her forehead, dried blood covering the side of her face.

King Barry caught her before she collapsed completely.

“What happened?” I demanded instantly while stepping toward them.

Lara let out a shaky breath.

“We had to undergo dragon trials.”

The entire room went silent.

Nathan frowned deeply.

“Dragon trials?”

Lara nodded weakly while wiping blood from her forehead.

“Well… I did.” She gave a tired laugh that held no amusement whatsoever. “Trust me when I say I’m a hybrid… but that was magic even I couldn’t understand.”

King Larry looked pale.

Actually pale.

And that terrified me more than anything.

“The blood of a dragon…” Lara whispered carefully. “Is the blood of a dragon.”

Nobody interrupted her.

“The scale of a newborn…” her voice lowered slightly, “is from a newborn.”

Logan frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Lara slowly looked toward him.

“It was still attached to its mother.”

Silence crashed through the room instantly.

Even Nathan stopped moving.

My wolf stirred uneasily.

“The father was there too,” Barry said quietly. “The first dragons to ever walk these realms.”

The air suddenly felt heavier.

Ancient creatures.

Original bloodlines.

Magic old enough to destroy kingdoms.

No wonder Lara looked exhausted.

Lara slowly sank into one of the chairs near the fireplace while Barry stayed close beside her protectively.

“Those creatures existed before wolves,” she whispered. “Before witches. Before vampires.”

Nathan cursed quietly under his breath.

King Larry finally looked toward me.

“How did it go getting Gemma?”

The question tightened something painful inside my chest.

I glanced toward Gemma lying motionless on the sofa beneath blankets.

Her body looked untouched.

But the darkness surrounding her soul was growing worse.

“Everything was alright,” I answered carefully. “Until we started digging her body up.”

Barry frowned immediately.

“What happened?”

My jaw clenched.

“It started raining blood.”

Almost like the realm itself reacted to us disturbing death.

The crimson rain outside slammed harder against the cabin windows as if proving my point.

Lara slowly stood again and walked toward the window.

The second she looked outside, her expression darkened instantly.

“It’s raining blood over the entire realm then,” she whispered.

Thunder cracked violently overhead.

“We’re going to have a much bigger problem on our hands.”

I frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Lara turned toward us slowly.

“Everyone will know now.”

The room fell silent again.

Nathan crossed his arms.

“Know what?”

“That death magic has been disturbed,” Lara answered grimly. “Word will spread fast.” Her eyes shifted toward Gemma’s body carefully. “People will come for Gemma.”

My wolf growled instantly.

“No one touches her.”

Lara nodded once.

“I know. But others won’t care.” Her voice lowered. “Once kingdoms hear resurrection magic is involved…” she hesitated, “they’ll put prices on both Gemma and Luicen’s heads.”

Logan cursed loudly.

King Barry dragged a hand down his face tiredly.

“If rulers think resurrection is possible, every kingdom will want control over it.”

“And if they can’t control it,” Nathan muttered darkly, “they’ll destroy it.”

Exactly.

Which meant time was running out faster than we thought.

Lara looked around the cabin carefully then frowned.

“No sign of Zoe or Sean yet?”

The question immediately tightened the atmosphere again.

I shook my head slowly.

“Nothing.”

King Larry looked uneasy.

“You lot are back first…”

Before I could finish—

CRACK!

The cabin exploded with silver light again.

Everyone spun toward the center of the room instantly.

Then a body crashed hard against the wooden floor.

“AHHH!”

Zoe.

She landed violently on her knees screaming in pain while silver magic still sparked around her body.

A satchel was tied tightly around her wrist.

But Sean wasn’t with her.

Fear punched straight through my chest instantly.

“Zoe!” Lara rushed toward her first.

Zoe looked completely shattered.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face while her entire body shook violently.

King Barry immediately looked behind her toward the vanished portal.

“Where’s Sean?”

Zoe broke instantly at those words.

A sob ripped from her chest hard enough to silence the entire room.

My stomach dropped.

No.

No no no.

I grabbed her shoulders carefully.

“What happened?”

Zoe struggled to breathe properly while clutching the satchel against her chest desperately.

“They took him,” she whispered brokenly.

The cabin froze.

Nathan stepped forward immediately.

“Who took him?”

Zoe’s breathing became uneven again.

“Luicen,” she choked out.

Rage exploded through my wolf instantly.

But then she said the second name.

“And Alpha Asher.”

Shock ripped through the room.

Logan stared at her.

“Asher?”

Zoe nodded weakly.

“But something’s wrong with him.” Tears poured harder down her face. “His eyes were black… completely black.”

Lara’s expression darkened instantly.

“Possession.”

Zoe shook violently while trying to explain everything at once.

“The Hollow Sanctuary…” she whispered. “The Elder took us there after the trials.” Her voice cracked again. “There were ancient grimoires… forbidden blood… resurrection ingredients…”

King Larry frowned deeply.

“You found everything?”

Zoe slowly lifted the satchel.

“Yes.”

Relief should’ve hit me.

Instead dread settled deeper into my chest.

Because Sean still wasn’t here.

“What happened after?” Barry asked quietly.

Zoe closed her eyes briefly.

“Luicen found us.”

Silence.

“He came with Asher.” Her breathing shook harder. “Sean tried fighting them but there were too many restraints… too much dark magic…”

I felt sick.

“He told me to run,” Zoe whispered brokenly.

Lara slowly sat beside her while rubbing her back gently.

“But you didn’t,” she guessed softly.

Zoe laughed weakly through tears.

“No.”

Of course she didn’t.

“She stayed,” Nathan muttered quietly.

Zoe nodded.

“The Elder forced me out.” Her voice broke again. “Sean helped him.”

My wolf went completely still.

Sean sacrificed himself.

For her.

For Gemma.

For all of us.

“He pushed me through the portal,” Zoe whispered. “The last thing I saw…” tears streamed harder down her face, “was Luicen and Asher dragging him into the darkness.”

Silence consumed the cabin completely.

Even the storm outside seemed quieter suddenly.

Logan punched the wall hard enough to crack the wood.

“Fuck!”

Nathan turned away while dragging a hand over his face angrily.

King Barry closed his eyes heavily.

And Lara…

Lara looked terrified.

Not just upset.

Terrified.

I noticed immediately.

“What?” I demanded.

Her eyes slowly lifted toward me.

“If Luicen has Sean…” she whispered carefully, “then he has his blood.”

Cold dread crawled down my spine instantly.

“And Sean’s blood,” Lara continued quietly, “contains Alpha magic strong enough to stabilize resurrection rituals.”

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Because suddenly we all understood.

Luicen hadn’t taken Sean randomly.

He needed him alive.

For Gemma.

Or worse—

For something far darker.

Outside the cabin, blood rain continued pouring endlessly from the sky.