Chapter 26: Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter 26:
Lia’s POV
Connor limped at the edge of the trees, his silver fur bloodied, his green eyes burning with fury but no longer a threat, for now. Edgar and I had fought him together, my tribrid powers flaring like a silver flame, my claws and his teeth driving Connor back, forcing him to retreat with his Frostclad and Shadowfang allies. But the victory was bittersweet. The Ironclad elders watched from the sidelines, their eyes cold, their whispers sharp with distrust: Tribrid. Outsider. Traitor’s daughter. I’d saved Edgar, held my own against Connor, but it wasn’t enough to win their loyalty.
Hate and envy simmered in their glances, and I knew I had to forge my own path to prove I belonged.
My body hummed with power, the tribrid fire in my veins stronger than ever, a blend of human, wolf, and ancient that made my claws glow faintly even now, in my human form.
Edgar stood beside me, his side bandaged, his dark eyes locked on the retreating Frostclad. “He’ll be back,” he said, his voice low, rough with exhaustion but steady with resolve. The bond pulsed with his pride, his trust in me, but I felt his worry too. “You were incredible out there, Lia. Your tribrid power… it turned the tide.”
I nodded, my heart racing, the wolf in me still restless. “It’s not over,” I said, my voice firm. “Connor’s alive, and the Frostclad have allies. The clan doesn’t trust me, Edgar. I need to do more than fight. I need to show them I’m not just a threat.”
Elena approached, her lean frame bloodied but unbowed, her huntress eyes sharp as she glanced at the elders. “You shook them, Lia,” she said, her voice low. “Your power scared them as much as it saved them. They’ve never seen a tribrid like you. But fear breeds envy, and envy breeds trouble.”
I clenched my fists, my claws pricking my palms, the tribrid fire sparking in my chest. “Then I’ll give them something else to see,” I said, my voice fierce. “I’m not just a tribrid. I’m moonbound. And I’m not the only one.”
Elena’s eyes widened, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. “You mean the others,” she said, her voice cautious. “The moonbound wolves scattered in the clan, hidden, shunned. You think you can rally them?”
“I know I can,” I said, the idea taking root, fueled by the fire in my veins and the memory of my mother’s journal, her moonbound, like me, shunned for her power. “The clan’s afraid of us because we’re different. But that’s our strength. If I can find them, bring them together, we’ll be an army, an army of moonbounds, stronger than the elders’ distrust, stronger than Connor’s alliance.”
Edgar’s hand found mine, the bond flaring, but his voice was wary. “Lia, that’s dangerous. The elders already see you as a threat. If you rally the moonbounds, they’ll think you’re building a rival clan, not saving ours.”
“Let them,” I snapped, my wolf growling, the tribrid fire blazing brighter. “I’m done begging for their trust. I fought for them, saved you, and they still call me a traitor’s daughter. If they won’t accept me, I’ll build something they can’t ignore.”
Brie stepped forward, her silver hair glinting in the dawn, her dagger sheathed but her presence as sharp as ever. “You’re playing with fire, Lia,” she said, her voice steady but heavy with warning. “Family is everything, but the clan’s family is fragile. The moonbound are outcasts for a reason, their power threatens the alpha’s control. You do this, and you’ll face more than just the elders’ envy.”
“I’m not afraid,” I said, meeting her gaze, my voice steady. “My mother was moonbound, and she ran because the clan couldn’t handle her strength. I won’t run. I’ll find the others, and we’ll protect the Ironclad, whether they like it or not.”
Brie’s eyes softened. “You’re more like her than I thought,” she said, her voice low. “But be careful. The moonstone your mother took, it’s tied to the moonbound, to their power. If you find it, you’ll need it to control them. And Connor’s still out there, hunting it too.”
My heart stuttered, the journal’s weight a reminder of my mother’s secrets. The moonstone, the relic she’d stolen, was the key to everything, my power, the clan’s strength, Connor’s obsession. “Then we find it first,” I said, turning to Elena. “You know the old safeholds. Where do we start?”
Elena nodded, her eyes sharp. “There’s a cave in the mountains, hidden from the clan. Your mother knew it. But it’s guarded, Frostclad scouts have been spotted nearby. We’ll need to move fast.”
Edgar’s grip on my hand tightened, the bond pulsing with his worry. “Lia, you’re powerful, but you’re not invincible. Let me come with you.”
I met his gaze, the bond warm but my resolve firmer. “You’re the alpha,” I said. “The clan needs you here, to hold them together. I’ll take Elena and any moonbound I can find. We’ll be our own army.”
His eyes searched mine, a storm of emotions, love, fear, pride, swirling in them. “You’re my mate,” he said, his voice rough. “If you’re going, I’m with you, clan or not.”
I smiled, the tribrid fire in me softening, just for a moment. “Then help me find them,” I said. “The moonbound. We’ll need them to face Connor’s next move.”
As we moved toward the forest, Elena at my side, Brie watching with a mix of worry and hope, I felt the eyes of the clan, hate, envy, fear, but also the spark of something new. My tribrid power was a flame, and I’d use it to rally the moonbound, to forge an army that could save the Ironclad, even if they despised me for it. The moonstone was out there, and so was Connor, licking his wounds, waiting for his chance. But I was ready, not just to fight, but to lead.