Chapter 194

Chapter 194
Third Person POV

Jared stood on a hill overlooking the battlefield, his eyes gleaming with pride as chaos reigned below. Bloodmoon was collapsing. Just as he had planned.

The air was thick with smoke, fire, and fear. Jared’s soldiers stormed the city from multiple directions, each group emerging from secret tunnels scattered beneath the kingdom. He had planned this infiltration for months—maybe even years. And now, as his wolves tore through the panicked Bloodmoon soldiers, Jared grinned like a man possessed.

The castle was within reach.

Once Mason was dead, Bloodmoon would belong to him.

“Soon,” Jared murmured to himself, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “So soon.”

He watched as his forces pushed deeper into the kingdom, their path lit only by moonlight and burning torches. The plan was working perfectly. His army was divided into three main battalions, each emerging from a different hidden route. By the time Jared arrived at the castle gates, they were supposed to meet and crush any last defense with overwhelming force.

But then… silence.

Jared frowned. He reached out through the mind link, trying to contact the group closest to the inner walls. Nothing. He tried again—still silence.

His smile faltered.

“Report in,” he snapped through the link. “What’s happening?”

Again, nothing.

An icy feeling crept into his chest.

Jared straightened, narrowing his eyes at the battle below. On the surface, everything still looked perfect. His wolves were everywhere, overwhelming the Bloodmoon warriors with ease.

But that silence…

It was wrong.

Jared shook his head, trying to cast off the unease building inside him. “I’m being paranoid,” he muttered. Still, he descended the slope, preparing to join the final push toward the castle. He had to see it for himself.

And then—he saw them.

His three battalions had reached the meeting point, just as expected. But instead of surrounding the castle like wolves circling prey, they were being wiped out.

One. By. One.

Bloodmoon soldiers moved in a perfect circle around them, striking with inhuman speed and focus. The soldiers that had appeared disoriented moments ago were now fighting with brutal precision. They weren’t scattered anymore. They weren’t weak.

They were warriors.

A faint red glow pulsed from their wrists—devices.

Detectors.

Jared’s eyes widened in horror as he realized the truth. Bloodmoon had found a way to rebuild the perfume detectors. Now, in the darkness of the battlefield, those detectors were scanning for his soldiers’ scents—lighting them up like targets.

“No—no, no,” he hissed, stepping back.

He had destroyed the Tarevine mines himself. How was this possible?

Then he saw him.

Mason.

The Bloodmoon prince stood in the center of the chaos, his face smeared with blood, his eyes glowing gold. His shirt was torn, his body covered in bruises—but he looked unstoppable. He moved like a shadow—like death itself. Mason struck down three Warpaw soldiers with a single spin of his claws.

And then… he looked at Jared.

That wicked, bloodthirsty grin on Mason’s face made Jared’s stomach twist.

“Retreat!” Jared screamed, panic rising in his throat. “RETREAT!”

But it was too late.

Mason charged straight through the remaining enemy line, his men following closely behind. The Warpaw army collapsed into panic, scattering like leaves in a storm. Jared turned and ran—faster than he ever had before. He didn’t dare look back. Not once.

He was running for his life.

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Mason’s POV

My claws were soaked in blood, my body vibrating with rage and power. This was no longer a battle. This was an execution.

We had planned every step of this.

We knew Jared would try to destroy the Tarevine mines. That’s why I had them shielded with a transparent barrier. It gave the illusion of destruction when really, the mines were untouched. It made noise, sure, but it protected the source.

While Jared celebrated too early, Madilyn and her team in Riverdale had quietly rebuilt the detectors.

We smuggled them back into Bloodmoon.

Waited.

And tonight—we revealed them.

As soon as Jared’s wolves poured through the tunnels, my soldiers activated the devices. The Warpaw soldiers were instantly visible. Every drop of that stolen perfume glowed under our detectors, marking them like prey.

The fools never stood a chance.

I could see the confusion on their faces as our warriors moved through them like wind, fast and unrelenting.

When Jayden thought he was gathering secrets during his time as prince, I was out there with the soldiers—learning every path, every tree root, every tunnel crack. He studied palace gossip.

I studied war.

I had my men positioned with strict orders. They pretended to lose ground, drawing Jared’s army deeper into the trap. Then, once the detectors lit up, we struck from all sides.

And now?

Now they fell.

They screamed as they died—confused, outmatched, and betrayed by their own arrogance.

Beside me, Caleb fought like a demon. Blood smeared his face, and his twin blades never stopped moving.

“You’re making this look easy,” he called out, ducking an attack and slashing cleanly through two opponents.

I let out a breathless laugh. “They were never ready for us.”

He grinned. “Bet I take down more than you.”

“You wish.”

We fought side by side, blades and claws dancing through the smoke and ash. Every moment, we grew stronger. Every step pushed them back further.

Then, out of the corner of my eye—I saw him.

Jared.

Running like a coward.

No command. No last stand. Just pure, selfish survival.

I pointed. “Cover me,” I shouted.

Caleb nodded, already clearing a path.

I leapt forward, claws out, heart pounding.

But then I stopped.

Jared was already gone. Fled. Left his wolves behind.

And suddenly… it wasn’t about him anymore.

It was about them—my soldiers.

I turned back and scanned the battlefield. Some were wounded. Some were dragging injured friends across the ground. But they were alive. And they were winning.

I joined them again, cutting down the last of Jared’s force. My breath burned, and blood dripped from my arms—but I kept going. One more. One more. One more.

Until finally… silence.

No more screams. No more blades.

Only breathing.

Only victory.

I stood in the middle of the field. Smoke curled into the sky. Bodies littered the earth. But amidst the destruction, my men stood tall. Some leaning on weapons, some holding one another up, but all of them alive.

“You did it,” I said, raising my voice so it would carry. “You fought for your home—and you won. Tonight, you are not just soldiers. You are heroes.”

A deep cheer broke out—roars of triumph and pride.

Then, slowly, one by one… they dropped to their knees.

Fists over their hearts.

Heads bowed.

“We stand with you, our king,” they said in unison.

The sound echoed across the field.

It hit me harder than any sword ever could.

There was no crown on my head. No ceremony. No throne.

But this moment… it was real.

They had chosen me.

I let the silence stretch, overwhelmed by the weight of their loyalty. My chest tightened, and my throat burned.

A smile broke across my face—genuine, raw.

This was no longer about revenge or battle.

This was about unity. Strength. Home.

This was Bloodmoon.

And now… I had to return to the woman who had stood by me through it all.

My queen.