Chapter 142 Fair Trade
Gavriel frowned when he found himself in a landscape of endless sand.
“Coward,” he snarled, a smirk tugging at his lips. He lifted his hand and let dark mist form into threads.
The mysterious man screamed and collapsed where he stood. Gavriel remembered how he had wounded him earlier by channeling his lycan’s mist into the cut.
Gavriel seized the stranger by the throat until the man gasped for air. He was the strongest of all lycans, and with Chaos within him, his power was absolute, not only in raw strength but in the primal magical forces that surged through his blood.
“Release me, beast, or you will be trapped here,” the man rasped as he tried to chant.
Chaos’s mist had pinned his arms and legs, silencing him.
“Do you really think you can subdue me?” Gavriel asked through clenched teeth as he loosened his grip enough for the man to speak. The stranger only smiled. Then sand rose and began to swallow Gavriel’s limbs, forcing him to let go.
The man coughed, then laughed, a hollow sound. “Ah, I almost forgot that inside you lives one of the most powerful lycans of all—the Lunaris Dominion. Still, you are in my territory and under my power.”
He spun around like a madman. “This world is mine. I created it. I am the ruler.”
Gavriel struggled, but it soon felt pointless. “Who are you and what do you want?” he demanded.
The man smiled. “Call me Zander.” Then, his eyes narrowed. “And what do I want? I want your mate. Give her to me, and I’ll deliver your enemies into your hands.”
“I will kill you before you touch her,” Gavriel growled.
The man chuckled. “What is wrong, Alpha King? Is that not a fair trade? Your mate is Cain’s daughter, the traitor’s child. I will sever your matebond so you can cut the connection without pain. I will bring Cain and his son Rett to your feet. I will deliver their followers and spies into your court. All I ask is that you hand me Lady Althea.”
He paused then with a smirk added, “Do not worry. She will be in good hands.”
“Do you really think you can bargain for my mate?” Gavriel spat, his voice low and hard. Dark mist coiled from him, wrapping Zander’s body and forcing the man’s face up until their eyes met. “I will burn you to ash before I let you touch her.”
The stranger laughed, a low sound full of contempt. “Pride is admirable in a king,” he said, “but it is foolish. Give me the girl and I will hand you your enemies. Refuse, and I will take her in time, whether you like it or not. The choice is yours.”
Gavriel clenched his fists so tightly his veins stood out while commanding his mist to crush Zander into the ground. But before it could, Zander vanished like smoke blown away by the wind.
The desert fell silent. Then came his voice, calm and taunting, echoing from all around.
“I’ll give you some time to think, Alpha King. Call my name when you’re ready to accept my offer. For now…” his voice lowered, almost playful, “…enjoy your walk in my realm while I pay your precious mate a visit.”
“BASTARD!” Gavriel’s roar shook the air. “COME BACK AND FIGHT ME!”
Only the wind answered, carrying the faint sound of Zander’s laughter across the endless stretch of sand.
Gavriel’s rage burned hotter. He called his mist again, but this time, it slipped through his control. The shadows thinned and scattered, fading into the air as if something stronger was pulling them away from him.
His chest heaved as the truth sank in. Zander’s world obeyed only Zander. Every grain of sand, every breath of air, even the mist, none of it moved unless he allowed it.
“Coward,” Gavriel muttered, his voice low and sharp. The dunes shifted beneath his boots as if mocking him. Still, he didn’t stop. He steadied his breathing and forced himself to think. Losing control now would mean losing Althea.
He started walking through the desert storm, eyes scanning the golden horizon. His body tensed, every muscle ready for another attack.
But all that remained was the echo of Zander’s last words, haunting and cold.
“I’ll visit your mate. Maybe she will come to me of her own accord. After all, I can give her the freedom she surely wants.”
Gavriel’s jaw tightened. There was no way he would let that happen. He gritted his teeth and called out, “Chaos, find a way out of this place. There has to be a weakness somewhere in this cursed place!”
‘I’m trying,’ Chaos growled from within him. ‘But it’s not like any barrier I’ve seen. The air itself moves like it’s alive. Every time I reach out, the path changes.’
Gavriel scanned the endless dunes, his eyes burning as he pushed his energy outward. The sand reacted violently, swirling up around him in thick waves. The harder he tried to command it, the more it fought back, whipping against his body like a living storm.
“Enough!” he roared, slamming his fist into the ground. The impact sent a deep tremor through the desert, but instead of breaking open, the sand began to rise—circling him like a giant whirlpool.
‘Stop!’ Chaos barked. ‘You’re feeding the vortex! The more power you release, the more it’ll pull you in!’
Gavriel tried to move, but the sand dragged at his legs, swallowing him up to his knees. He struggled against it, his muscles straining as he called his mist, only for it to scatter uselessly into the air.
The storm howled louder, drowning out even his own voice. Sand lashed across his face, cutting his skin like blades.
Gavriel calmed and tried reaching out through the mindlink, calling for his men—Uriel, Simon, Gustav—but there was only silence. Not even a faint echo reached him. It was as if the link itself had been cut off.
He tried again, this time reaching for Althea. But all he heard was emptiness. No voice. No heartbeat through the bond. Nothing.
A cold wave of dread swept through him. “No,” he muttered under his breath. “No, no…”
‘The connection’s blocked,’ Chaos warned. ‘This realm is sealed completely. Even our mate bond can’t pass through it.’
“Damn it!” he spat, forcing himself forward, each step like walking through quicksand. “There’s no way I’m staying trapped here while that bastard goes near her!”