Chapter-HundredThirty Six, Unexpected

Chapter-HundredThirty Six, Unexpected
King Larry’s POV

BOOM.

The entire cabin shook violently.

Pack alarms instantly blasted throughout the mountains loud enough to make every wolf inside the cabin snap to attention.

Danger.

Attack.

War.

The alarms screamed through the storm outside while red warning lights flashed across the trees surrounding the pack lands.

Another loud explosion echoed nearby.

BOOM.

Glass shattered somewhere downstairs.

“Positions now!” Alpha Jayden roared.

Everyone moved instantly.

Warriors rushed toward the exits while Leo shifted partly beside the windows claws already out. Logan grabbed silver blades from the table while Barry stormed toward the front doors half shifted between dragon and wolf.

The air inside the cabin thickened with panic.

Something had breached the outer borders.

And judging by the smell flooding through the storm…

It wasn’t alone.

I stepped toward the front window breathing hard as blood-stained rain hammered violently against the glass.

Then I saw them.

Standing directly in front of the cabin beneath the blood-red sky.

Lucien.

And Gemma.

My fucking heart stopped.

My sister stood beside the monster who stole her from us while black shadows twisted around her feet unnaturally. Rain soaked through her silver hair while crimson eyes stared directly toward the cabin.

Cold.

Empty.

Wrong.

That wasn’t the look of someone alive.

That was the look of someone controlled.

Behind them the Deadly Tree towered through the darkness while massive roots spread across the clearing crushing everything in their path.

The screaming faces trapped inside the bark moved violently beneath flashes of lightning.

Demons filled the treeline behind them.

Hundreds.

The pack alarms continued blasting desperately around us.

The Blood Moon Pack was under attack.

“What the fuck has he done to her…” Logan whispered brokenly beside me.

Lucien slowly smiled.

Like this entire thing amused him.

Like he enjoyed watching us suffer.

Gemma didn’t react at all.

No emotion crossed her face seeing us standing there.

Nothing.

No recognition.

No love.

No soul.

Jayden stepped beside me growling low beneath his breath.

“She smells wrong.”

He was right.

Gemma no longer smelled like wolf.

Darkness clung to her skin now poisoning the air around her.

I forced myself toward the front door ignoring the fear crawling through my chest.

That was my sister standing out there.

I didn’t care what Lucien turned her into.

I wasn’t giving up on her.

The second I stepped outside icy rain slammed into my skin while thunder cracked violently overhead.

The battlefield around the cabin was already chaos.

Pack warriors fought demons near the western treeline while flames consumed cabins further down the mountain. Wolves screamed through the darkness as shadow creatures dragged bodies into the forest.

Hell had reached the pack.

And standing at the centre of it all…

Was Gemma.

I stepped closer carefully.

“Gemma…”

Her glowing crimson eyes slowly lifted toward me.

No reaction.

Nothing.

It felt like staring at a stranger wearing my sister’s face.

Pain twisted violently through my chest.

“Gemma you have to fight,” I said desperately.

For a split second something flickered behind her eyes.

Then Lucien placed one hand against her shoulder.

The darkness around her intensified instantly.

“She doesn’t know who you are anymore,” Lucien said calmly.

My fists clenched.

“You lying bastard.”

He laughed softly.

“No lies tonight, King.”

Gemma suddenly tilted her head studying me carefully.

“I don’t know who you are,” she said coldly.

Every word felt like another knife sliding into my chest.

“And for sure,” she continued with a cruel smile, “we aren’t family.”

Behind me Emily gasped quietly.

“No…” Maggie whispered.

Logan looked ready to completely lose control.

What had he done to her?

Gemma was kind.

Protective.

She used to cry when pack members got hurt.

Now she looked at us like killing us would mean nothing.

Emily suddenly pushed past everyone running toward her desperately.

“Gemma please!” she cried. “You know us!”

Big mistake.

Gemma slowly lifted one hand.

Dark smoke curled around her fingertips.

Then—

BOOM.

Emily screamed as invisible force slammed into her body throwing her violently backward across the clearing.

She crashed through the porch railing hard enough to splinter wood apart.

“Emily!” Leo shouted rushing toward her.

Gemma laughed.

Actually laughed.

“Who’s next?”

That wasn’t my sister speaking.

Lucien smiled proudly beside her.

“Beautiful isn’t she?”

Rage exploded through me instantly.

“You twisted her into a weapon.”

Lucien’s eyes darkened.

“No,” he answered calmly. “I freed her from weakness.”

Pack alarms still blasted loudly across the mountains while more warriors flooded into the clearing surrounding the cabin.

Everyone stared at Gemma in horror.

Some looked terrified.

Others heartbroken.

Because everybody loved her.

And now she stood beside the enemy.

Lucien slowly stepped forward through the blood rain.

“She remembers nothing about any of you,” he announced loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Not her mates. Not her pack. Not even her own blood.”

Logan snarled violently.

“You’re wrong.”

Lucien smirked wider.

“Am I?”

He leaned toward Gemma slightly.

“Tell them why you’re here.”

Gemma’s glowing eyes slowly moved across us all.

Then she smiled.

Cold.

Cruel.

“I’m here to kill every person from my old life.”

Silence crushed the clearing instantly.

Even the storm suddenly felt quieter.

Maggie started crying softly behind us.

“No…”

My wolf roared violently inside me.

Lucien had broken her.

No.

Worse.

He’d turned her against us.

The Deadly Tree suddenly screeched loudly behind them while massive roots exploded through the ground ripping apart pack barriers.

Warriors screamed as demons poured through the opening.

The attack fully started.

“Protect the cabin!” Jayden roared instantly.

Everything exploded into chaos.

Pack wolves charged forward while demons rushed from the treeline. Fire spread rapidly through nearby cabins as black portals opened throughout the clearing.

I shifted partially allowing my dragon claws forward just as one demon lunged toward my throat.

I caught it midair before slamming it into the ground hard enough to crack its skull apart.

Another rushed from behind.

Barry unleashed dragon fire straight into its chest turning the creature to ash instantly.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

Zoe exited the cabin slowly.

And the second Lucien saw her…

His smile disappeared.

Interesting.

Dark magic sparked around Zoe’s hands while black wind whipped violently around her body.

“We end this tonight,” she said coldly.

Lucien laughed darkly.

“You really think you can stop me?”

“No,” Zoe answered calmly.

Then she reached beneath her coat.

And pulled out glowing black chains marked with ancient silver symbols.

The underworld shackles.

Holy shit.

Even Jayden looked shocked.

Lucien’s expression changed instantly.

Fear.

Actual fear.

Good.

Because those chains weren’t normal weapons.

They were forged by the first kings to imprison creatures tied to Hell itself.

“We shackle him,” I growled instantly.

Barry grinned beside me flames curling from his mouth.

“Finally.”

Gemma suddenly stepped protectively in front of Lucien.

“You’re not touching him.”

The words hit hard.

Because her voice sounded almost angry.

Protective.

Like she truly cared about him.

Lucien smirked behind her.

“She’d die before letting you near me.”

Logan lost control instantly.

He lunged toward Lucien with a furious roar.

Gemma intercepted him before he could reach the bastard.

Dark magic exploded outward.

BOOM.

Logan crashed violently into the mud twenty feet away.

“LOGAN!” Jayden barked.

Gemma slowly turned toward us again while shadows curled around her body.

“Anyone who touches him dies.”

My heart cracked hearing those words.

That wasn’t my sister.

Not anymore.

Zoe suddenly looked toward me through the chaos.

“Plan B.”

I nodded instantly.

Because she was right.

We couldn’t keep fighting creatures that always came back.

Lucien had to be chained.

Tonight.

Or the war never ended.

The underworld shackles suddenly ignited brighter beneath the Blood Moon.

And Lucien’s smile finally vanished completely.