Chapter 89 Sister's Calls
Chapter 89 Sister's Calls
~Alaric's POV~
Dusk painted the battlefield in deep, bloody reds as I pushed through the fallen Dravenmere line.
The ground littered with the broken bodies of hybrids and my own fallen warriors, as smoke curled from wrecked vehicles, and the air smelled of blood and gunpowder.
My focus stayed razor-sharp on the transport vehicle ahead, its engine still idling.
Lira was inside and I could feel it through the faint fatherly bond that tugged at my chest, like an invisible rope.
I ripped the rear door off its hinges with a savage growl, metal screeching in protest.
She sat huddled in the corner, suppressor cuffs melted into useless slag on the floor beside her. Her eyes lit up with pure relief when she saw me.
"Daddy!"
I pulled her into my arms instantly, crushing her small frame against my chest while my hands moved quickly, checking for injuries, bruises, or hidden wounds.
"You're safe now... I've got you and no one is taking you again. I swear it on every drop of blood in my veins."
She nodded and we moved quickly to a quiet ridge overlooking the flank, away from the chaos of the main battle.
I sat with her against a fallen log, the shared oath scar on my wrist glowing faintly next to the fresh marks on her small arm.
The brands pulsed in soft sync, warm and alive.
"Look at that," I said, tracing the edge of her scar gently with my thumb. "We match now with the same brand. You're stronger than you know, little one."
She touched mine in return, her tiny fingers warm against my skin.
"It feels like his too, the boy's power. When I think of him, mine gets stronger... Like we sync and we are supposed to be connected. Does that mean we're family now? All of us?"
I nodded, warmth mixing with deep worry in my chest.
"Your powers call to each other because Relic blood recognizes its own across any distance. That's why they keep coming for both of you. They see you as keys to something bigger and darker, but we won't let them win."
Lira leaned against my side, her small body still trembling slightly from the ordeal.
"I don't want to be taken again. It hurts when they put those cuffs on me and makes everything feel cold inside."
"You won't be," I promised fiercely, holding her closer and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"We need to merge packs. Dravenmere and Velmira under one protection with Elowen at the center. A united front, and no more splitting our strength. Will you trust me on this? Can you believe we can build something better together?"
She smiled small but genuine, her dual eyes shining with quiet trust. "I trust you, Daddy. If you say we can be one big pack, then I believe it."
We stayed like that as night crept in, father and daughter bonded tighter by scars and shared power.
The distant sounds of battle faded into the background...
★★★
~Elowen's POV~
Night settled heavy and oppressive over the Velmira safe chamber, the stone walls seeming to press closer with every passing minute.
I felt the sync the moment it strengthened with two small sparks calling to each other across the distance, pulling like magnets.
The boy sat beside me, still weak from the toxin purge, his breathing shallow but steady.
I placed a relic crystal between us on the low table and reached for Lira's distant presence through the oath link, my fingers hovering just above the glowing stone.
"Hold my hand," I told him gently but firmly. "We bring her in safely, and together, we're stronger than any rift or poison they throw at us."
He gripped my hand tight, his palm already warmer and larger than it had been days ago.
The crystal glowed brighter at our touch and their auras merged in soft violet light. His dual echo mixed seamlessly with her pure relic thread.
Together they burned brighter, the combined energy revealing hidden truths that had been veiled before.
"The Second World gate," I whispered, eyes widening as the knowledge flooded in.
"It needs triad blood to open fully, all three of us... Alaric, Sylion, and me. That's the only way it stabilizes."
The boy's eyes widened, a mix of awe and fear crossing his young face.
"We can fix everything then and stop the fighting. We make the gate do what we want instead of what Valerian wants?"
Before I could answer, the air tore open beside us with a violent crack.
A rift split into existence, cold wind rushing out like a winter storm, carrying the scent of ozone and dark power.
Valerian's silhouette appeared in the center, tall and composed, smiling with calculated charm.
"Such a touching family moment," he said smoothly, voice dripping with false warmth. "Mother and son working together to save the little sister. Heartwarming, but the girl belongs in better hands... my hands."
Lira's form shimmered in the link, her presence flickering like a candle in the wind. I tried to pull her back, pouring every ounce of will into the crystal.
"No! You can't have her!"
The girl's scream echoed through the chamber as the rift tugged harder, violet lightning crackling around her distant image.
"Ma'am, please! Help me!"
The connection snapped violently, the crystal shattering into harmless dust. The boy collapsed beside me, body jerking violently as uncontrolled energy surged through him.
He aged another year in seconds... limbs longer, face sharper and more defined. His eyes fluttered open, filled with pain and confusion.
"Save my sister…" he gasped, voice cracking between child and adolescent. "Or I will fade. The gate… It's calling me too. I feel it pulling..."
I gathered him into my arms, heart hammering as distant alarms began to blare once more.
The rift's echo lingered in the air like a threat, and somewhere far away, Lira's scream still rang in my ears.
The triad was fracturing again, and time was running out faster than ever...