Chapter 125: THE CHILDREN'S LIGHT

ALPHA DAMIAN POV

I woke up with a heavy weight on my chest. The room was still dark, the first light of dawn just beginning to creep through the window. This was not our room. I had chosen to sleep in this smaller chamber close to the children’s quarters so I could protect them if anything happened. Every night since Gotham took over, I barely slept, always listening for any sound of danger.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my face. My body ached from tension and lack of proper rest.

I stood up and walked quietly to the children’s room. I pushed the door open gently and stepped inside. The three of them were still fast asleep on the big bed, curled up together like they were afraid to be apart even in their dreams. Ryker had his arm around Elara. Thorne was holding her hand. Their small faces looked peaceful for now, but I knew they were scared. They kept asking for their real mummy every night.

I stayed there for a long moment, watching them breathe. My heart felt tight. I would do anything to keep them safe. Anything to bring Leena back.

After making sure they were okay, I left their room and walked down the hall toward the royal chambers where Gotham was staying. My steps were quiet but fast. I needed to see her. Even if it was Gotham looking back at me through Leena’s eyes, I still needed to check if my mate was still fighting inside.

I pushed the door open. The room was empty.

The bed was made, but Leena, Gotham was not there. My heart jumped into my throat. Panic flooded me immediately.

I turned and rushed outside. Two guards were standing by the door.

“Where is she?” I asked urgently. “Where is Leena?”

The guards looked nervous. One of them swallowed hard before answering.

“She woke up early this morning, Alpha. She gathered some guards and left for the pack. She said she had things to handle.”

My blood ran cold. Gotham had taken Leena’s body out into the pack without me. I didn’t even want to imagine what she might be doing.

“Which way did they go?” I demanded.

“Toward the main town center, Alpha.”

I didn’t waste another second. “Prepare my horse. Bring five of our most loyal guards. We are going after her now.”

The guards moved quickly. Within minutes, my horse was ready. I mounted quickly and looked at the five men who had joined me. They were the ones I still trusted, the ones who had been with me since the beginning.

“Stay close,” I told them. “And be ready for anything. This is not our Luna anymore.”

We rode out of the palace gates at a fast pace. The morning air was cool, but my body felt hot with worry and anger. The pack streets were just beginning to wake up. People bowed when they saw me, but their eyes were filled with fear. They had already seen what Gotham was doing.

I pushed my horse faster. My mind kept racing with terrible possibilities. What if she was hurting someone? What if she was making new cruel laws? What if Leena was suffering even more inside?

We reached the town center. I saw a small crowd gathered near the central square. My heart dropped when I saw her.

Gotham stood in the middle, wearing a dark, commanding outfit. My Leena’s body looked powerful and terrifying at the same time. She was speaking to a group of guards and workers, giving orders with that cold, multi-layered voice.

I dismounted quickly and walked toward her, my guards following close behind.

“Leena!” I called out.

She turned slowly. Those glowing red eyes met mine. A slow, dangerous smile spread across her face.

“Pet,” she said sweetly. “You came to join me?”

The people around us went silent, watching nervously. I stopped a few feet away from her, my chest tight with pain.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Gotham stepped closer, running my fingers down my arm seductively. “Making this pack stronger. Something your weak mate could never do.”

I grabbed her wrist, looking deep into those red eyes, searching for any sign of my Leena.

“Fight her,” I whispered. “Please, Leena. Come back to me.”

For a tiny moment, I felt something a flicker through the mate bond. Warmth. Pain. Love. Then it was gone.

Gotham laughed softly and pulled her hand away.

“You are wasting your time, pet,” she said. “She is fading. Soon there will be only me.”

I stood there, heart breaking, as she turned back to the crowd and continued giving her cruel orders.

I had to find a way. I had to bring my Leena back before it was too late.

…….

I stood frozen in the town square, watching in horror as the woman wearing my mate’s face addressed the crowd. Gotham’s red eyes glowed with dark satisfaction as she raised Leena’s hand and pointed at the gathered people.

“Listen well,” she announced, her voice echoing with that terrifying multi-layered tone. “From today, all young and able men will be gathered immediately. Every strong male between the ages of sixteen and forty will begin intense training. In three months, we will march on the surrounding packs. We will conquer them one by one until this entire world belongs to me.”

The crowd gasped in shock. Murmurs of fear and disbelief spread through the people like wildfire. Some women clutched their children tighter. Men looked at each other with wide, terrified eyes.

Gotham continued without mercy. “The weak ones the old, the sick, the useless will be sent out of the pack immediately. We have no room for weakness here. Only the strong will survive under my rule.”

She turned her gaze to the group of women standing nearby. “You women will begin preparing the temple at once. A great sacrifice will be made there soon. A sacrifice powerful enough to change the world forever.”

The people were stunned into silence. I could see the horror on their faces. This was not the Leena they loved and respected. This was something evil wearing her skin.

I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. I stepped forward, my voice loud and angry.

“You cannot do this!” I shouted. “These are our people! You have no right to throw away the weak or force our men into war. Leena would never allow this!”

Gotham turned slowly, her red eyes locking onto me. A cruel smile spread across Leena’s beautiful face.

Before I could say another word, she raised my mate’s hand. A powerful wave of dark energy slammed into my chest. The force lifted me off the ground and threw me backward hard. My back crashed against the stone wall of a nearby building. Pain exploded through my spine as I slid down to the ground.

The crowd gasped in horror.

Gotham walked toward me slowly, her hips swaying in that dark seductive way. She stopped above me and looked down with cold amusement.

“I am the Luna now,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “You have no right to dictate to me, pet. Remember your place… or the next time I will not be so gentle.”

The guards hesitated for a moment, looking between me and her with fear in their eyes. But after a few seconds, they started moving, grabbing the young men as ordered. The people watched in stunned silence as their sons and husbands were pulled away.

I pushed myself up slowly, my back aching. I looked at the woman standing in front of me the same face I had fallen in love with, the same body I had held so many times and felt my heart breaking. This wasn’t Leena anymore.

I turned and walked away quickly, ignoring the pain in my body. I needed to see the healer again. Things were getting out of control too fast. If I didn’t find a way to bring my mate back soon, Gotham would destroy everything we had built.

As I rode toward the healer’s hut, one thought kept repeating in my mind.

Leena… please hold on. I’m coming for you.

……

I burst into the healer’s hut, breathing hard. The old man looked up from his scrolls, startled by my sudden entrance.

“Alpha? What happened?” he asked, standing up quickly.

I didn’t waste time. “Gotham has taken full control. She is already making changes. She announced that all able men will begin training for war. She said in three months we will attack the surrounding packs and take over the world. She also ordered the women to prepare the temple for a great sacrifice. She is throwing out the weak ones and punishing anyone who speaks against her.”

The healer sprang up from his chair in shock, his eyes wide with horror. The scroll in his hand fell to the floor.

“What?” he gasped. “A great sacrifice? If she said that… then it only means one thing. She is planning to restart the same dark ritual she tried centuries ago. The one that failed and got her sealed in the Veilwood. This is very bad news, Alpha. A lot of people are going to die. Innocent wolves. Children. She will sacrifice them to gain even more power. We cannot allow this to happen.”

My knees felt weak. I stepped closer, my voice desperate.

“Then what are we going to do?” I begged. “I don’t want any of this to happen. My mate is trapped inside her own body. My children are terrified. The whole pack is living in fear. Tell me how to stop her!”

The healer ran a trembling hand through his white hair. He looked lost for the first time since I had known him.

“I am confused too,” he admitted. “I checked every magic book I have. Everything pointed to the mate bond. Physical union, deep emotional connection, love… it should have weakened her. You told me you bonded with her, and for a while it worked. I don’t understand why it didn’t last. Gotham is stronger than I feared.”

He paced around the small hut, his face creased with worry.

“I will start checking again tonight,” he continued. “I will go through the oldest scrolls, even the forbidden ones. I will speak to the spirits if I must. There has to be another way. A ritual. A weakness we can exploit. Something. But it will take time.”

I grabbed his arm, my voice cracking. “What am I supposed to do now? What? I can’t just sit and watch her destroy everything!”

The healer placed his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.

“Just remain by her side,” he said firmly. “Let her think you are helpless. Pretend to submit. Keep her guard down. Do not provoke her too much. Buy us as much time as possible. I will find something. I promise you, Alpha. We will bring your mate back.”

I stood there for a long moment, breathing heavily. The weight of everything felt crushing. My Leena was trapped. My children were scared. My pack was suffering. And I had to pretend to be weak while watching it all happen.

I finally nodded.

“I will do what I can,” I said quietly. “But please… hurry. I don’t know how much longer Leena can hold on inside there.”

The healer squeezed my shoulder. “Go back. Stay close to her. Protect the children. And most importantly… don’t lose hope.”

I left the hut with a heavy heart. As I rode back toward the palace, my mind kept racing. I had to play this carefully. I had to pretend to be broken while secretly planning how to save my family.

But deep down, I was terrified. What if we were already too late?

……

LUNA LEENA POV (Trapped Inside)

Gotham walked down the hallway with confident steps, my body moving smoothly under her control. She had a dark smile on my face as she pushed open the door to the children’s room. The triplets were sitting on the big bed, huddled together. When they saw her, their small faces filled with fear.

“Why are you not greeting your mother?” Gotham asked, my voice sweet but cold. “Come on. Show some respect.”

The children stayed silent. They didn’t move. They didn’t even look at her directly. Elara hid her face in Thorne’s shoulder.

Gotham’s anger rose quickly. “What is this? Have you forgotten who I am? I am your mother now. Greet me properly!”

Still, they said nothing. Ryker finally looked up, his small jaw tight.

“You are not our mother,” he said quietly but firmly. “Our real mummy would never scare us like this. Go away.”

Gotham’s eyes flashed bright red. She stepped closer, my hands clenched into fists.

“How dare you speak to me like that?” she hissed. “I am the one in control here! I own this body! I own this pack! You ungrateful little brats. I should lock you away forever. I should make you suffer until you learn to obey me!”

Her voice grew louder and angrier. She raised my hand, dark energy swirling around my fingers, ready to strike them.

Ryker stood up on the bed, his small body shaking but his eyes brave. “Get out of our room,” he said boldly. “We don’t want you here.”

That was the breaking point.

Gotham screamed in rage and lunged forward, my hand raised to hit him.

But suddenly, all three children’s eyes glowed bright golden.

The light was pure and powerful. It filled the room like warm sunlight cutting through darkness. Gotham froze mid-motion. My body hung in the air, unable to move forward. The golden glow wrapped around the children like a shield.

Gotham’s eyes widened in shock and fear.

“No way…” she muttered, my voice trembling for the first time. She stepped back quickly, stumbling a little. “This is impossible… How…?”

The golden light grew brighter. Gotham started screaming. She clutched my head with both hands, backing away from the bed.

“Stay away from me!” she shrieked. “Stay away!”

The children climbed down from the bed slowly, their golden eyes still glowing. They stood together, holding hands, looking at her without fear for the first time.

Gotham kept screaming, my voice raw and terrified. She crashed into the wall, still holding my head as if trying to stop the golden light from reaching her.

Inside my own mind, I felt a spark of hope. My babies… they were fighting back.