Chapter 24 THE BLOOD GATE

Chapter 24 THE BLOOD GATE
CHAPTER 24: THE BLOOD GATE
Pain. That was the first thing I felt when I opened my eyes.
It wasn’t sharp—it was deep, hollow, like something had carved through my veins and replaced my blood with fire.
The ground beneath me pulsed like a heartbeat. I pushed myself up, gasping. The world around me wasn’t the forest anymore. It was darker—richer. The air shimmered with red mist, and every sound echoed, as though the world itself was breathing.
The Blood Gate.
I could feel it before I saw it—a throbbing energy that pulled at the mark on my chest, whispering my name like a lover and a threat.
Ria…
The voice wasn’t Darius’s, but it was ancient, hungry. My wolf whimpered inside me, torn between curiosity and terror.
I stumbled forward, my fingers brushing over the red earth that felt warm, alive. Each breath I took burned. My body wasn’t mine—it was a vessel, just like Darius said.
“You made it.”
The voice cut through the air like a blade. I turned sharply, and there he was.
Darius Greyson stood by the crimson pool, his dark hair wet with mist, his eyes glowing like molten iron. His smile was a slow, cruel curve.
“Welcome home, little wolf.”
“Where am I?” My voice came out rough.
He spread his arms. “In between. The Shadow Plane. A place your Alpha fears and your blood was born for.”
I took a step back, my pulse hammering. “I’m nothing to you.”
“Wrong.” His gaze flicked to my chest, where the mark still burned. “You’re everything. The gate needed a heart strong enough to hold it. Kael’s blood gave you that strength. My curse gives it purpose.”
The realization struck me like lightning. “You planned this. From the moment I was taken.”
He smiled wider. “You think I wanted to steal my brother’s throne for power? No. I wanted his weakness. And you, Ria—you were the weakness I could mold.”
My hands trembled, fury rising through the fear. “You murdered my mother. You lied. You made me believe Kael did it.”
He stepped closer, his tone mocking. “And you believed me, didn’t you? Because deep down, you wanted a reason to hate him. You couldn’t stand loving someone who owned your soul.”
I lunged before I thought. My dagger met his blade mid-air, the clash sending sparks through the red mist. Darius barely flinched. He was faster, stronger here.
“This world bends to my will,” he said, shoving me back. “Even your wolf listens when I call.”
A growl ripped from my throat as I forced my feet to steady. “Not anymore.”
He smirked. “Then prove it.”
The ground shifted beneath us. Shadows burst from the mist, forming wolves—ghostly, red-eyed creatures that circled like predators waiting for the kill.
Darius raised his blade. “Let’s see if Kael taught you how to survive without him.”
The first shadow lunged. I ducked low, slashing across its chest. It dissolved into smoke, only for two more to take its place. My heart pounded. Every move drew more blood from my arm, more power from the mark.
Darius watched, circling. “You feel it, don’t you? The bond feeding you? That’s my magic, not his.”
“No,” I hissed. “It’s mine.”
I closed my eyes, reaching inward. The mark burned hotter—but beneath it, my wolf stirred. Not weak. Not caged.
When I opened my eyes again, the world flared gold for a heartbeat—the color of my wolf’s aura.
The next shadow that came at me met claws instead of steel. I tore through it, the air screaming with the sound of shattering curses.
Darius’s smirk faltered. “Interesting.”
I didn’t give him time to recover. I launched at him, claws striking his chest. He staggered but caught my wrist, twisting. Pain shot up my arm, but I kicked hard, driving my knee into his ribs.
He grunted, his grip faltering. “You’ve gotten stronger.”
“Stronger than you.”
For the first time, his expression cracked. “You think Kael can save you now? He’s dying out there, Ria. The curse you carry is draining him with every breath you take.”
My heart stuttered. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” He tilted his head. “Feel the bond. You’ll know.”
I reached inward—and my blood ran cold. The tether between Kael and me pulsed faintly, weaker than before. Each beat of my heart made his fade.
“No,” I whispered. “He’s too strong.”
Darius’s grin was all teeth. “He won’t be for long. The only way to save him is to finish what I started. Open the gate fully—and claim what’s inside.”
He gestured to the pool behind him, where the crimson light grew brighter, swirling faster. Faces began to form in the surface—wolf spirits, screaming, clawing.
“Join me, Ria,” he said, his voice soft, coaxing. “Together, we can rule both realms. You and I, not Kael. You were never meant to be his Luna. You were meant to be mine.”
My pulse roared. My wolf bared her teeth inside me.
And then I heard another voice.
Ria.
Kael.
It was faint, like a whisper through the storm, but it was there.
I turned toward the sound instinctively. The air trembled, and for a moment, the mist parted. I saw him—Kael—fighting through the shadows, his sword drenched in blood, his eyes blazing with fury and love.
Darius’s snarl broke the moment. “You’ll kill him if you keep resisting!”
I met his glare, fire rising in my chest. “Then I’ll die fighting, not kneeling.”
He lunged, his blade flashing. I met him head-on. Sparks flew as our weapons clashed again and again. The ground split beneath our feet, red light spilling upward like liquid fire.
The portal roared.
Darius shoved me back toward it, the heat scorching my skin. “This is your destiny, Ria!”
I gritted my teeth, forcing my strength against his. “No. This is your damnation.”
I drove the dagger straight into his chest. His eyes widened in shock—then fury—as the bloodstone embedded there cracked and burst apart.
The entire world shuddered. The red mist turned black, the portal collapsing inward.
Darius screamed as the shadows dragged him down. “If I burn, you burn with me!”
He vanished into the darkness, his scream echoing into silence.
I collapsed, gasping. The mark on my chest flared one last time—then dimmed. The world flickered, breaking apart like glass.
I barely heard the thunder. Or Kael’s voice shouting my name.
Then everything went white.
—
When I woke, the air smelled of rain.
Kael knelt beside me, his hand tangled in my hair, his eyes wild with fear. “Ria,” he breathed, pressing a hand to my cheek. “Stay with me.”
I blinked, the world spinning. “Darius… he’s gone.”
Kael’s jaw clenched. “You did it.”
“No.” I shook my head weakly. “We did.”
His hand tightened around mine, his voice rough. “Don’t scare me like that again.”
Despite the pain, I managed a faint smile. “No promises.”
He huffed out a quiet laugh, something close to relief breaking through the exhaustion.
But before he could speak again, a rumble rolled through the earth.
The mark on my chest flickered faintly—once. Twice.
Kael saw it too. His smile faded. “What is that?”
And then the ground beneath us cracked open, releasing a single whisper—Darius’s voice, faint but furious.
Did you really think it would end so easily, little wolf?