Chapter 68

Chapter 68
Calix's POV.

"Land Ho!" the lookout man hollered.

I was in the Great Cabin with my officers, finalizing battle strategies should Alpha Thane try to prove stubborn, when suddenly the cry echoed through the ship.

We finished and I pushed back my chair. I strode to the deck of the ship, my officers falling into steps behind me. Behind the wheel of the lead vessel, stood Han, steering the ship and dishing out instructions. "Prepare for docking. We make landfall, and we move in formation!" he bellowed.

A radioman passed the information to the captains of the other ships.

I stretched forth my hand and an officer handed me a spyglass. Stepping toward the bow of the ship, I glimpsed the island called Azalea.

Azaleans were already running helter-skelter towards their city gates, mothers clutching their children, merchants abandoning their stalls. Guards rushed out to man the fortress walls.

The city bell tolled in frantic warning in a distance as soldiers poured onto the ramparts, their armor glinting under the sun as they scrambled to prepare for our arrival. Some fumbled with their bows, knocking arrows with trembling hands, while others sprinted to reinforce the massive iron gates that now creaked shut with hurried desperation.

I lowered the spyglass and smirked. The fear in their movements told me everything I needed to know-Azalea was unprepared.

Man stepped toward me, having handed over the wheels to another officer. "What next, My Lord?"

"Cut off the city's access to reinforcements. I learned they have an underground escape route. Have scouts block it, ensuring that no one enters or leaves the city. However, I want the women, children, and the elderly out of harm's way. I'm here for Thane and his soldiers and not the innocent civilians."

"Yes, My Lord." Han bowed and stepped away to give out my instructions. The officers with me went to work, and in a moment, I stood alone watching as the first of our ships hit the shallows. The wooden hulls scraped against sand and rock, and my men leapt from the vessels, splashing into knee-deep water as they waded to shore.

Suddenly, a rain of arrows pirouetted in the sky and jetted towards my men.

Raise the shields!" Han clamored.

Shields locked together, forming an impenetrable wall of iron and muscle. The arrows landed futilely in the water and the shore.

A snarl rumbled my chest as images from that night two decades ago played in my head.

Did Thane think I was still that child cowering under my bed?

Han looked at me and I gave a firm nod.

"Fire in the hole!" he clamored.

The first ship groaned as it released its first shots into the forest, sending a thick black smoke into the sky. An outcry from the Azalean men filled the air, their formations breaking apart in disarray.

"Press forward! Take the high ground!"

Han's voice rang through the din.

Seamlessly, my soldiers moved forward, conquering and claiming every soil of Azalea they set foot, taking prisoner Thane's men who couldn't make it back to the city.

"Bring forward the cannons," I Commanded.

The sounds of rope coiling and uncoiling filled the air as my men lowered the heavy artilleries into the shallow water, rolling them to the shores of Azalea.

"My Lord?" Han called.

"We join them.

Stepping away from the bow, I alighted the ship and joined my carriage waiting on the shores of Azalea.

My next stop was the battlefield-the plain grounds before their city gates. My boots sank slightly into the damp earth as I alighted my carriage and walked to the front line of my army's formation.

As expected, a multitude of Thane's army marched forward from the city, their boots echoing in the air as they stood in formation before the city gates, archers flanking the walls.

A single figure stepped forward, straddled on a horse. Even from a distance, I recognized him. Alpha Thane. He alighted from his horse, an officer taking the stallion away. He also marched to the front line of his army.

"Who are you and what do you want from my land?" the man's voice, rough, rang through the grounds.

"Are you going to pretend you don't know who I am?" I asked.

The man shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't want any of that to happen...that night Tyr was raided, it was beyond my control."

"I am not here for revenge or war, though that depends on your actions in the next few minutes," I said, my voice firm. "I am here, Thane, for Princess Emily."

Thane's expression wavered, but he quickly masked it. "My daughter?"

"Release her to me, and I shall withdraw my army."

A muscle in his jaw ticked. "And if I don't?" he asked.

I met his gaze without hesitation. "Then I will burn your city to ashes."

Silence stretched between us, the weight of my words settling over the battlefield. "You took her forcefully from me the first time, without my consent."

"What kind of father subjects his daughter to those harsh treatments in Cathena? Is your honor more important than your daughter's life?"

Thane shifted his stance. "It doesn't have to end this way," he said, avoiding my questions. "There is another way we can settle this-without the loss of countless lives."

I arched a brow. "And how's that?"

"A duel," he continued. "Your finest warrior against mine."

I tilted my head, intrigued. "And if mine wins?"

Thane took a deep, slow breath. "You take my daughter and leave. But if my champion wins, you command your men to withdraw and never set foot on my land again."

My hands clenched into fists. "Or you could simply bring my mate to me and no life at all would be wasted tonight."

"I nominate myself as my champion,"
Thane announced, snubbing me again. The sheer disrespect made my chest heave with fury.

Han marched to my side. "Let me handle him, My Lord," he whispered. I glanced at my beta

"The disrespect is aimed at me.

Moreover, I've been waiting twenty years for this chance to avenge my father's death." My gaze darted back to King Thane. "And I nominate myself."



The battlefield fell into a heavy silence as Thane and I stepped forward in the opening. Torches flickering along the walls, against the darkening sky.

Thane drew his sword-a finely crafted blade with a jagged edge while I stood with none. I didn't need a blade to put him in his place.

Without warning, he lunged at me.

I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a downward slash. He came at me again and this time I disarmed him, tossing his sword aside.

Thane snarled. He ripped his clothes and shifted into his wolf. A large black wolf with red eyes.

He let out a howl that made his men cower.

The wolf prowled towards me, licking its lips as though anticipating the taste of my blood.

He lunged forward at me, and I teleported, reappearing behind him. A shocked whimper left his lips, but he wasn't the only one shocked. I was equally surprised to find my gift restored.

"One last chance! Bring my mate to me."

Thane wouldn't listen. Snarling, the black wolf lunged at me and this time around, I met met him in the air. 1 twisted and landed us on the ground.

The wolf whimpered as I pinned him to the ground, Gabriel threatening to make his appearance.

My eyes flickered green. My claws stretching out and digging into his neck.

The wolf let out a yowl, gasping towards its last breath.

"No! Please, stop!" A feminine voice cut through the chaos. I looked up and saw a woman running towards me.

She had blonde hair, blue eyes... She wore a striking resemblance to someone I know.

My breath hitched.

My mate's mother!

"Please, spare his life," Queen Larissa pleaded, falling to her knees before me.

He was only consumed by paranoia, his actions tonight. He didn't mean to challenge you. Please, forgive him, not for his sake or nine, but for Emily's."

Where's she?" I asked.



Queen Larissa and I walked in communal silence across the courtyard of the Azalean castle.

I must admit-Thane's castle is impressive with a grand botanical garden spanning half of the courtyard,

We stepped into the grand terrace and walked past the foyer. We entered a corridor and the screams of my mate reverberated through the atmosphere. And then I heard it, a familiar feminine voice, sharp and hostile.

"You bring shame to your father, to your kingdom, princess. You can scream all that you want, no one is going to come here and save you. Do you know why? Because a daughter like you is a curse and not a gift. You're no princess but a slut! Do you hear me? A helpless little slut, helpless and useless."

Enough, Madame Severine. You do not have to speak to her that way," a familiar male voice interceded.

"Get out, Randolph. You're interfering with her treatment."

"Treatment? Can't you see you're breaking her the more?"

"I am helping her." A slap echoed from the room and my mate screamed again.

"You're hurting her. How does that help?"

"Get out, Randolph. I'm in charge here. If you must stay here, then help me with the box over there."

"I won't, Madame Severine."

She hissed and stomped around the room, and my mate screamed again.

My eyes flickering to green, I glanced at Queen Larissa sobbing in a corner. Please, save my daughter," she whispered.

Snarling, I turned to the room and burst the door open. Madame Severine was hunched over my mate, pressing sharp heedles beneath her nails.

The woman startled upon seeing me.

"Y-you. I—I"

I did not let her finish. I bolted in the air and in a split second, her head rolled on the floor, her lifeless body slumping next to the floor.

I walked to my mate, lifted her into my arms and headed for the door. "Are you coming?" I asked, turning to Randolph.

A faint smile touched his lips. "Of course, My Lord."

We stepped out of the castle. In the courtyard, Randolph paused and gestured for me to wait before disappearing briefly. Seconds later, he returned with a carriage and took the reins, steering us toward the city gates-where my men still had Thane, now back in his human form, restrained by the neck.

"You should be ashamed of yourself letting your daughter endure such barbaric sufferings right under your nose!" I spat in his face, walking past to my private carriage.

"What should we do to him?" Han asked via the mindlink.

"Release him to his people for the sake of my mate," I said, and climbed into my carriage, still cradling my mate. For the first time, I truly looked at her.

Deep purple bruises marred her once flawless skin. Her cheeks were hollowed, and her lips cracked and dry.

She was half-awake, her blue eyes staring into nothingness, but her lips quivered some incoherent words.

"I'm here, bella," I whispered, caressing her face. "I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you again. Not even myself."

Fighting back tears, I snuggled her closer to my embrace.