Chapter 132 CHAPTER 132
With the help of the healer he left the Wolf Realm the way one leaves a burning house - without looking back, without thinking, driven only by the need to reach the one person who could help him make sense of the world again.
The palace loomed ahead of him like a distant promise, its towers sharp against the sky. He ran toward it anyway, lungs burning, legs heavy. Without his wolf, everything felt wrong. Slower. Duller. Every step reminded him of what he had lost, of what lay unconscious in a cave far away.
By the time he reached the palace gates, his chest felt like it was collapsing inward. Guards moved aside instinctively when they saw him, their faces shifting with alarm, but Liam barely noticed. He pushed through the halls, boots echoing sharply against the marble floors, heading straight for Ethan’s office.
Ethan looked up the moment the door flew open.
He was on his feet instantly, eyes scanning Liam’s frame, he could tell something was wrong – he could sense it.
“Where’s Kane?” Ethan asked.
Liam tried to answer. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. His breath came in ragged pulls, his vision blurring at the edges. He bent forward slightly, hands braced against his knees, chest heaving.
“Liam,” Ethan said firmly, crossing the room in two strides. “Slow down. Breathe. Look at me. Take a breath.”
Liam forced air into his lungs, one shaky inhale at a time. Ethan stayed close, grounding him, a steady hand at his shoulder.
“It’s… bad,” Liam finally managed.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “How bad?”
“Really bad.”
That was enough. Ethan guided him toward a chair and pressed him down gently, then turned and called for water. A staff member rushed in moments later with a glass, and Ethan took it himself before handing it to Liam.
Liam’s hands were shaking so badly he nearly spilled it.
“Easy,” Ethan murmured, wrapping his own hands around Liam’s to steady them. “Small sips. Like that. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
Liam obeyed, drinking slowly, his breaths evening out as Ethan spoke to him quietly, patiently. Gradually, the tremors faded. When he could finally hold the glass on his own, he set it down on the table between them.
Something in his chest cracked open then.
“Something happened to Kane,” Liam said hoarsely.
Ethan’s eyes sharpened. “What happened in the Wolf Realm?”
Liam swallowed. “Kael… Kael is better. Kane used his power to balance whatever was killing him. But now Kane…” His voice broke. “He’s dying…. and I don’t know how to bring him back.”
Ethan did not hesitate. “I’ll come with you back to the wolf realm, maybe Rex and I can help.”
“No.” Liam shook his head hard. “You can’t... The healer said there might be a way - but it involves my power. I tried there. It didn’t work. I need Celestine. You need to bring her here. She’s the only one who understands this.”
Ethan nodded once and reached for his phone.
“Celestine,” he said when she answered. “You need to come now. It involves Kane. Liam is barely holding it together.”
There was no argument. No hesitation.
Less than ten minutes later, the air in Ethan’s study rippled. Light gathered into a glowing ring near the far wall, humming softly. A door that wasn’t a door opened, and Celestine stepped through, Nolan close behind her. Nolan lifted his hand, and the light folded back into nothingness.
Ethan stared. “How did you…”
“Magic,” Nolan said calmly. “But we’ll have to pay the price for this.”
“What price?” Ethan asked.
Celestine shook her head. “We don’t know yet. That doesn’t matter right now. Tell me what happened.”
Liam was slumped forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, head buried in his hands. When Celestine spoke, something sharp cut through him.
“How many times do I have to repeat this?” he snapped, lifting his head. His eyes were red, raw with grief and anger. “We used the magic, and it backfired. Now my wolf is lying unconscious because of it. I need you to teach me how to use this power properly. Now.”
Celestine’s expression softened - but she did not back down. “Liam, this isn’t something I can teach you in minutes.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said, voice shaking. “Minutes will have to do.”
“This is old magic,” she replied gently. “It takes months – years - to control. That’s why what happened in the Wolf Realm happened. Because it was not used properly”
Liam stood abruptly. “How hard can it be? Kane touched Kael and he healed. Why can’t I do the same? Why do I need training when he didn’t?”
“Because Kane didn’t channel,” Celestine said. “He reacted.”
Ethan stepped forward. “Please. You have to try. He’s my commander. My friend. Without his wolf…” His voice broke. “Please.”
All eyes turned to Nolan.
He had been silent until now.
“The training takes time,” Nolan said slowly. “But if the bond is strong enough… if the heart is willing… it might be possible. All magic responds to emotions more than the mind – like what happened during the Princess’s ritual – the magic responded to what you were feeling. If you’re angry, it becomes destructive and if use love it becomes healing and protective.”
Liam looked at him sharply. “What do you need from me?”
Nolan met his gaze. “A willing heart, and a calm mind? Can you do that?”
The room fell silent.
“If you are truly willing,” Nolan continued, “to share his pain, to bear the cost without the anger you carry right now in your heart – we can be able to bring him back.”
Liam didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll do anything for Kane.”
Celestine and Nolan both nodded their heads.
“Then we’ll start the training right away.” Nolan finally said.