Chapter 77 Chapter 77
_Leah’s POV_
Darkness wrapped around me like thick fog.
For a few seconds, I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t know who I was. There was no sound, no light, only a deep heaviness pulling me down. My body felt numb as if I had sunk to the bottom of a cold lake.
"Leah...."
The voice reached me faintly. It was distant like it was calling to me through thick water.
“Leah, wake up!”
I groaned softly. My head throbbed as if it were being split open. Every part of me hurt. My chest felt tight and my limbs felt heavy, as if they didn’t belong to me anymore.
“Leah!”
That voice again. It was urgent now.
I forced my eyes open.
Bright light stabbed into my vision, making me gasp. I squeezed my eyes shut. My breath was coming in short and painful bursts.
“Slowly,” the Seer said gently. “Open your eyes slowly, child.”
Her voice grounded me. I tried again, blinking through the pain. The world came into focus piece by piece. I could see the dark sky above, flickering firelight and smoke drifting through the air. The scent of blood hit my nose instantly. It was sharp and overwhelming.
The battle.
Memory slammed into me like a wave.
I sat up too fast. “Kayden!”
Pain shot through my skull and I swayed. Strong hands caught me before I fell back.
“Easy,” the Seer said while holding my shoulders. “You’ve been unconscious for several seconds.”
I barely heard her. My heart was racing wildly as my eyes searched the battlefield.
The fighting had stopped.
Most of Tariq’s warriors were gone. Some lay defeated on the ground. They were bound or unconscious. Others had fled into the forest. Our own wolves were scattered across the field. They were helping the wounded and carrying the injured away. Some limped.....some cried out in pain.
Guilt twisted painfully in my chest.
“I did this…” I whispered hoarsely.
Athena stirred inside me. You stopped the battle, Leah. If you hadn’t, many more would have died.
“But I hurt them,” I said, my voice shaking. “Our own pack. I couldn’t control it.”
You lost control because you cared, Athena replied gently. That does not make you weak.
I swallowed hard and pushed myself up again, this time slower. My legs trembled but I stood.
“Where is Tariq?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice. “Where is Susan?”
The Seer followed my gaze and shook her head slowly. “They’re gone,” she said. “Both of them disappeared moments after you collapsed. I felt their presence vanish.”
A chill ran down my spine.
They were simply gone. That was not a good sign.
That was not victory. That was a promise of more pain to come.
But my fear turned sharp and desperate as another thought hit me.
“Kayden,” I said again, my voice breaking. I spun around, my eyes searching wildly.
Then I saw him.
He was lying on the ground a short distance away. His body was still....too still. Blood stained his shirt. It was dark and wet against the fabric. The Seer was already kneeling beside him. Her hands were glowing faintly as she pressed them over his chest.
“No,” I whispered.
I ran.
I dropped to my knees beside him. My hands were shaking as I reached for his face. His skin was cold.....too cold.
“Kayden,” I sobbed. “Please. Please open your eyes.”
Nothing.
I pressed my ear to his chest. His heartbeat was there but it was slow and weak. His breathing was shallow. It was barely there at all.
Terror wrapped around my heart and squeezed.
The Seer closed her eyes and raised both hands. Golden symbols formed in the air around her fingers as she began chanting louder. Light poured from her palms into Kayden’s chest.
“Come back,” she commanded softly. “Fight it.”
I watched. I was barely breathing.
Seconds passed.
Nothing changed.
The Seer’s brow furrowed. She tried again, her light growing brighter, her voice becoming stronger. The ground beneath us trembled slightly as her magic deepened.
Still nothing.
Her hands began to shake.
“This dark magic…” she murmured. “It’s resisting me.”
My chest tightened. “What does that mean?” I asked, my voice breaking.
“It means my spells aren’t enough,” she admitted quietly.
Fear flooded me. “No. There has to be something. Please.”
She tried one final spell, placing her glowing hands directly over Kayden’s heart. Light surged violently, then flickered… and faded.
Kayden didn’t move.
The Seer slowly lowered her hands in defeat.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Dark magic has wrapped itself around his life force. I cannot reach him.”
The words shattered me.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You can’t say that. He’s the Alpha. He’s strong. He always survives.”
The Seer placed a hand over mine. “Strength alone won’t be enough this time.”
A sob tore out of my chest.
Footsteps thundered toward us. I looked up to see Fred approaching. His face was grim. There was blood streaked across his jaw. His eyes flicked over Kayden’s body, then to me.
“Alpha Kayden?” he asked sharply.
“He’s been hit by dark magic,” the Seer answered. “We need to get him to the hospital now.”
Fred didn’t hesitate. He turned and barked orders. “You, you and you. Help me. Carefully. Move fast.”
Several men rushed forward with a stretcher.
Fred looked at me then. His voice softened. “Leah,” he said firmly. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything here. The wounded. The prisoners. The territory. You go with him.”
I nodded frantically. Tears were streaming down my face. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Please go, Athena urged gently. He needs you alive and focused.
We lifted Kayden onto the stretcher. I walked beside him. My hand gripped his cold fingers the entire way. I refused to let go.
The ride to the hospital felt endless.
I sat pressed close to Kayden, watching his chest rise and fall unevenly. Every shallow breath felt like a small mercy.
“Stay with me,” I whispered again and again. “Please, Kayden. I’m here. I’m not leaving you.”
His face was pale. His lips had lost their color. He didn’t move.
When we arrived, doctors and nurses rushed toward us. They wheeled him away immediately.
“No!” I cried. “I need to stay with him!”
One of the nurses paused and gave me a gentle look. “We’ll do everything we can,” she said. “Please, let us work.”
I followed until they stopped me at the doors.
The doors closed.
I stood there, shaking. My knees gave out and I sank onto a chair in the hallway.
Minutes passed....or maybe hours. I couldn’t tell.
I tried to reach for him through the bond.
Kayden, I whispered in my mind. Can you hear me?
Nothing answered.
Fear twisted inside me.
Athena, I begged. Help me reach him. Please.
There was a long pause.
Then Athena spoke. Her voice was filled with worry. Leah… I can’t feel him.
My breath hitched painfully. “What do you mean you can’t feel him?”
The bond is very weak, Athena said. The dark magic is blocking it.
I covered my mouth with my hands and sobbed quietly. “No. No. I can’t lose him. I won’t.”
The Seer appeared beside me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “There may be another way,” she said softly.
I looked at her, hope flickering. “What way?”
She hesitated. “The mate bond.”
I frowned through my tears. “What about it?”
“You are connected to him in a way no one else is,” she said. “You share more than magic. More than blood. True love creates a bridge even dark spells struggle to destroy.”
Athena stirred. She may be right, Leah.
“But I don’t know how to heal,” I whispered. “What if I fail?”
The Seer took my hands. “The power of true love is stronger than any dark spell,” she said firmly. “If anyone can reach him, it’s you.”
They led me into the room.
Kayden lay surrounded by machines. Tubes ran into his arms. The steady beep of the monitor was slow and weak.
I took his hand and pressed it to my cheek. “I’m here,” I whispered. “Please don’t leave me.”
I closed my eyes and reached inward.
Athena, help me, I pleaded.
Don’t force the power, Athena replied gently. Feel him. Feel your bond. Focus on love. Not power...not anger but love.
I breathed in slowly. I thought of Kayden’s smile. His voice. The way he looked at me like I was his whole world.
I let that feeling fill me.
At first, nothing happened.
I felt stupid and weak.
Tears slid down my face. “It’s not working,” I whispered.
Keep going, Athena urged. Love is patient.
I tried again. This time, I imagined my light flowing gently, like warm water. Not sharp. Not wild.
I felt something stir.
A faint glow spread from my hands into Kayden’s chest. His heartbeat on the monitor fluttered then steadied slightly.
The Seer gasped softly. “That’s it,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”
I poured everything into it. My fear. My hope. My love.
The light grew stronger.
Kayden’s chest rose more steadily now. Color slowly returned to his face.
I cried openly as relief flooded me.
Then, slowly, his fingers tightened around mine.
My heart stopped.
“Kayden?” I whispered.
His eyelids fluttered.
Then, finally, his eyes opened.
“Leah…” he murmured weakly.
I laughed and cried at the same time, clutching his hand to my chest. “I’m here,” I said through my tears. “I’m right here.”
And for the first time since the battle, hope filled my heart again.