Chapter 146 Corruption

Chapter 146 Corruption
Rian 

The wind rips through me as I race across the Junhera terrain. My paws hammer against the earth, carrying me toward their castle alongside thousands of warriors. 

Wolves from the allied packs surge forward beneath the moonlight, their numbers stretching across the valley as far as I can see. Their scents mingle with the cold air, but another scent hangs over everything else. 

The foul magic poisoning Junhera taints the wind itself, spreading through the kingdom like a sickness.

I force my focus toward the bluffs where Bailey remains hidden. Every instinct urges me to turn around and make certain she is safe, but I can’t. Too many lives depend on what happens tonight. I reach for the mind-link as I continue running and push my thoughts toward her.

“Bailey, stay in the bluffs with the other alchemists.”

My tone leaves no room for argument. Ahead, the walls of Junhera rise against the night sky, growing larger with every stride.

“I have ordered our army into Junhera's military barracks, the castle, and every village surrounding it. We are finding every wolf who has succumbed to the evil magic and securing the kingdom before this corruption spreads any farther. All eight allied packs are going in. The packs are moving in together. The other Alphas are sending their alchemists to find you and the Silverhide magicians in the mountains. I want all of you gathered in one place until we know exactly what we are dealing with.”

For a moment, I hear nothing but the pounding of my own paws and the thunder of the army surrounding me. Then Bailey answers.

“Yes, I’ll stay here. Be safe, Rian. I love you.”

The words strike deeper than she probably realizes. I have faced war before. I have faced enemies stronger than myself. Yet hearing the worry in her voice makes the danger feel far more real than it did a moment ago.

“I love you too, and I will always come back to you,” I tell her.

Before she can answer, I am forced to close the link and focus entirely on the battle ahead. The first ranks reach the walls. A howl erupts from my throat, and thousands of voices answer. The sound rolls across the valley like thunder as the army crashes into Junhera.

The gates don’t hold for long. Warriors from the allied packs slam into them with overwhelming force, and moments later, the heavy wood splinters apart. I charge through the breach with my warriors at my sides. 

The city beyond has already descended into chaos. Corrupted wolves rush forward to meet us, their eyes glowing with unnatural red light as dark magic coils through their bodies.

The first wolf launches himself at me from the center of the yard. I meet him head-on, driving my shoulder into his chest hard enough to send him sprawling. 

Another attacks me from my right before the first has even landed. I twist, catch him with my jaws, and throw him into a nearby wall. Around me, battle erupts in every direction as allied warriors spread through the courtyard carrying out the plan we established before the attack began.

Ridgefall warriors break away toward the military barracks, while Veilglo and Silverpeak forces sweep through the surrounding villages. Stonebend wolves secure the streets and prevent corrupted wolves from escaping the city. Silverhide and Silverfang drive directly into the castle. 

Villages are being secured. Barracks are falling. 

Resistance is fierce, but the attack is working.

I race through the center of the courtyard with dozens of warriors at my back. The closer we move toward the castle doors, the stronger the corruption becomes. The dark magic feels wrong, unnatural, as though something poisonous has seeped in. 

By the time we reach the castle courtyard, the fighting begins to slow. Wolves on both sides pull back instinctively. A low growl echoes through the open space, deep enough to vibrate through the ground beneath me. Every wolf present hears it. Every wolf recognizes the power behind it.

The huge castle doors swing open, and a massive black wolf emerges from the shadows. He is enormous, larger than nearly any wolf I have ever seen. His eyes burn with that unnatural red glow that marks him as completely consumed by the corruption.

Alpha Vario, the Alpha of Junhera.

Silence settles over the courtyard as his gaze locks onto mine. Wolves continue fighting throughout the city, but here, in front of the castle, everything narrows to a single battle. 

The battle of Alphas. 

Vario bares his teeth, and I return the challenge. My warriors spread out behind me while his corrupted followers gather at his back. Neither side intervenes. They know this fight belongs to us.

He lunges, and I launch forward to meet him. Our bodies collide in the center of the courtyard with enough force to shake the stone beneath us. Pain explodes through my shoulder. I snap for his throat while he twists away and drives into my side. We crash across the courtyard, scattering broken stone as claws and teeth flash beneath the moonlight.

Vario is faster than a wolf his size should be. Dark magic surges around him as he attacks again. His claws rake across my flank before I can fully avoid the strike. I counter with a bite to his shoulder, but he barely reacts. It is like fighting a thunderstorm rather than a wolf.

We separate for only a second, both of us circling. Blood drips onto the stone between us. 

Then the red light in Vario’s eyes flares brighter than before, and I begin to feel my strength fade, as though my body is slowing against my will. 

I reach for my Beta through the link. “John, is he using magic on me?” I say, just before Vario lunges again, and this time, I’m not certain I will be able to react in time.



Bailey 

I wait impatiently with the rest of the magic users in the bluffs. I am far too far away to be able to provide any assistance, and being unable to see the action is killing me. 

Junhera sits below us, distant and unclear, the city reduced to shape and motion at this distance. Whatever is happening inside the walls is too far to see in detail, but the sense of conflict is constant.

We don’t wait alone for long. The first groups of alchemists appear along the mountain paths, moving toward us from different directions, cloaked in their pack colors. 

The group of Stonebend magicians reaches us first, hurrying toward us as we wave them over.

“We were told to come here,” one of them says when they reach us. 

Marni nods. “You’re in the right place. Stay with us.”

Another group arrives shortly after, and we greet each one as they come in, but the tension stays high as everyone works to stay focused on the orders we might receive through the link.

For a moment, there is only wind and the weight of everyone gathered in one place above Junhera.

Then the tension finally breaks into conversation. A Veilglo magician steps forward, looking down toward the distant city. “So we’re all here now,” he says. “But we are far too far away to help.” 

A Stonebend magician adds, “If something goes wrong down there, we won’t even know until it’s too late.”

A Silverfang mage glances toward the others. “Then why are we still here? Let’s go down there.”

“We can’t. We haven’t been summoned by the Alphas,” Saja says. 

Marni looks between the groups. “If we move without being called, we could disrupt the plan of attack.”

“Luna Gray,” John’s voice snaps into my mind, sharp and strained. “We need you in the courtyard. Now!”

“What is happening?” I send back immediately. 

There is a brief, strained pause on the link, like he’s moving while trying to keep it open.

“No time,” he answers. “Just get here. Rian needs you.”

I turn before anyone else can speak. “Stay in human form,” I say sharply. “All of you need to bring everything you require for your powers and follow me immediately.”

No one argues because the urgency in my voice is enough to make the decision for them. Bags are grabbed quickly, and the entire group begins moving at once as they gather what they can carry and prepare to follow as a unit.

I don’t wait for them to fully organize. I toss Marni my dress, shift into my wolf form in a single violent motion as bone and muscle break and reform, and the world sharpens around me as the change completes. 

I immediately launch forward, running down from the bluffs and into the narrow mountain paths where the stone cuts close on either side and the drop opens beside me into the valley below. Behind me, I can hear movement starting as footsteps and voices rise and the alchemists begin following the order I gave, but I don’t slow down to confirm it.

Junhera rises ahead of me, distant but growing larger with every desperate stride. The valley stretches between Rian and me, and it feels less like distance and more like eternal darkness. 

My chest stays tight the entire way because Rian is down there, and something is wrong. John’s voice still echoes in my mind, and it keeps me moving forward instead of breaking under the weight of fear. 

I run harder and faster as I push into the valley and toward Junhera, terrified of what I am about to find.