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Chapter 22
The ground beneath Loco’s feet trembled as the last of the shadows closed in around him. His body ached, his muscles burning from the relentless fight he had barely survived. His breathing was ragged, his vision blurred by a mix of sweat and blood trickling down his forehead. He had failed.
In front of him, Bavanda lay unconscious, her body limp in the grasp of the shadowy figures that held her. Their tendrils of darkness wrapped around her arms and legs, dragging her toward a swirling void that pulsed like a living wound in the air. A portal.
“No!” Loco staggered forward, pain slicing through his ribs where he had been struck. He lunged, but a powerful force sent him crashing to the ground.
Theresa stepped into his view, her red lips curled into a mocking smirk. Her golden eyes gleamed with triumph as she loomed over him.
"You should have stayed on the winning side, Loco," she taunted, crouching beside him. She lifted his chin with the tip of a sharp claw, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Now, you’ll get to watch her become what she was always meant to be."
He growled low in his throat, but his body betrayed him. He was too weak to stop them.
Behind Theresa, Bavanda’s form was pulled into the portal. Her body disappeared into the swirling abyss.
The moment she was gone, the darkness lifted, the portal closing with a final, resounding crack. Silence filled the clearing.
Loco clenched his fists, rage and helplessness swirling inside him like a storm. His teeth ground together as he forced himself to his knees.
"No matter what it takes," he vowed, his voice trembling with fury, "I will find you, Bavanda."
Cold. That was the first thing Bavanda felt.
The icy bite of stone pressed against her bare arms and legs. Her head throbbed as if her skull had been split in two, and a strange weight pressed against her chest. When she tried to move, a sharp, searing pain burned at her wrists and ankles.
She gasped, jerking her head up. Thick, iron chains wrapped around her limbs, glowing faintly with dark magic. Each time she struggled, they burned hotter, sinking into her skin.
“Where am I?” She gasped.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. The room was nothing but shadows, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and something sickly sweet—like decayed flowers.
The sound of slow, measured pair of footsteps approaching suddenly filled the room, breaking the silence.
A door creaked open.
From the darkness stepped Theresa, her golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"Finally awake?" she purred, stopping just a few feet away. "You’ve been sleeping for quite some time, my dear."
Bavanda glared at her. "Let me go."
Theresa laughed, a rich, silken sound that sent chills down Bavanda’s spine. "Oh, Bavanda. You still don’t understand, do you?"
She took a step closer, her presence suffocating.
"You were never meant to be their princess," she whispered. "You are something far greater. Something... unstoppable."
Bavanda’s throat tightened.
Theresa waved a hand, and suddenly, the room was filled with flickering, ghostly images. Visions of her father turning away, of Steve’s distrust, of her mother’s desperate, broken sobs.
"They never truly accepted you," Theresa murmured, stepping behind Bavanda and leaning close to her ear. "They feared you. Even now, they plot against you. They will never love you the way I do."
Bavanda closed her eyes, trying to block out the images.
"No," she whispered, but the doubt was creeping in.
Theresa’s lips curled in satisfaction. She stroked a clawed finger down Bavanda’s cheek.
"It’s time to stop fighting your nature, child. It’s time to embrace who you truly are."
A deep, unsettling warmth spread through Bavanda’s chest. The shadows around her seemed to whisper, urging her to listen.
She could feel her control slipping away, she could feel herself questioning everything. What was really happening?
***
Loco’s boots crunched against the dirt road as he pushed forward, every muscle in his body aching. The only thing driving him was the promise he made—he would not let Bavanda fall into darkness.
He needed help.
But who could help him? They all thought he was the enemy, what was he going to do?
A name flashes through his mind, and a part of him—the part that desperately wanted to save Bavanda—held unto it.
Nancy.
Her pack’s territory was a three-day journey from where he was, but he moved relentlessly, resting only when his body nearly gave out. When he finally reached the edge of their land, he was met with hostility.
A group of warriors surrounded him before he could take another step. Their spears gleamed under the moonlight, their snarling wolves ready to attack.
"State your business, outsider!" one of them barked.
Loco held up his hands, his breathing labored. "I need to speak with Nancy."
The warriors didn’t lower their weapons. "The Alpha has no business with traitors," another spat. "You expect us to believe you’re here in peace?"
Loco’s jaw clenched. "I don’t have time for this. Bavanda has been taken."
A flicker of hesitation passed through them. "By who?"
"Theresa."
A murmur rippled through the group. One warrior, older than the rest, narrowed his eyes.
"And why should we believe you care? You’re the son of the Dark Lord. You should be celebrating her downfall."
Loco’s patience snapped. He took a step forward, his eyes blazing. "I don’t give a damn about my father’s legacy," he growled. "I care about Bavanda. And if you’re too blind to see that, then you’re wasting my time."
A tense silence followed. Then, a voice broke through the standoff.
"Let him through."
The warriors turned.
Nancy stood at the entrance to the pack’s village, her piercing gaze locked onto Loco. Her expression was unreadable.
The warriors hesitated but obeyed. The path cleared. Loco exhaled sharply, nodding his thanks.
Nancy crossed her arms as he approached. "This better be good," she said. "Because if you’re lying, I will personally tear your throat out."
Loco met her gaze. "I need your help to save her."
Nancy studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "Come inside."
Hey Guys please check my other stories: The Lycan and His healer mate, His Purchased Wife, 365 Days in Dmitry Cage, The fatal Lycan and his mysterious mate, Xiol's Treasured Mate, The luna and the lycan, Flash Marriage: President's Seduction, In Adonis world, Alpha's little Vampire Mate on R.a.d.i.s.h.
Also you can check Alpha Lucious on F.i.c.t.i.o.n.m.e and His Purchased wife on Readink
Also please follow me on f. B Elk Entertainment and i.n.s.t.a( elk_entertainment) and j.o.i.n my F.B group Elk Entertainment Reading Group. Guys please check my co-authors books Alpha Evander's Rejection 2)
Betrayed by My Ex, Claimed by His father on Goodnovel
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