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Chapter 25

The pack stood divided. Some warriors tightened their grips on their weapons, their eyes burning with resolve, ready to fight for Bavanda. Others, however, hesitated, their expressions marked with doubt and fear. “She’s already lost,” one elder muttered. “This mission is suicide.”

Avynna, unwilling to let the uncertainty fester, took charge. Her voice cut through the murmurs. “Bavanda is my daughter, our princess, and I will not abandon her to darkness. If you doubt her, then step aside. But if you believe she can be saved, stand with me.”

Beside her, Loco remained silent, his wounds still healing, but his determination unwavering. He had come this far, and he wasn’t going to fail now.

Gina and Rayna, Baron's sisters, arrived just in time. Their expressions hardened as they took in the situation. “We will fight,” Gina declared. “We will not let our niece be lost to darkness.”

With their leadership and fiery resolve, more warriors found their courage. The sisters rallied allies from their respective packs, bolstering their numbers.

Steve, ever loyal, took charge of the warriors, ensuring they were armed and ready for battle. Swords were sharpened, armor secured, and minds steeled for what lay ahead.

Loco, despite his exhaustion, prepared himself. He knew that above all else, he had to be the one to reach Bavanda. To bring her back.

Before they departed, Avynna sought out her youngest son. Alexander was in one of the safe rooms with his new found nanny. His face was pale, from crying too much. Her heart ached as she thought about how much she had deserted him in these past few days. She took him in her arms, softly so he wouldn't arouse from his slumber. A tear fell from her eyes as she touched his cheeks lightly. “She will come home, my love. I swear it.”

As she put him aside, her heart ached. She wished she didn't have to leave him like that, but her daughter had to be saved.

Looking one last time at her little baby, she glanced at the nanny—a young bubbly girl who seemed even younger than Bavanda, but was the perfect person for the job. “Please take care of him." She said.

The girl nodded, a smile plastered on her face. “You have nothing to worry about, Luna. Alexander will do just fine." 

Avynna managed a smile. “Thank you." 

With that, she walked out of the room, wiping away the tears from her face. With quivering lips, she whispered, “Bavanda, I'm coming for you, we all are." 

Meanwhile, in the heart of the dark fortress, Bavanda sat in chains, her mind a battlefield. The whispers were relentless, crawling into her thoughts like shadows slithering through cracks.

"Give in," they cooed. "This is who you are."

Theresa stood before her, weaving a tapestry of deception and manipulation. Visions surrounded Bavanda—her parents turning their backs, the pack rejecting her, even Loco walking away. The dark magic coiled around her soul, tempting her.

For a moment, she nearly let go. But then, a whisper of her own cut through the darkness.

"You are not alone."

Loco’s voice. A memory of his touch, his warmth. And beyond that, her mother’s unwavering love.

Bavanda gasped, as if breaking the surface of deep waters. She clung to those fragments of light, refusing to drown in the abyss.

The moon cast a pale, silver glow across the campgrounds just outside the dark fortress. Warriors sharpened their blades and checked their gear one last time, steeling themselves for the coming battle. The air crackled with tension, anticipation thick enough to choke. The scent of iron and smoke drifted through the trees as torches flickered against the black of night.

Baron stood alone just beyond the circle of tents, arms crossed tightly over his broad chest, staring into the flames of a nearby bonfire. The firelight danced in his eyes, but his thoughts burned hotter than the flames. He hadn't said much since giving the command to move forward with the rescue. He had spoken with a leader's conviction—but a father’s torment still stirred beneath the surface.

Behind him, footsteps approached. Baron didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

“Loco,” he said coldly, voice like steel grinding on stone. “Walk with me.”

Loco stiffened. He had been adjusting his gauntlets, trying to quiet his nerves. Avynna had asked him to rest, but rest was a luxury he no longer deserved. Still, he stood tall and followed Baron without question, his steps silent beside the Alpha’s heavy ones.

They walked deep into the forest’s edge, where no ears could pry. The silence stretched too long, the tension weighing heavier with every breath.

Finally, Baron stopped. He turned, eyes dark and unreadable.

“I want to know the truth,” he said, voice low and dangerous. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

Loco blinked, taken aback by the bluntness, though he should have expected it. “My intentions are pure,” he said carefully. “I care about her. I would die for her.”

Baron stepped forward, each word like a punch to the gut. “You ‘care’? Is that why she’s in the hands of those demons now? Is that why she’s chained in some godforsaken dungeon, her mind being ripped apart?”

Loco didn’t flinch. He held his gaze. “I tried to protect her. I risked everything…”

“And you failed!” Baron roared. His fists clenched at his sides. “You brought her into the hands of the enemy. You exposed her to the very darkness I spent decades shielding her from! This is all your fault.”

The accusation hung in the air like a guillotine blade. Loco’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond immediately. Baron was grieving, and grief often wore the mask of rage.

“I never meant to hurt her,” Loco said, quieter now, almost pleading. “I acted because no one else could. If I hadn’t stepped in, Theresa would’ve had her sooner.”

Baron’s eyes narrowed. “And what do you feel for her?”

Loco’s heart pounded. “Everything.”

The Alpha’s face twisted, unreadable. Then suddenly, without warning, he slammed a fist into Loco’s jaw.

Loco stumbled back but didn’t retaliate. He wiped the blood from his mouth, eyes steady, body still.

“You want to be with her?” Baron growled. “Then fight me. Show me you’re worthy.”

“I didn’t come here to fight you,” Loco replied, breathing steady. “I came here to help bring Bavanda home.”

Baron snarled angrily. “You're the son of the fucking dark Lord. I have every reason to be suspicious of you, and of your supposed pure intentions. Everything that has happened is all because of you, it's your fucking fault." He had taken a solid step forward, his fangs bared.

Loco swallowed, his heart racing in his chest. “I'm not like my father.” He said with gritted teeth.

"And you expect me to believe that? You fucking expect me to believe that?” Baron sneered.

Loco felt his own anger rising but he tried hard to surpress it. “Have I given you any reason to not believe me? Why don't you trust me?" 

Baron lunged again, this time pinning Loco against a tree. “She is my daughter! My flesh and blood. I won’t watch her be used again. Not by the darkness, and not by you.”

Loco didn’t resist. “Then watch me save her. Watch me die trying, if that’s what it takes.”

Baron’s grip tightened, veins bulging in his forearm. He was a breath away from breaking. His rage, his guilt, his helplessness—they all funneled into this moment. The weight of failure, of not protecting his own child, bled into his every motion.

And yet Loco didn’t fight back. Not once. He didn't even get upset.

Footsteps approached fast.

“Alpha!” Steve shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”

He pulled his friend back with force. Baron finally released Loco, who dropped to his knees, catching his breath.

Steve stood between them, glaring. “Have you lost your mind?”

Baron didn’t answer. He looked down at Loco, still on the ground, his lip split and face bruised—but eyes burning with resolve.

Baron exhaled slowly. Then he turned, walking a few steps away.

Steve followed him, demanding, “What was that about?”

Baron didn’t look back. His face had softened—just slightly. His voice was low, almost a whisper. But Steve heard him.

“He didn’t hit back,” Baron muttered. “He took it all… for her.”

Steve frowned. “So?”

Baron’s lips curved into the faintest, most broken smile. “I trust him.”

Steve blinked. “After all that?”

“He’s stronger than he looks,” Baron said. “And he's willing to take pain without returning it. That’s not weakness. That’s love.”

He glanced over his shoulder at Loco, who had now stood, brushing the dirt off his pants, his eyes locking with Baron’s once again.

“Bring her back,” Baron said gruffly. “Bring my daughter home.”

Loco nodded once, wordless, but determined. As he turned to return to camp, Steve gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Baron stayed behind, still staring into the night. In that moment, something inside him shifted. The fury would never fully leave—but hope began to creep in, slow and steady. And hope, no matter how faint, was a powerful thing.

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.

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Betrayed by My Ex, Claimed by His father on Goodnovel