Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

A riana’s pulse raced, her breath ragged as the ground trembled beneath her feet, responding to her summons. Her arms had grown heavy, the currents of elemental energy weaving around her a volatile storm. The metallic tang of blood hung thick in the air, mingling with the smoky scent of burning timber and the earth’s unease. Every muscle in her body screamed, but she couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop.

The pack was counting on her.

Selene stood at the center of the chaos, her eyes filled with satisfaction. Dark tendrils of power snaked from her fingertips, lashing out like living whips bent on destruction. The blade in her hand pulsed with a sickly, cosmic light—each pulse tearing at the fabric of the world, unraveling threads Ariana felt slipping away.

“Is this desperation, little guardian?” Selene taunted, her laughter like the crack of distant thunder. “Or is it acceptance? You know you can’t win.”

She ignored the bite of Selene’s words. Focus. She had to focus. She twisted her wrists, sending spirals of flame and water down her arms to meet the shards of dark magic Selene hurled her way. Each collision sparked with a blinding cascade of light—fire meeting shadow, water dousing hellfire. The impact resonated in Ariana’s bones.

To her left, Jaxon stalked around Vilkas. Vilkas growled, feral and broken. His movements were unnatural, manipulated by whatever dark force Selene had enslaved him to. Their struggle had become a nightmarish mess of jagged attacks and wrenching howls. The sight of it made Ariana’s breath catch in her throat.

Focus!

“Jaxon, don’t hurt him!” Ariana called out.

Jaxon grunted as Vilkas’s claws grazed his arm, drawing blood. “Not… planning… to,” Jaxon ground out, barely keeping the possessed shifter at bay. But the strain in his voice worried Ariana. They didn’t have much time.

A crack like a whip snapped through her senses again. Selene released another wave of dark energy. Ariana barely raised an earth barrier in time. The ground buckled beneath her. Tremors ran through her spine. A chilling gust of wind brushed against her skin, raising the hair on the back of her neck. For a heartbeat, everything slowed. The crackling fire, the groans of the forest, the ragged breaths of her pack—all became distant whispers as the raw, pulsating energy from Selene’s blade seemed to draw everything into its orbit. And within that stillness, Ariana felt it. Deeper than her connection to the elements, deeper than her bond to the Moonshadow pack. There was a hum—so faint at first, it almost eluded her awareness. But it grew, a rhythm that throbbed within her chest, resonating with the current of her blood.

Colt .

The bond between them grew stronger, calling out from different realms—a shared heartbeat that commanded her attention. She could feel him, the weight of his presence like a tangible force pressed against her skin.

Selene must have sensed it, too. Her eyes narrowed, lips curling in distaste. “He’s returned,” she hissed, her voice full of venom, wind, and dark magic swirling more violently around her. “But it’s too late. Neither of you will stop this. The blade’s power grows. I control fate now.”

Ariana’s heart clenched, already feeling the tug of the threads of destiny fraying around her. The awful sensation pulled down through her bones, into the earth beneath her feet. Everything tilted toward destruction. Time itself seemed fragile.

“You don’t control fate, Selene!” Ariana shouted, the fire in her hands blazing hotter now, the elements surging with shared purpose. “Fate is earned! It’s fought for!”

Before Selene could respond, Ariana let loose her power.

A tidal wave of wind and water crashed forward, roaring like a storm, while the ground quaked beneath it, carrying flames that licked the sky in searing streaks. Ariana poured everything into the attack—every ounce of strength, every flicker of hope, and every scrap of love she held for this pack, for Colt, for the family they had all become. Everything she had lived for, everything she had lost.

And yet, Selene stood firm, power swirling like a shield, deflecting the worst of Ariana’s assault. She growled, raising the blade?—

A flash of searing light tore through the battlefield, followed by a thunderous crack that ripped through the chaos, and for a brief, sickening moment, Ariana’s vision went white. When everything cleared, the world around her had stilled. For a heartbeat, silence enveloped the battlefield, broken only by the low crackle of dying flames. Her ears rang from the force of the explosion, but beneath that, an ancient and primal force was stirring. Her blood thrummed with it, the hum of fate drawing nearer with every pulse.

And then she saw them.

Colt and Hannah stepped from the remnants of the flash. Their figures blurred for an instant before sharpening into focus. Colt’s presence hit her like a bolt of lightning—a surge of raw, undeniable power that set every nerve in her body alight. The bond between them pulsed stronger than ever, a golden thread knitting them together across the chaos, unwavering. But there was a difference about him, a darker edge she couldn’t quite put into words. His blue eyes glowed faintly, with a shadow lurking just beneath the surface.

Her heart leapt—he was here, alive and safe. Relief washed over her with such force that she nearly staggered. But even in her joy, there was an undercurrent of fear. His gaze was haunted as it locked with hers, a weight hanging between them that hadn’t been there before.

Selene, too, had noticed their arrival. Her lips curled into a sneer, though Ariana detected the faintest flicker of unease in her eyes.

“So, the alpha returns from crossing the void,” Selene mocked, the blade in her hand vibrating with malice. “You should’ve stayed gone, Colt. This path only leads to your ruin.”

Colt took a slow, deliberate step forward, his broad shoulders taut, his features like sculpted stone. Even through the fray, his commanding presence demanded attention, his voice a low, resonant growl. “Neither you nor that blade get to decide our fate, Selene.” His gaze never left the sentinel, and Ariana felt the depth of his message. He wasn’t just speaking to Selene. He was speaking to them both. “We make our own destiny.”

Colt felt the raw, untamed power Anubis had gifted clawing at the edges of his consciousness. It amplified his senses, enhancing his awareness of the battlefield. He could see the ripples of Selene’s dark magic, the ebb and flow of Ariana’s elemental forces.

In a swift, disorienting flash, Colt was transported into one of Selene’s memories. A tumultuous scene unfurled before him, bathed in hues of twilight. He stood in a lush forest, its serenity shattered by the sounds of battle. Shouts of alarm and clashes of weapons filled the air.

Selene, younger and full of fierce vitality, led a group of sentinels against a shadowy foe. Her eyes blazed with determination as she fought side by side with her comrades. Colt could feel her bond with them, a tight-knit family forged in the fires of countless battles. They trusted her, depended on her.

But then the tide shifted. An ambush by a pack of shifters, his ancestors, and they turned the battle against her. One by one, her comrades fell—betrayed by those who should have been allies. Colt felt her devastating sorrow and the searing anger that followed, an unquenchable fire that consumed her every thought. She vowed revenge, and in that moment, the seeds of her transformation were sown.

The vision shifted abruptly to a darker time. He saw Selene in a shadowy chamber, her hands wrapped tightly around the blade, now tainted with the essence of a dying star. Her face was drawn with grief, her eyes hollowed by the weight of her losses. A dark figure, indistinct and menacing, whispered promises of power and retribution, filling her heart with a dangerous resolve.

His awareness snapped back to the present. The fragmented visions had left him reeling, but they also gave him a newfound clarity. He understood Selene’s motivations, the raw pain that had twisted her into the vengeful entity now threatening them all. He had to help her see beyond her rage before it was too late.

He tore his gaze from Selene and met Ariana’s. A whirlpool of determination and infinite depths of love stared back at him.

“Ariana,” he murmured, stepping closer to her amidst the chaos. The ground heaved beneath them, but he reached out, his fingers brushing against hers. “We need to talk. Now.”

She nodded, eyes wide with understanding, and the two hurried to a relative pocket of calm amid the turmoil. Colt saw the strain on her face, knew what it cost her to hold this battlefield together. His heart ached for her, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it.

“Colt, what happened? How are you here?” Ariana asked, her voice tight with a mix of relief and urgency.

“Anubis,” Colt answered, his gaze flickering to Selene before returning to his mate. “He gave me a gift—visions that show fragments of her past and present. But it comes with a cost. Every time I use it, it’ll weaken me. And there’s more.” He took a deep breath, his eyes searching hers. “Anubis also granted you the Shielded Soul. It means you can extend your protective aura to shield the pack against Selene’s magic. But... it drains your life force every time you use it.”

Ariana’s eyes widened, but she squared her shoulders, determination hardening her features. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect our pack. We both will.”

He placed a hand on her arm, his grip firm yet tender. “Ariana, listen. Using the Shielded Soul could kill you. I can’t?—”

She cut him off, her voice steady and strong. “I made my choice when I came back. We fight together, Colt. We face this together.” She raised her hand, the shimmering aura of the Shielded Soul flickering into existence around them, a tangible barrier against the encroaching darkness.

Colt felt a surge of pride and love for the woman before him. “All right,” he said, his voice filled with the strength of his conviction. “Together.”

They turned to face Selene. The air crackled with anticipation. The bond between them pulsed, a beacon of light and solidarity in the maelstrom of battle.

His voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. “Selene! I see you. I see the pain, the betrayal. But this isn’t who you’re meant to be. Remember the balance you sought to protect. This blade is poisoning you, consuming you. You can still choose a different path!”

Selene’s eyes flickered, a momentary hesitation breaking through her malevolent gaze. But the blade pulsed again, its dark power tightening its grip. “Lies,” she spat. “I know my purpose. I will have my revenge.”

Ariana’s shield flared, absorbing another onslaught of dark energy. She strained, and he felt the life force drain from her with every second the shield held.

“Colt, we need to weaken her hold on that blade!”

Colt nodded, pushing deeper into his connection with Selene. He saw fragments of an ancient chamber, a ritual gone wrong, a trusted ally turned traitor. Summoning all his strength, he projected these memories into Selene’s mind, forcing her to confront the truth. “Your pain is real, Selene. But this is not the way. The blade’s power isn’t yours—it’s using you!”

Selene’s scream of rage echoed across the battlefield, her grip on the blade faltering. Sparks of dark energy arced from its tip, the fissures in reality mending as her control waned. But the struggle took its toll on Colt. The darkness Anubis warned about latched onto his mind, whispering of power, of letting go, of succumbing to the seductive pull of the void. He clenched his fists, fighting to maintain his focus, fighting to stay true to himself, to his pack.

“Selene,” Ariana’s voice cut through. “You were a guardian once—a protector, not a destroyer. This darkness isn’t your destiny.”

Colt’s heart pounded as the battlefield erupted in chaos and light. Ariana’s words seemed to pierce the swirling tempest of dark magic enveloping Selene, momentarily breaking through the storm of rage and despair that defined her grip on the blade.

Darkness pushed back against his senses, Anubis’s gift whispering insidious promises of power, urging him to release control. Each second he resisted, drained more of his strength, but he knew he couldn’t falter. Not for his pack, and certainly not for Ariana.

“Selene!” he shouted, forcing the words past the heavy pull of darkness. “You were betrayed, yes, but look where your thirst for revenge has led you. It’s not just shifters that suffer—not just your enemies. Your friends, your allies—they’re gone. Do you think this is what they would have wanted for you?”

Selene’s eyes flashed with anger, but there was a flicker of doubt there too, a tiny fracture in the armor of her hatred. Colt pressed the advantage.

“Remember your comrades,” he continued, pushing past the pain festering in his chest, “they followed you because they believed in what you once stood for. Do you think they would have wanted this destruction? This chaos?”

A sudden, blinding pain shot through his skull. Colt staggered, clutching his temple. The visions intensified, showing fragments of Selene’s life, moments of heartbreak and loss overlapping with times of camaraderie and joy. He saw her as a leader, fierce and protective. He saw her when she chose the blade, holding it for the first time, her mind and soul consumed by the pull of cosmic power.

Ariana cried out beside him, her shield shimmering but weakening under the relentless onslaught. Every second she maintained the barrier, a piece of her vitality leeched away. Despite her resolve, Colt saw the strain etched into the lines of her face.

“I won’t let you fall,” he gasped. “Selene, release the blade. Let us help you reclaim the balance!”

Selene’s face twisted with fury, her clenched fists around the blade trembling. The air cracked with raw, destructive energy, snapping at reality itself. “There is no balance! Balance died with them! With trust!”

Colt’s grip tightened on Ariana’s hand. The bond between them pulsated, a golden thread holding them anchored amidst the storm. But even that was fraying—each surge of power from Selene felt like a knife slicing through their connection.

A sudden howl pierced through the chaos. Vilkas, eyes wild and feral, lunged at Jaxon. The battle between the two reached a breaking point. Jaxon dodged, but the strain on both fighters was pushing them to the edge. Seeing Vilkas so uncontrollable, Colt knew the corruption was spreading faster than expected.

“Vilkas!” Colt shouted, desperation gripping him. “You have to fight it! Selene’s using you, just like she was used!”

Vilkas paused, the deep bond he shared with Colt fighting its way through the tendrils of dark magic. For a split second, clarity shone in his eyes, then the darkness surged back, driving him wild again. But it was enough—a flicker of hope sparked through the group.

Colt felt Ariana’s resolve crystallize beside him, radiating a fierce determination that resonated through their bond. Through gritted teeth, he sensed her reaching deep within, summoning every ounce of her willpower. He could almost see it—the way her energy coalesced, forming a shimmering, radiant shield that enveloped them both and pushed outward.

His heart clenched as the silvery light expanded. Not just around him and Ariana, but it stretched further, encapsulating Vilkas and Jaxon in its protective embrace. Colt felt the immense strain it placed upon her, each second of the shield’s upkeep draining her vitality.

“Ariana, you’re pushing yourself too far,” he breathed, his voice cracking with worry.

She didn’t waver, though the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. “We don’t have a choice,” she replied, her voice steady yet shadowed with fragility. “We have to protect them all.”

He felt the Shielded Soul expanding, a dome of luminous light that pushed back against the encroaching darkness. The radiance was a stark contrast to Selene’s chaotic energy. Each wave of power from the aura seemed to ripple through Colt, a testament to Ariana’s strength and the unyielding bond they shared.

With every pulse, the silvery shield grew stronger, deflecting Selene’s dark magic. But Colt couldn’t ignore the toll it was taking on his mate. Her life force waned, a palpable draining that tugged at his heart, making him ache for her.

As the shield stabilized, he knew they had a moment to act. “Ariana, hold on,” he whispered, the words a promise and a plea. He turned his attention back to Selene, ready to confront the darkness with the luminous hope Ariana had forged between them.

Summoning the last fragments of strength, Colt pushed deeper into the visions. He sought the core of Selene’s transformation, diving into the essence of her trauma. He saw her, cradling fallen comrades, her soul breaking piece by piece. And then he saw it—the dark figure that had whispered to her, manipulated her grief, transformed it into malice. This figure was vague, an embodiment of shadow and deceit. Its presence corrupted the blade, making it the malevolent force it now was.

“Selene, I see the one who pushed you to this point!” he shouted, hoping to reach the core of her rage. “That figure, that shadow—it’s the true enemy! Not us, not your comrades. It twisted you, but you can break its hold! Release the blade and free yourself!”

Hannah’s voice rang out, carrying across the battlefield with a sense of urgency and finality. “Enough! Both of you, stop!”

Colt’s gaze snapped to her, noting the resolution etched on her face. “Hannah, what are you?—”

But she didn’t give him a chance to finish. She rushed forward, her eyes blazing with an intensity that stopped him in his tracks. “Anubis told me how to end this. Your power, your shields—you’re killing yourselves. Let me handle it.”

Selene’s lips twisted into a mocking smirk. “You think you can save them, little demigoddess? You’re just another sacrifice waiting to fall.”

Ignoring her, Hannah raised her hands, the air around her shimmering with a fierce, burgeoning heat. The flames on her fingertips grew brighter, hotter, and more intense every second. Colt felt the searing energy pouring from her form and realized with a sickening jolt what she intended to do.

“No, Hannah! You can’t?—”

But her resolve was set. “There’s no other way, Colt. If you and Ariana try to push this any further, you’ll both die. But me—I have the phoenix within.”

Ariana’s shield flickered and wavered, the strain threatening to overwhelm her. “Hannah, please?—”

“I know what I’m doing,” she said firmly, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s my turn to protect.”

With a single, fluid motion, Hannah thrust her hands towards Selene. A brilliant column of flame erupted from her, spreading in a radiant wave that consumed the darkness. The intensity of the fire was unlike anything Colt had ever seen—pure, unrelenting, filled with the very essence of rebirth and renewal. It encased Selene, licking at her form, drawing screams from her lips as the dark energy of the blade fought in vain against the purifying inferno.

Selene’s power surged out, but the flames only grew fiercer, more resolute. Hannah’s blazing aura expanded, her very essence shimmering in the fire’s heart. Colt felt the fire’s cleansing heat wash over him, and though it did not harm him, he could sense the life force that fueled it—Hannah’s life, burning away to save them.

Selene’s screams turned into a frantic, guttural roar. The blade in her hand glowed with an agonized, dark radiance as it fought against the encroaching purity. “No! This cannot undo me!”

But Hannah, her flames dancing in a mesmerizing pattern, only intensified her efforts. She closed the distance, stepping into the circle of fire that surrounded Selene. Her voice rang clear and strong amidst the chaotic energy filled with a gentle finality. “I am the phoenix, and I will cleanse you of this darkness.”

Selene’s defiance wavered, her grip on the blade faltering. The blade’s malevolent glow dimmed, the dark essence corrupting it dissipated under the relentless blaze of Hannah’s fire.

“Hannah, no,” Ariana whispered, tears mixing with the soot and grime on her face.

Colt reached out for her, but even as his hand brushed the edge of the flames, he felt nothing but a warm, protective barrier. “Hannah, please, don’t?—”

Hannah’s gaze met his, a serene, resolute smile on her lips. “Remember, Colt. Fate is what we make of it. Protect Ariana, always.”

The flames consumed her, a brilliant, blinding light that forced Colt to shield his eyes. When the light dimmed, only ash remained where Hannah had stood, the purifying fire consuming both her and the dark influences that had bound Selene.

Selene collapsed to her knees, the blade dropping from her hand, its once-malevolent energy now inert and void. The dark shadows writhing around her dissipated, leaving her frail and broken, the weight of her choices heavy upon her.

Colt and Ariana rushed to Selene’s side. A stillness came over the group, the solemn sacrifice that had just transpired weighing on them all.

Selene looked up, her eyes no longer filled with rage but with a haunting sorrow. “What have I done?” she whispered, her voice choked with regret. “What have I become?”

Ariana extended a hand toward her, the Shielded Soul still shimmering around her form. “Redemption is never beyond reach,” she whispered, her voice imbued with the depth of her own trials and resilience.

Together, they pulled Selene to her feet. The cosmic blade, now lifeless, lay forgotten on the ground, a testament to the battle fought and the lives changed irrevocably.

As the last of Hannah’s flames flickered out, dawn broke on the horizon. The light that crept through the forest carried with it a new day.