Free Web NovelChapter 241: Chapter 241
Gunnar’s POV
Carian tried forcing herself forward against the power pushing her back, but Summer screamed loudly and stretched both hands toward her one final time.
"You are dead!"
A sharp light exploded between them.
"Separate from the living..."
The walls shook violently again.
"...AND GO!"
The force that burst from Summer this time slammed through the entire chamber.
Everything shattered.
The windows exploded completely outward. The floor beneath my feet split with a loud cracking sound.
Then suddenly-
Everything stopped.
The wind vanished instantly. The pressure disappeared and the room became completely silent.
Summer’s body dropped backward weakly.
"SUMMER!"
I rushed forward immediately and caught her before she hit the ground.
Her body felt frighteningly weak in my arms.
Blood stained her lips and chin now while more kept running from her nose onto my chest.
"Summer," I called quickly while holding her tightly. "Look at me baby."
Her eyes slowly opened. The lights inside the room flickered once before coming back on fully.
I looked down at her carefully. "You okay?"
She smiled weakly at me despite how pale she looked.
"Daddy..."
Her voice sounded soft and exhausted.
"You can have Riley now."
My chest tightened immediately after hearing that.
I looked toward the place where Carian had fallen. Her body still lay there motionless on the floor.
I frowned slightly before looking back at Summer."But Carian is still there."
Summer gave a weak smile and slowly shook her head.
"Look again."
I turned back toward the body. And the second I saw clearly this time, my entire body froze.
Because it wasn’t Carian lying there anymore.
It was Riley.
She lay completely still on the broken floor with her hair spread around her body and her skin looking pale against the dark cracks beneath her.
"Riley..."
The word left my mouth instantly as panic hit me immediately after.
"MOTHER!"
Amelia rushed toward me at once.
"Take Summer!"
She carefully lifted Summer from my arms while I hurried toward Riley and dropped beside her on the floor.
The second I touched her body, I nearly pulled back from the heat.
"Holy hell..."
Her skin was burning. Burning so badly it almost felt impossible.
I quickly pulled her against my chest while checking her breathing.
It was weak. Too weak.
"Riley," I muttered urgently while brushing her hair away from her face. "Wake up."
She didn’t respond. Her body stayed limp against mine.
I immediately stood up and carried her into my arms.
"Leslie," I said quickly while turning toward Amelia. "Let’s take both of them to Leslie now."
Amelia nodded immediately while supporting Summer carefully.
I rushed out of the ruined chamber carrying Riley tightly against my chest.
Every step hurt.
I don’t know why I felt like the Blackbane poison inside me still hadn’t healed fully because the pain in my body kept getting worse the faster I moved, but none of it mattered right now.
All I cared about was getting Riley help. Her head rested weakly against my shoulder while heat continued pouring from her skin.
"Stay with me okay," I muttered quietly while moving quickly through the hallways.
Behind me, Amelia followed with Summer.
Thankfully Leslie’s quarters weren’t far from the eastern wing.
The moment I reached her door, I pushed it open hard and rushed inside.
Leslie immediately stood from her chair the second she saw Riley in my arms.
"What happened?"
"No time," I said quickly. "Help her."
I carefully laid Riley down onto the bed while Amelia lowered Summer onto a nearby couch. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Summer looked exhausted now.
Her face had gone pale and her eyes looked heavy.
Leslie quickly moved beside Riley and started checking her pulse while grabbing herbs and bottles from her shelves.
I stayed beside the bed watching anxiously while Riley remained unconscious.
Then softly behind me, I heard Summer speak.
"Daddy."
I immediately turned toward her.
Her nose had finally stopped bleeding but dried blood still stained her skin.
"You should rest," I told her quietly.
She smiled faintly and said. "The Blackbane core isn’t fully healed yet."
I frowned slightly confused.
"That’s why you still feel pain."
I stared at her for a second before speaking. "Stop talking."
Summer smiled again. "Mommy is a bit cruel, isn’t she?"
A small laugh escaped me despite everything. Honestly, sometimes I forgot how young she actually was.
At her age, most children worried about toys and games.
But Summer...
Summer had always been different.
Ever since she was born, she acted older than everyone expected. Sometimes she spoke like someone who had lived for hundreds of years already. She understood things nobody explained to her and noticed things most adults completely ignored.
Even now after nearly collapsing from using that much power, she still noticed the pain I was trying to hide.
She slowly leaned her head against the couch while my mother stroked her hair gently.
Then Leslie suddenly called my name. frёeωebɳovel.com
"Alpha Gunnar."
I immediately looked toward her.
She stood beside Riley while pouring medicine carefully into a small cup.
"She passed out because Miss Carian almost drained her life force completely."
My chest tightened hard.
Leslie carefully lifted Riley’s head slightly while helping her swallow some of the medicine.
"She’ll need several days before waking up." Leslie looked at me seriously. "She’s alive, but extremely weak."
I stared at Riley silently. Her face looked pale against the pillow and her breathing still sounded uneven.
"Even after waking up," Leslie continued, "she’ll barely have any strength left."
I frowned harder. "What does that mean?"
"It means she’ll be vulnerable."
Leslie paused briefly before continuing carefully. "She’s almost powerless right now."
My jaw tightened immediately.
"That could become dangerous for her..."
She suddenly stopped talking.
I noticed her eyes move briefly toward Summer.
Then she looked back at me again. "...unless you-"
I stared at her carefully now. She clearly wanted to say more but didn’t want to say it in front of Summer.
I understood immediately.
I slowly nodded once before standing properly.
"Mother," I said quietly. "Stay with them."
Amelia looked at me carefully before nodding.
I turned and walked outside the room while Leslie followed behind me.
The moment the door shut behind us, I faced her immediately.
"What is it?"
Leslie stayed quiet for a second before finally speaking.
"If you want Riley to survive this properly without passing out into oblivion again..."
My chest tightened instantly.
"...then you and your brothers need to claim her during the Blood Moon."
I stared at her silently.
Leslie continued carefully. "The Blood Moon will strengthen the mate bond between all of you."
I frowned slightly. "And?"
"And the combined Alpha bond will fill and stabilize her weakened life force."
My eyes narrowed. "You’re saying that’s the only way?"
Leslie nodded slowly. "It may be the only thing strong enough to keep her alive and sane, I’ll make her wake up but she’ll be extremely weak, and if not claimed, she’ll collapse again and once that happens, she won’t wake up again, you know what that means?" She paused and looked at me.
"DEATH"
