Free Web NovelChapter 52: Chapter 52
Gunnar’s POV
"You shouldn’t have fucking left her!" Caden growls, his voice echoing off the stone walls of the inner hall as he shoves Cane hard in the chest.
Cane growls back instantly, his eyes flashing gold as he bares his teeth. "Why?" he snaps, stepping forward like he is ready to fight. "It was all about Mother so we all left thinking something might have happened, you do not expect me to protect a woman over our mother?"
Caden exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair as he steps back before this turns ugly. "You know that’s not what I meant," he says, his voice tight. "You know damn well she shouldn’t have been left alone in the middle of Obsidian Veil, not with everything going on."
I stay quiet, my fists clenched at my sides, my jaw locked so tight it hurts. My mind isn’t even fully here in this room because all I can see is Riley’s face when I turned away from her, the confusion in her eyes, the way she didn’t even understand what kind of danger she was standing in.
The Blood Tithers managed to infiltrate Obsidian Veil.
That thought alone makes my stomach twist.
This has never happened in centuries, not once, not even during the old wars when our enemies tried everything to break through our borders, yet today they walked in like the gates were made for them.
Even worse, they did not kill anyone, which makes it clear this was not a reckless attack or a failed raid, this was planned and intentional.
If the Blood Tithers entered this easily, it means someone helped them from the inside.
There is no other explanation.
Obsidian Veil has enemies, many of them, but no one living within these borders would willingly help the Blood Tithers just because of hatred alone.
Anyone who would dare do that is either tied to them by blood or is one of them in disguise, and the fact that they reached the inner grounds proves it.
And to make it worse, their leader did this himself.
Laden.
The Blood Tithers’ leader has not shown his face in twenty years, not since the last massacre, not since the last time he nearly wiped out an entire clan, and today he walked into Obsidian Veil and walked out with her.
With Riley.
I drag a hand down my face, pressing my palm against my eyes like that might stop the rage boiling in my chest, and just then Caden turns to me.
"If it turns out she’s being held hostage by Laden," Caden says slowly, his voice low and serious now, "it’ll be nearly impossible to save her, Gunnar. I don’t even know why Laden decided to do this himself personally. He hasn’t revealed himself in twenty years, and now he takes her and leaves like he owns the fucking place."
I still don’t speak.
My silence feels heavier than any words because I already know what this means.
Cane crosses his arms and adds, his voice tight, "If they find out she is our mate, it’s going to spell trouble, and if they also find out about her roots and whose family she is, that will spell doom for the entire seventeen clans. A scout already attacked her and you saw what happened even without her raising a finger."
My jaw tightens harder at that memory. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
He is right.
The scout barely touched her and still ended up dead, drained in a way that should not have been possible for a human. When I saw the fear in Riley’s eyes afterward, the way she looked at her own hands like she didn’t recognize herself, I made a choice to talk her out of it, to calm her down instead of telling her the truth.
Now I wonder if that was my first mistake.
"Let’s ask Mother," I finally say, my voice coming out rough and cold. "She’s the only one who will know how we can enter the Tithers’ territory without triggering a full-scale war."
Cane’s eyes darken immediately. "But Mother is still not awake," he says. "The healer said she needs more time."
I turn sharply to him, my glare stopping him mid-sentence.
"Have you forgotten," I say slowly, every word heavy with warning, "that if your mate dies, you lose seventy-five percent of your damn power and strength?"
Cane stiffens.
"Become more or less an omega," I finish.
The room goes silent.
Caden looks between us, his expression tense. "So what are you saying?" he asks carefully.
"I’m saying we don’t wait," I reply. "Whether Mother is awake or not, Riley is in Blood Tithers territory right now, and every second we waste arguing is another second Laden has with her."
"And if this is a trap?" Cane snaps. "What if this is exactly what he wants?"
"Then we walk into it prepared," I growl back. "Because I’m not standing here doing nothing while he touches her, smells her, questions her, or even do worse than those."
Caden’s shoulders tense. "You think he already knows?" he asks.
"I know Laden," I say. "He doesn’t take humans for fun. He takes leverage, weapons, or answers."
"And Riley could be all three," Cane mutters.
That makes my chest tighten painfully.
A sharp knock echoes through the hall, pulling all our attention toward the doors as one of the guards rushes in, his face pale.
"Alpha," he says, bowing quickly. "The healer requests your presence immediately. The Luna is showing signs of waking."
I don’t hesitate.
"Good," I say. "Then we’re wasting no more time."
The healer’s chamber smells like herbs and iron, and the moment I step inside, my eyes lock onto the bed where Mother lies. Her breathing is shallow, her skin still too pale, but her fingers twitch as if she is fighting her way back.
"She’s awake," the healer whispers urgently. "Not fully, but she’s aware, her brain is stable for now but it would only last for a few minutes before it goes back to her madness so make use of it quick"
I step closer, dropping to one knee beside her bed. "Mother," I say firmly. "We need you."
Her eyes flutter open slowly, cloudy at first, then sharp as recognition settles in. "Gunnar," she murmurs. "Why does the aura feel wrong here?"
"Because it is," I reply. "The Blood Tithers infiltrated Obsidian Veil."
Her eyes widen immediately. "That’s impossible," she whispers.
"They took Riley," I add." I mean our mate" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
The moment I say it, something shifts in Mother’s expression, fear flashing across her face before she can hide it.
"Laden?" she asks quietly.
"Yes," I answer. "He did it himself."
Mother grips my wrist with surprising strength. "You must not let him discover who she truly is," she says urgently. "If he does, everything falls apart."
"Then tell us how to get her back," I demand. "Tell us how to enter Tithers’ territory without alerting every pack under their control."
She exhales shakily. "There is only one way," she says. "And it will cost you."
"I don’t care," I reply without hesitation.
She looks at me for a long moment, then nods weakly. "There is a passage beneath the Black Ravine," she says. "It was sealed after the last war, but the blood bond still remembers it. Only those bound by true mating can open it."
Cane swears under his breath. "That means—"
"It means all three of you must go," Mother finishes. "And if she is harmed before you reach her, the bond will break violently."
My chest tightens. "What happens then?"
"You will lose more than power," she says softly. "You will run wild, all three of you"
Immediately she said those last words, she slumped back to the bed, her eyes shut.
I stand slowly, my hands shaking slightly as rage settles deep in my bones.
"Then we move now," I say. "Before Laden decides to push her too far."
Caden nods. "I’ll gather the warriors."
"No," I snap. "Too many eyes. This stays between us."
Cane steps closer. "If she dies," he says quietly, "we die with her."
I look at both of them, my brothers, my blood.
"She’s not dying," I say with absolute certainty. "Because I’m bringing her back."
