Knotted By The Three Feral Alphas
Chapter 114: The Heart Lies There
I gathered the family in the royal chambers that night. The children listened as we discussed the warning. The kings and I made deliberations about the situation and hand and also made contingencies to meet any situation that would later arrive.
Lila wanted to help search for the servant. Thorne offered to study patterns in recent behavior. Elara said she could sense the cold hunger if she touched enough people.
The kings and I weighed the risks and agreed to careful steps. We would watch without panic. The children would train with greater focus. Soren would stay as an advisor if he proved trustworthy.
The bond between the four of us carried shared vigilance and deep love. The sea shadow had sent a servant into our home. Our children had faced its touch and pushed back. Frostfang would root out the traitor the same way we had faced every threat before.
Together.
Training in the inner yard began at first light. Lila led a small group through shield drills while Thorne called adjustments from the side. Elara moved between fighters offering quick touches to ease tired muscles.
I watched from the edge with the kings close by. Soren stood a respectful distance away, his scarred face attentive as he observed the children’s coordination. The pack had grown used to these sessions. Their heirs worked openly now, their gifts strengthening daily routines.
Elara stepped away from a fighter to catch her breath near the far wall. A man in pack colors moved toward her with ordinary purpose. His face looked familiar, one of the newer guards assigned to the outer gates. He reached for her with a cloth in his hand, movements too smooth for a simple greeting. Elara stiffened. "Mama help, he feels wrong. Like the sailor from the ship."
Lila reacted first. She thrust both hands forward and expanded her shield in a wide arc that covered her sister. The shimmer caught the man mid-lunge and slowed his strike.
"Take your filthy hands off my sister or you die!" Lila roared.
Thorne shouted from across the yard. "Watch out Lila, check his left shoulder. He hides a blade there. The pattern shows he has laced the edge with poison."
The corrupted guard snarled and broke through the outer layer of the shield. He grabbed for Elara with unnatural strength. She twisted away and pressed her palm to his arm. Her healing touch flowed into him, fighting the shadow’s hold. The man convulsed but kept coming.
I drew my sword and charged with the kings at my sides. Soren moved faster than expected, his blade flashing as he blocked the guard’s path.
The fight turned brutal and close. The corrupted man fought with desperate fury, eyes glowing with the shadow’s light.
Lila held her shield around Elara while pushing it forward to protect the rest of us. Thorne called out weak points in the attacker’s movements with calm precision. Elara kept her hand on his arm, pouring her gift into him to break the possession even as he tried to drag her away.
I reached them and swung my sword at his exposed side. The blade bit deep. "Take this you ugly son of a bitch!, you made a mistake trying to lay your filthy hands on my children!"
Darius struck from the other angle with cold efficiency. Kane slipped behind and drove his knife into the man’s shoulder joint. Rylan cleaved downward with his axe, severing the arm that reached for Elara.
Soren finished the creature with a precise thrust through the chest. The glow faded from the guard’s eyes as the shadow released its hold.
He collapsed to the ground, gasping a final warning. "The shadow has more servants. It watches your children even now and it will stop at nothing until it has your children at its disposal."
"The fucking shadow got nothing on us you ugly freak," I shot back at him.
"We would fight it with everything we’ve got until we defeat it completely and send it back to where it came from. But for now go to hell!"
The yard fell silent except for heavy breathing. The pack gathered around us. Elara trembled but stayed on her feet. Lila lowered her hands with visible relief. Thorne stood steady beside his sisters.
I pulled all three close while the kings and Soren secured the area. The corrupted guard had worn a familiar face. The shadow had infiltrated our ranks again.
Soren wiped his blade and looked at the children with new respect. "They fought as one. The girl’s shield held. The boy saw the blade. The little healer broke the hold. Your heirs turned the shadow’s servant against itself. I offer my ship and my knowledge without condition. The fractured isles need allies like yours."
I met his eyes and saw no deceit. "Thank you Soren. We accept your alliance, Captain. Your loyalty today earned it."
The pack responded with unified approval. They had seen the children defend one of their own in real danger. Doubt from earlier faded completely. The heirs had proven their worth once more.
That evening in the royal chambers we kept the children close. Elara rested against my side while Lila and Thorne flanked her. The kings surrounded us with protective warmth.
Soren had been given quarters under watch but his actions today spoke louder than words. The children spoke quietly about the fight. Lila described how her shield had felt different when protecting her sister. Thorne explained the patterns he had seen in the guard’s movements. Elara said her touch had felt the shadow’s cold hunger and pushed it out.
Their words filled the room with quiet pride. They had worked as a unit in real danger. Their gifts had saved Elara and exposed another traitor. I held them until they slept and then sat with the kings by the low fire. The bond between us carried shared relief and renewed vigilance.
Darius spoke first. "Soren proved loyal today. His knowledge will help us strike at the shadow’s heart."
Kane nodded. "The children defended each other without hesitation. We train them further but keep them close."
Rylan leaned back with a satisfied expression. "They declared themselves ready tonight. The three of them said they want to help hunt the shadow properly. Their words, not mine. But I support them though."
I looked toward the inner room where the children breathed evenly.
At nine years old Lila carried leadership with natural grace. At seven Thorne and Elara supported her with steady insight and healing touch. Their gifts had protected the family today. The shadow had reached inside our walls and failed.
The following morning we gathered the pack in the bailey. Soren stood beside us as I addressed them.
"Listen up everyone. The shadow sent another servant. Our heirs defeated it together. Captain Soren fought with us. We accept his alliance and his knowledge. Together we prepare to hunt the shadow at its source."
The pack cheered with raw approval. The children stood tall at my side. Lila lifted her chin. Thorne watched the crowd with calm eyes. Elara held my hand with quiet strength. Their first real victory in defense of family had cemented their place as heirs.
That evening on the high balcony under starlight the children declared their readiness. Lila spoke for all three. "Mom, we want to help hunt the shadow properly. Not just defend. We can do more together."
Thorne added, "Yes mommy, allow us to help. I see the patterns in its calls. I can guide the ships."
Elara squeezed my hand. "I can heal the crew when they return hurt."
I knelt so our eyes met. "You showed great courage today. We will prepare you for greater roles when the time comes. For now we train and stay united."
The kings added their agreement with steady voices. The children accepted the terms with nods and small smiles. Their determination filled the night air and warmed me against the coming challenges.
We faced the sea shadow with open eyes and linked hands. The children had declared their readiness. Soren had proven loyal. Frostfang stood stronger than before.
The ground remained generous. The pack grew more united. Our family kept choosing each other through every new current that tried to pull us under.
We would hunt the shadow when the moment came. Until then we trained, protected, and built the life we had earned.
**********
The fractured isles rose from the sea like broken teeth three days later. Our ship cut through choppy water with Soren at the helm.
The children stood at the prow with me while the kings guarded the deck. Lila kept her shield ready around the hull. Thorne studied the currents with focused eyes. Elara pressed her palms to the rail, her touch steadying the wood against the waves.
At nine and seven they carried themselves with quiet readiness that made my chest tight with both pride and fear.
Soren pointed to a narrow channel between two jagged rocks. "The heart lies there. The shadow gathers in the deep cleft. We perform the ritual on the central isle where the old stones still stand."