Reclaimed By The Alpha King-Chapter 217

The night had barely settled when Derrick’s eyes flew open.

His chest heaved, and cold sweat soaked his skin. The room was still, but he could feel her presence, her haunting presence.

"You still think you can control everything?" came a voice like velvet soaked in venom.

He turned sharply, but the room was empty. His heart pounded. He clenched his fists.

"This is my time!" Derrick growled, but the voice laughed mockingly.

"You fool... You may gather your weapons, make your dark pacts, but you forget, I am Katherina.

I don’t ask. I take." Her voice echoed through the corners of his mind.

Then she appeared, glowing, her eyes blazing red. The air thickened, and shadows danced wildly across the walls.

"You will be nothing but a shadow under my reign," she hissed.

Derrick shook his head and stood tall. "I bowed to no one before, and I will not start now."

Katherina took a step forward. "You are not strong enough alone. Even your sorcerers will betray you. The throne is mine."

"Not while I still breathe," Derrick spat, fire in his tone.

Katherina gave a chilling smile. "We’ll see, Derrick. We’ll see."

She vanished into mist. The room returned to silence, but Derrick sat on the edge of his bed, fists clenched, jaw tight.

*Not even nightmares will scare me off. I’ve come too far.* Derrick thought to himself, as he stared at the wall in his room.

Morning came, and Lucian stood before Elijah in the eastern corridor of Alpha Theo’s residence.

Elijah folded his arms, eyes locked on the different direction, as if his mind was somewhere else.

"You’re leaving now?" Elijah asked.

Lucian nodded. "The Alpha gave the instruction before he left. I’m to monitor the safehouses and move the old seer if danger rises again."

Elijah stepped closer. "There are whispers. Derrick is becoming desperate. Don’t trust anyone outside the inner circle."

"I understand. But what of the supreme chief priest? No word yet?" Lucian asked.

Elijah’s brows furrowed. "None. It’s as if he vanished."

*I can’t tell anyone, that he’s in my custody... I have to follow exactly as the alpha ordered.* Elijah thought.

Lucian nodded grimly. "Then I’ll be careful."

Elijah gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Alpha Theo trusted you for a reason. Don’t fail him."

"I won’t." Lucian said, as he departed from where he and Elijah was standing.

★★★

Meanwhile, in Derrick’s dark chamber, the fire crackled in his fireplace, but it didn’t warm the coldness in his chest.

He leaned back, Katherina’s voice still lingering in his thoughts.

Then, her words overlapped with the memory of the woman, Kimberly’s supposed mother, who had looked him straight in the eyes and dared him.

*"Let Theo and Kimberly be... for your own good."*

Her tone had been calm. But the message, it rattled him more than he admitted.

*She knew something. Something I don’t.*

He stood, pacing.

"Enough games," he muttered. "If they won’t bend, then they break."

He grabbed his phone and dialed.

"Murillo," Derrick said when the call connected.

"Alpha Derrick, my dear friend," came the reply.

"Murillo I need you to mobilize the first squad.

I want those elders that stood against me to disappear. No noise. No mess. Just silence."

"As you wish," Murillo responded with eerie calmness.

Derrick ended the call.

*They think they can betray me and walk free? I will remind them who carries the whip.* With a furious look on his, Derrick thought.

Late that evening, three of the elder council members sat in secret at one of the boundary houses, discussing recent events.

Elder Ethan was the first to speak.

"I’ve heard nothing from the others. Not even the chief priest."

"We should have stayed neutral," one of the others muttered.

"No. Staying silent makes us guilty," Elder Ethan replied. "But if Derrick finds us..."

Just then, a sound outside. Loud. Footsteps. Then silence.

"What was that?" one elder whispered, heart racing.

Before they could react, the door burst open. Men in black entered, masked, holding weapons.

"Don’t move!" the lead man barked.

The elders froze.

"We’re just advisors! You don’t—"

A single shot rang out. One of the elders collapsed.

Elder Ethan raised his hands. "Wait! You don’t have to..."

Another shot.

The third elder fell to his knees. "Please"

But the men turned, vanishing into the night just as quickly as they had come.

Back at Derrick’s residence, he poured himself a drink.

Alvin entered moments later.

"It’s done," Alvin said quietly.

Derrick took a sip, staring into the flames. "Let that be a lesson to the rest."

"But what of the supreme chief priest? Still no word."

Derrick turned, frustration tightening his jaw.

"I don’t care how long it takes. Find him. He cannot keep hiding forever."

Alvin nodded. "And if he’s not found?"

Derrick’s eyes narrowed. "Then we drag every priest from their holes and burn their books until he shows."

Alvin bowed and left the room.

Derrick leaned back, the shadows deepening.

*I warned them all. Now they’ll learn.*

★★Africa★★

Meanwhile, far away in Africa, Kimberly sat quietly, eyes closed, as the fire from the ritual circle still flickered from earlier rites.

Theo stood beside her, holding her hand.

Mohandria sat across from them, whispering to one of the African elders.

"We are not done yet," the elder said suddenly, rising. "There’s more danger ahead."

Theo looked up. "What danger?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The elder paused. "A power darker than even Derrick’s. Something ancient. Something that wants Kimberly more than it wants power."

Mohandria frowned. "It’s her bloodline."

Theo turned sharply to Kimberly.

"What is he talking about?"

Kimberly’s heart pounded.

"I... don’t know," she whispered, but her voice trembled.

Theo clenched his jaw.

"There’s something you’re not telling me," he said quietly.

Kimberly looked away.

The elder stepped closer. "The bond will only hold if there’s no shadow between you."

Theo looked deep into her eyes. "Kimberly, whatever it is, we face it together."

Her hands trembled in his.

"I need time," she whispered.

Theo nodded, but his mind raced.

*What else don’t I know?* Theo thought, as he looked very concerned and curious.

Back at Derrick’s place, night fell heavy. He stood alone in his private chamber, eyes red, mind restless.

He lit a black candle and stared at its flame.

"Katherina... You think you’ll rule?"

The flame flickered violently.

"I will carve my throne with blood if I must."

Suddenly, the flame turned blue.

Derrick stepped back.

A whisper echoed through the room. Faint. Ancient. Dark.

"Derrick..."

He gritted his teeth.

"You don’t scare me."

The voice chuckled.

"You should be."

And then silence, as the whole room suddenly fell into darkness and Derrick could hear footsteps of hundreds of people approaching him.

Elsewhere, still hidden in alpha Theo’s mansion, the supreme chief priest sat in a quiet cave, surrounded by ancient scrolls and candles.

He looked tired, but his eyes burned with determination.

"They’ve made their move. So must we," he said softly to himself.

Outside, the wind howled. A storm was coming.

And all sides were preparing for the war that would shake everything.

★★The Last Trial★★

The fire in the center of the circle roared higher than ever, its flames dancing wildly as ancient chants echoed from the sorcerers surrounding Theo and Kimberly.

Both stood still, hands clasped tightly, their eyes fixed on the blue smoke spiraling around them.

Zack stepped forward. "This is the final rite," he said, voice deep and steady.

"You will both face the one thing you fear the most. Only by conquering it will the ritual be complete."

Theo’s jaw tightened. Kimberly’s grip on his hand grew firmer.

"We’re ready," Theo said without hesitation.

"Close your eyes," Zack instructed.

The moment their eyes shut, the ground trembled slightly.

The air grew heavy, and a deep hum filled their ears. In an instant, everything around them disappeared.

Darkness swallowed them whole.

Theo blinked. He was no longer in the circle.

He stood in the ruins of his childhood home, the scent of smoke thick in the air.

Screams echoed from every corner. Fire raged all around.

He turned and there she was.

His mother.

Bleeding. Crying. Reaching out to him.

"Theo... why didn’t you save me?" her voice trembled.

"No, no. I tried! I was just a boy!" Theo shouted, stepping back.

"You watched them burn me," she whispered.

"I didn’t know what to do!" Theo yelled, falling to his knees.

Suddenly, her face shifted, burnt, hollow, haunting.

"I died because you were weak," she growled.

Theo screamed. But in that scream, something shifted.

"No..." he said through clenched teeth. "I was a child. But I’m not anymore."

He stood tall, fists clenched. "And I will never run from anything again. Not even my guilt."

The flames died instantly. The vision shattered like glass.

Meanwhile, Kimberly stood alone in a foggy forest. The trees whispered her name, their branches twisting like claws.

From the shadows, a figure appeared.

Katherina.

Smiling. Cold. Powerful.

"You’ll never be free of me, Kimberly," Katherina said, circling her.

Kimberly stood frozen.

"You are just a weak girl with a cursed bloodline," Katherina hissed.

"You will destroy everything you love."

"No..." Kimberly whispered, eyes wide.

Katherina stepped closer. "Theo will turn on you... just like your mother did. You don’t belong anywhere."

Kimberly felt her knees buckle. Tears welled in her eyes.

But then she remembered Theo’s words.

"We face it together."

Kimberly looked up, strength slowly returning.

"I’m not afraid of you anymore," she said softly.

Katherina’s eyes narrowed.

"You have no power here," Kimberly continued. "I decide who I am. Not you."

A flash of light exploded from Kimberly’s chest. Katherina screamed as she dissolved into smoke.

The forest cleared. Light returned.

Back in the circle, both Theo and Kimberly gasped as their eyes opened.

Sweat ran down their faces, but there was peace in their expressions.

Zack stepped forward with a proud smile.

"You’ve passed," he said.

The oldest sorcerer raised both hands. "The bond is complete. The moon has blessed you. No shadow can break what you’ve just sealed."

Theo turned to Kimberly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, still catching her breath. "I saw her... Katherina. But I pushed her back."

Theo exhaled. "I saw my mother. I thought I’d never stop blaming myself."

Zack placed a firm hand on Theo’s shoulder. "Fear loses power when you stop running from it."

Another sorcerer came forward, holding a bowl of clear water. "Drink this. It seals the ritual and restores balance."

They each took a sip. The air shimmered, then stilled.

For the first time in days, it felt like peace.

Zack faced them, his tone now serious. "You’re both ready."

Kimberly frowned. "For what?"

"To go home," Zack said. "You are no longer bound to this land."

Theo raised an eyebrow. "So the magic is complete?"

"Yes," one of the sorcerers said. "You can now face anything Derrick throws your way together.

His dark forces will tremble when they meet your bond."

Kimberly looked at Theo, her voice low. "We made it."

Theo nodded slowly, but his eyes were fixed on the flickering fire.

*Then why do I still feel like the worst is yet to come?* Theo thought.

Zack cleared his throat. "Prepare yourselves. You leave at dawn, you have a lot of works and battles waiting for you."