Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets-Chapter 295 - search everywhere

295

~Fridolf’s POV

The night was long and brutal. My body ached from every wound, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to make sure my men were safe, those who were still alive.

"Keep moving!" I shouted, staggering through the dark forest, my sword dragging behind me. The scent of blood and burnt soil filled the air. Every sound made me flinch. "Don’t stop, damn it! Keep going!"

We had fought all night. Damon and his brothers were more ruthless than I’d imagined. I had underestimated them. Now, my men were in ruins. The few men that remained stumbled beside me, limping, bleeding, some coughing up blood.

When we finally reached the hideout, our secret base deep in the woods, the sun was already rising. I fell against the wall, breathing hard. My chest burned. My right arm felt numb.

"Alpha," one of my men gasped, falling to his knees. "We... we lost many."

I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress the rage rising inside me. "I know," I said through gritted teeth. "Get the wounded inside. Where’s Adrik?"

No one answered. I looked around, scanning the faces of the survivors, but none of them was him. My stomach dropped. "Where the hell is Adrik?"

Silence.

I staggered out again, ignoring the pain, scanning the forest’s edge. "Adrik!" I yelled. My voice echoed. "Adrik!"

Minutes passed. Then, movement. A figure stumbled out from the shadows, blood dripping from his side. It was him.

"Adrik!" I ran to him and caught him before he fell. His eyes were half-open, his breathing shallow. "You’re alive," I said quickly, pulling him closer. "You’ll be fine. Healer! Somebody get the healer now!"

"No..." Adrik’s voice was barely a whisper. "It’s too late."

I shook my head violently. "Don’t say that! You’ll be fine!"

He coughed, blood staining his lips. "Your highness... listen."

"Save your strength..."

"No, damn it!" he snapped weakly. "You have to listen. They’re still out there... The soldiers are...searching for us. They’ll find this place. You need to flee. Now."

"I’m not leaving you!"

He smiled faintly, though it was full of pain. "You already saved me once... that’s enough."

"Stop talking like that!" I pressed my hand on his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "You’re not dying on me, Adrik. You hear me?"

He gave a shaky laugh. "You were... a good brother to me. Better than I deserved."

"Don’t do this..."

He exhaled slowly, the light fading from his eyes. "Go... Your highness...."

"Adrik!" I shouted, shaking him. "Adrik, no! Don’t you dare!" But he was gone.

For a moment, everything around me went silent. My heart stopped. I couldn’t breathe. Then the rage came, like a storm. I slammed my fist into the ground, yelling, "Damn it!"

I kept shouting until my throat hurt, until the pain became unbearable.

That was when I heard clapping.

Slow, mocking claps.

I turned sharply, and there she was, Belinda. Her hair was messy, her lips twisted in a bitter smile.

"Well," she said coldly, stepping closer. "I see the great Alpha Fridolf has finally lost his precious war."

I glared at her, my fists tightening. "What are you doing here?"

She tilted her head, crossing her arms. "Watching the mighty fall, what else? I told you, Fridolf. I told you not to go without me. But no, you thought you were strong enough. You pushed me away. And now look at you."

"Now is not the time," I growled, trying to control my anger.

"Oh, I think it’s the perfect time," she said mockingly. "You lost half your men, your best man dead, and your enemies will soon come knocking. And for what? Pride?"

"Enough!" I roared.

She smirked, taking another step closer. "You’re pathetic, Fridolf. You could’ve had me beside you, and together, we would have won. But you chose to fight alone, like a fool."

I snapped. In one swift move, I closed the distance between us, my hand wrapping around her neck. Her eyes widened as I pushed her back against the wall.

"Don’t test me, Belinda," I hissed. "Not now."

She choked but managed to smirk. "Do it then. Kill me."

My grip tightened, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted to. I really did. But then she raised her hand and jabbed her fingers right into my wounded side.

I gasped, stepping back, pain shooting through me.

She laughed, a bitter, cruel laugh. "You see? You’re weak. We’re done, Fridolf. I’m done following a broken man."

"Belinda..." I warned, breathing heavily.

She walked past me, her tone sharp. "You’ll die soon enough. Maybe your nephews will kill you first, maybe your guilt will. Either way, I’ll be watching."

She turned and left.

For a long time, I just stood there, staring at nothing. The pain in my chest wasn’t just from the wound; it was deeper. Everything I built, everything I fought for, was crumbling.

Finally, I let out a dark chuckle, wiping the blood from my lips. The sound tasted like iron and failure.

They moved fast. Men I once trusted moved like ghosts through the hideout, lifting stretchers, bundling cloaks, carrying the wounded. Their faces were pale, eyes blank with shock and pain. I watched them and felt a cold settle inside me, like frost on bone.

"Make sure the north path is clear," I barked to a captain. He dipped his head and ran.

"Where will you go, Alpha?" the healer asked, hands trembling as he tied the last bandage.

"Not here," I said flatly. "Tell the other, they’ll wait in the caves. Then we regroup."

The healer swallowed and looked at me with something like pity. "You should be treated. You’ve lost a lot of blood."

"I said leave," I snapped. He obeyed, because who argued with orders when their life was at stake?

When the hideout finally went quiet, I looked around one last time. I walked past Adrik’s still body. He looked small on the cold floor, like a child who had fallen asleep and could not wake. Anger rose hot and quick. I wanted to lash out, break something, shout until my throat bled, but my body only obeyed in small ways. My hand trembled as it touched the bandage at my side. Blood had soaked through; my fingers came away red.

I let that ugly laugh slip out again, this time quieter. "You wanted war," I said to the empty room. "You’ll get it."

I took a deep breath, pushing the pain aside. "This isn’t over," I whispered. "Not yet."

"Search everywhere!" I heard a voice bark.