Chapter 128: The Blood Hunt

The next morning, Alyssa stood beside Dorian at the treeline of the northern forest, watching as Fabian, Melinda, and the battered archer were dragged forward in iron chains.

It was barely past seven in the morning. The sun remained trapped behind thick, grey winter clouds, leaving a bitter frost hanging in the morning air.

A fur cloak was draped over Alyssa’s shoulders, keeping the chill at bay. Dorian held her hand firmly in his, his entire body stiff and rigid. There was not a single trace of warmth in his eyes.

As he watched the guards unfasten the chains to prepare the traitors for the Hunt, his mind drifted back to his late-night conversation with Pandora.

She and Henna had witnessed the crimson flash in Alyssa’s eyes during her outburst. Although he had managed to deflect her suspicions by claiming it was merely a trick of the light, he knew his sister wasn’t so easily fooled.

He was torn. A part of him knew he would eventually have to reveal the truth of Alyssa’s Hybrid lineage to Pandora, Anthony, and Alec, the small inner circle he trusted with his life. But doing so would unleash a wave of chaos. He wasn’t ready for that.

Cade, one of the elite guards, stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Alpha, the Hunt is ready to commence."

Dorian snapped back to the present, his expression hardening. "Where is Nina?"

Cade gestured toward the healer who stood a few paces away holding a metallic tray. "Over there. She’s waiting with the suppressant."

"Good," Dorian muttered. "Administer the doses and begin the Hunt."

Alyssa watched in silence as Nina and two of her assistants stepped up to the prisoners. Without hesitation, Nina drove a long syringe into the side of Fabian’s neck, depressing a thick, milky fluid into his bloodstream. They repeated the process on Melinda and the archer.

Suddenly, Melinda snapped her head toward Alyssa. She didn’t speak, but the glare she directed across the clearing was dripping with pure malicious venom. Alyssa met her gaze dead-on, refusing to flinch or look away. She felt zero pity; it was high time she stopped pitying people who sought her destruction.

Beside Melinda, Fabian held his chin up, staring blankly ahead. He had surrendered to his fate the second the suppressant hit his veins. His parents were dead, and the rest of the Hallow bloodline had abandoned him. If this was where his life ended, he would face it with whatever dignity he had left.

With the suppressant administered to suppress their beasts, Dorian gave a short nod to Jake. The beta stepped out to the center of the clearing.

"Today, you stand condemned for high treason and attempted assassination against the Luna Queen," Jake declared, his voice echoing coldly across the clearing. "By the ancient laws of Wintercrest, your fate is surrendered to the Blood Hunt."

He raised a stopwatch for the prisoners to see. "You are granted a one-minute head start," he continued flatly. "Cross the borders alive, and you will have your freedom. Fail, and your fate belongs to the Alpha King’s guards. May the goddess have mercy on your souls."

He clicked the top knob on the watch, and it began to tick loudly. "Your time starts now. Run!"

The archer moved first, lunging wildly into the dense forest in a desperate bid to survive. Fabian broke into a sprint a second later, leaving Melinda behind without a backward glance. As Melinda scrambled after him, the cold arrogance she had maintained finally shattered, replaced by raw terror.

As the traitors disappeared into the forest, fifty of Dorian’s deadliest Lycan guards stepped into formation along the treeline, already in their fearsome Lycan forms. They clawed the earth, deep growls reverberating in their chests as the bloodlust built to a fever pitch.

The moment the sixty seconds elapsed, the stopwatch emitted a shrill, piercing chime.

The Lycans answered with a deafening chorus of howls and terrifying snarls. They lunged forward, the ground trembling violently beneath the thunderous pounding of dozens of massive paws.

Alyssa’s grip on Dorian’s hand tightened until her knuckles turned white. She watched Lycans tear after the traitors, and seconds later, Melinda’s blood-curdling screams echoed from deep within the woods. Despite her fierce resolve to remain cold, Alyssa felt her stomach twist into knots.

Dorian felt her hand tremble and pulled her gently against his side. "Are you alright, my love? Should I take you home?"

"No," she replied softly, forcing a firm smile to her lips as she looked up at him. "I’ll stay here with you."

She knew she had to stand her ground. She needed to prove to Dorian, to the guards, and to every shifter watching that she was no longer a fragile, defenseless girl who collapsed at the sight of blood. She was their Queen.

Silence settled over the clearing as the seconds ticked into long minutes. For a moment, the eerie quiet made Alyssa wonder if the traitors had somehow managed to breach the border.

Then the screams returned.

Alyssa closed her eyes as the horrifying sound of snapping bone and claws tearing into flesh rippled through the trees. Nausea surged up her throat, but she swallowed it down, forcing her shoulders to stay set.

Then, total silence reclaimed the forest. A long moment later, a single, triumphant howl rose from the forest, a signal that the Hunt had concluded and justice had been exacted.

"Jake," Dorian murmured, turning his head slightly. "Confirm the execution."

"Right away, Alpha," Jake nodded. Shifting seamlessly into his Lycan form, he bounded into the forest accompanied by six guards.

He returned a short time later, shifting back into his human form as he stepped into the clearing. "It is complete, Alpha. None survived."

Dorian gave a single, satisfied nod. "Good. Send word to the other territories. Let this stand as a warning to anyone stupid enough to challenge the throne."

"Understood," Jake said. His eyes briefly flicked toward Alyssa before he turned away to direct the returning guards.

Dorian raised Alyssa’s hand to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles. "Let’s go home."

As they walked back to the mansion in complete silence, Alyssa’s mind raced. Everything was changing around her, and she realized she could no longer remain passive. She needed to start digging for answers about her own hidden power, rather than relying solely on Dorian to shield her.

When they stepped into the foyer of the mansion, they found Conri waiting for them, flanked by Joffrey and Serena.

​Before Conri could utter a single word of his prepared speech, Dorian stepped forward, keeping Alyssa firmly at his side. "Let’s get this over with. Where is your third child?"

Conri blinked, visibly thrown by Dorian’s immediate compliance. He had braced himself for another explosive confrontation. Quickly composing himself, he drew himself up.

"My youngest, Jenny, was delayed by personal matters," he stated. "However, it changes nothing. Joffrey and Serena are the ones to be reinstated today."

Dorian shifted his gaze to Joffrey, who took a step forward, a greasy, arrogant smirk spreading across his face.

"Hello, cousin," he drawled, his tone dripping with fake courtesy. "I am relieved to see your wife survived the night completely unscathed."

His eyes slid over to Alyssa, lingering down her body with an unvarnished, leering intensity. Alyssa felt a surge of disgust, but she kept her face completely void of emotion, looking straight past him as if he didn’t exist.

Dorian ignored Joffrey entirely, focusing his gaze on Conri. "Very well. Joffrey and Serena are hereby reinstated into the royal hierarchy. Have them report to my beta to receive their assigned posts."

Conri’s face broke into a broad, victorious grin. He gave Dorian a single nod. "I am pleased to see you honor our agreement, Dorian."

"I suggest you honor yours as well," Dorian retorted. "Do not play games with me, uncle. You will not survive the outcome."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and escorted Alyssa up the stairs, all the while wondering if he just made the greatest mistake ever by letting Joffrey back into the hierarchy.