Chapter 178
Althea’s heart hammered in her chest. She had been pacing back and forth in her room for almost ten minutes, debating whether to tell Gavriel or keep quiet about her earlier conversation with Zander.
She pressed her palms together, trying to calm the turmoil in her chest but she was too late.
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Gavriel’s voice came through their bond. Althea froze. She had forgotten to put up a wall around her emotions. Of course he felt her uneasiness. Of course he sensed every tremor of fear and guilt rippling through her.
Her face drained of color. She swallowed hard, knowing she had no time to hide anything now. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.
‘He deserves the truth,’ she told herself. Even if it angered him… even if it scared her.
She exhaled slowly and finally sent the words through their bond. [I just… spoke with Zander. He contacted me. Riela is with him. He said he will heal her and return her tomorrow as soon as he’s done p>
Then there was this deafening silence.
Althea’s fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress as she felt the shift in Gavriel’s emotions—nothing loud, nothing explosive, but a deep, spiraling fury swelling beneath the surface like a silent storm preparing to break.
[Gavriel she whispered through the bond, trying to reach him. Trying to soothe him. But she felt nothing in reply. No warmth, no acknowledgment. Only rage… contained but deadly.
The silence stretched for long seconds, each one suffocating.
Then—
BANG!
Her door swung open so hard it slapped the wall. Gavriel stormed in.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, muscles tight, eyes blazing with fury. Behind him, Uriel, Osman, Candice, and two more warriors followed, all of them panting as if they had sprinted across the entire mountain.
“Where’s that damn bastard!” Gavriel growled, voice rough and gravelly.
Althea flinched, not at the anger aimed at Zander, but at the raw, uncontrolled emotion vibrating off him. Gavriel’s jaw was clenched so hard the muscles stood out, and his eyes had shifted to a burning gold, barely holding back the transformation itching beneath his skin.
Uriel moved beside him, still breathless. “Gavriel… slow down. We need p>
“I said where is he?!” Gavriel barked again, shoulders heaving. “He dared to take Riela and contact my mate?! Find him p>
Althea stepped forward before Uriel could try to calm him again. Her voice was quiet but steady. “Gavriel… he isn’t here p>
Those golden eyes snapped to her, burning so intensely she almost stepped back.
“But he said he’d return Riela tomorrow,” she continued. “That’s all he told me p>
Gavriel’s chest rose sharply, a single breath of disbelief and contained violence.
“That bastard thinks he can touch my sister. He thinks he can talk to you? He thinks he can walk around this kingdom like he owns it.” Gavriel’s voice dropped into a low growl.
“Well, obviously he did,” Candice snapped, and Osman quickly elbowed her, signaling her to stop.
“What?!” Candice huffed. “I’m just stating the truth! Alas, that Zander isn’t someone we can meddle with lightly. He managed to breach every protective barrier, even the ones I cast myself p>
“And how are you planning to reach him?” she continued. “He’s most likely hiding in another portal world he created, just like the one he trapped you in. We barely found you last time, if not for the bondgate created by your mate, you’d still be there p>
She turned to Althea. “You still don’t have a connection with Princess Riela, right? Nothing strong enough to open another bondgate p>
Althea shook her head.
“I’ll tear him apart,” Gavriel barked.
Behind him, Osman muttered quietly, “This is really not good p>
Uriel dragged a tired hand across his face. “Lady Althea… anything else he said? Anything that could help us locate him p>
Althea swallowed, guilt tightening in her chest but then she didn’t want to hide anuthing. “He only said he’d return the Princess if I came to him willingly. But then… he changed his mind. He said he needed leverage. He knew Gavriel would come after him because of me, so he p>
She hesitated.
Gavriel’s head snapped toward her. “Althea. What is it p>
She forced the words out, voice trembling. “He said he’ll heal Riela. Once she’s fully healed… the covenant of binding will activate. Our matebond will be severed… and I’ll die p>
“Damn bastard,” Gavriel growled, voice vibrating with fury. “Does he really think he can take you from me p>
Uriel cleared his throat quietly. “Gav… we need to plan. If Zander really intends to return the princess tomorrow, then we have a small window p>
Osman nodded. “A trap? An ambush? Anything p>
But Gavriel didn’t look away from Althea. For him, the world had narrowed to her terrified eyes and the thought of losing her.
“We’ll plan,” he said without turning around. “We’ll prepare. But one thing is certain.” He pulled Althea into his arms, holding her so tightly she felt his heartbeat crash into hers.
“When tomorrow comes… I’m not letting anyone take you from me. Not Zander. Not fate. Not even death p>
Candice rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Who would’ve thought I’d live long enough to see this side of the Alpha King? It’s almost giving me goosebumps p>
“That’s enough,” Osman muttered beside her, but Candice ignored him and turned to Althea.
“I’m sure Zander contacted you through some other method. I nearly drained my inner energy casting the spell around the Alpha King’s wing just to make sure I’d sense his presence p>
Althea nodded. She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the shard. Everyone immediately frowned because to their eyes, her palm was completely empty.
Althea exhaled softly, then murmured a short incantation. The air shimmered around her hand until the Luminis Shard came into view.
Candice’s face went pale. “A Luminis Shard she whispered, staring wide-eyed at the now visible crystal.
Candice took a shaky step back as if the shard itself radiated danger. “Are you insane?! Where did you get something like that? These things shouldn’t even exist anymore p>
Uriel’s brows furrowed. “What’s a Luminis Shard p>