CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 101: BROKEN CHAINS

The silver light from the broken crystal spread through Kael’s body like liquid fire. But instead of pain, he felt... complete.

"What did you do?" Celeste shrieked, backing away from him. Kael stood up slowly, the crystal pieces melting into his skin. "I figured out your trick.

That wasn’t my daughter’s soul in there. It was the missing piece of mine you stole years ago."

"Impossible!"

"When we were kids, you used to practice dark magic behind the school," Kael said, his ice skills now glowing with silver light. "You took something from each of us back then. A piece of our souls to control us later." Celeste’s face went pale.

"How did you—" "Because I’m the strategist," Kael smiled coldly. "And I just got my full power back." Meanwhile, in the abandoned school building, Elara dodged another shadow creature’s claws.

Her wolf was tired, and the baby inside her was making her movements slower. "You can’t run forever," the shadows whispered. "Just like you couldn’t run from being unwanted." The school around her changed, showing her worst memories.

Every time someone called her weak. Every moment she felt worthless. Every day she believed she didn’t deserve love.

But then Kael’s voice repeated in her mind: Stop fighting your memories. Embrace them. Elara stopped running. She turned to face the shadows surrounding her. "You’re right," she said strongly.

"I was unwanted. I was called weak. I did feel stupid." The shadows stopped, confused. "But that’s not who I am now," Elara added. "Every harsh word made me stronger.

Every refusal taught me my worth. Every moment of pain showed me what real love looks like." Her hands glowed with golden light - not the silver of the trial, but something pure and warm.

"I’m not running from my past anymore," she stated. "I’m grateful for it." The shadows began to dissolve, yelling as they faded away.

In the old training grounds, Ronan was surrounded by pictures of every fight he’d lost, every time his anger got someone hurt, every moment his reckless nature caused problems.

"This is who you really are," the illusions mocked. "Dangerous. Uncontrolled. A monster."

Ronan’s hands were bloody from punching the fake enemies, but they kept coming back. Then he heard Kael’s word and stopped fighting. "Yeah, I’m dangerous," he said, lowering his hands.

"I’ve hurt people. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve been reckless." The images smiled, thinking they’d won.

"But my anger protects the people I love," Ronan continued. "My carelessness means I’ll take risks others won’t. My scary side keeps my family safe."

His berserker skills flared, but this time they were controlled. The illusions collapsed before him. "I’m not ashamed of who I am," he yelled.

"I’m proud of it!" Deep in the underground tunnels, Darian was trapped in his worst fear - a room full of mirrors showing every lie he’d ever told, every secret he’d kept, every manipulation he’d used. "You’re just like your father," the mirrors whispered.

"Cruel. Calculating. Fake." Darian had been trying to smash the mirrors, but they kept growing. When Kael’s voice reached him, he finally stopped.

"You’re right," he said softly. "I am like our father. I do control people. I do keep secrets." The mirrors gleamed with success.

"But I use those skills to protect my family," Darian said, his shadow powers growing. "Every lie I tell saves someone I love. Every secret I keep protects them from pain.

Every tactic I use is to keep them safe." The mirrors began to crack. "I learned from our father’s mistakes," Darian added. "He used his skills for himself. I use mine for others. That’s the difference."

The mirrors shattered totally, leaving him standing in darkness - but it was a darkness he controlled.

Back in the pack house, Celeste was backing away from Kael as his strength grew stronger. "This can’t be happening," she mumbled.

"The trials are supposed to break you!" "They did break us," Kael said, ice and silver light whirling around him. "Then they rebuilt us into something stronger."

Suddenly, the air shimmered. Elara, Ronan, and Darian materialized beside him, each glowing with their own special power.

"Miss us?" Ronan grinned, his berserker strength sparking with red energy. "The separation spell is broken," Darian noted, shadows dancing around his fingers.

"Interesting."

"How?" Celeste screamed. "Because we stopped fighting ourselves," Elara said, her golden light getting brighter.

"We accepted our scars. They’re part of who we are." "No!" Celeste pulled out a black knife. "I won’t let you win!" She lunged at Elara, but all four mates moved as one.

Their powers combined - ice, berserker strength, dark magic, and golden light. The blast sent Celeste flying across the room.

She hit the wall and slumped to the floor, unconscious. "Is it over?" Elara asked, breathing hard. "Not yet," Darian said sadly. "She was just the puppet. The real enemy is still out there."

As if called by his words, slow clapping echoed through the ruined pack house. "Impressive," a familiar voice said. "Though predictable."

They spun around to see Alpha Marcus walking through the front door, but something was wrong. His eyes glowed with the same silver light as the trial creatures. "Dad?" Kael breathed. "Not exactly," Marcus smiled coldly.

"Your father was useful, but he’s been... replaced." "By who?" Ronan snarled. "By the real architect of this plan," Marcus said. "The one who’s been pulling the strings all along."

His form began to shift and change, revealing someone none of them expected. "Hello, my dear daughter," the figure said to Elara. Elara’s face went white.

"That’s impossible. You’re dead." "Death is such a limited concept," her father smiled. "Did you really think I’d let you live happily ever after? After what you cost me?"

"You died protecting me," Elara whispered. "I died because of you," he amended. "And now it’s time you paid the price."

But before anyone could respond, another voice spoke from the doorway. "Actually, it’s time you faced the truth." They turned to see Tobias Grey, but he looked different too. Younger.

More strong. And very familiar. "Who are you really?" Darian demanded. Tobias smiled sadly. "I’m the Moon Goddess’s son. And I’ve been trying to save you all from the beginning." "Save us from what?" Kael asked.

"From the curse that’s been destroying our family for generations," Tobias answered.

"The same curse that killed your mother, Kael. The same curse that’s been hunting Elara since birth." Elara’s father - or whatever was wearing his face - hissed with rage. "You meddling fool! The curse is justice!"

"No," Tobias said strongly. "The curse is payback. And it ends tonight." Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the damage around them.

"The real battle is just beginning," Tobias warned. "And this time, you’ll be fighting for more than just your lives." "What do you mean?" Elara asked.

Tobias looked at her growing belly, then back at her face. "You’re not just carrying one baby, Elara. You’re carrying the future of all monsters.

And there are forces that will do anything to stop that future from being born." Thunder crashed overhead as shadows began pouring through the windows.

"Get ready," Tobias said, power growing around him. "The real enemy is coming." The shadows took shape, showing an army of creatures that made the trial monsters look like puppies.

And leading them was a figure that made everyone’s blood run cold. The original Alpha. The first werewolf. The one who started the curse that had haunted their families for a thousand years.

"My children," he said in a voice like grinding stone. "It’s time to come home."