Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 212

Ash's POV

I had barely stepped through the gates when the children came running. Their small feet pounded against the stone courtyard, their little hands reaching for me with desperate hope shining in their eyes. Elias was the first to latch onto my leg, his small fingers digging into me as if he feared I would slip away too.

“Uncle Ash!” Elias cried, his voice breaking. His bright eyes, so much like Enzo’s, shimmered with tears. “Did you bring Mama back? Did you save her? Please tell me you saved her!”

Before I could even find my voice, Lyra crashed into me from the other side, her arms circling my waist tightly. She buried her face in my side, her words muffled but sharp enough to stab through my chest. “I want my mama! I want her now!”

Kael Junior and Aria stood just behind them, their little faces pale and trembling, their eyes filled with too much knowing for children so young. They didn’t run forward, but the way their hands clutched one another told me they were holding back sobs, holding on to each other for dear life.

My throat constricted. I wasn’t good with words, never had been. My role had always been to act, to fight, to stand firm when others wavered. But right now, these children looked at me as though I held the world in my hands, as though I could snap my fingers and bring their mother back. And I… I couldn’t.

I crouched down, Elias still clinging to me like his life depended on it. I lifted my hand, brushing Lyra’s hair back from her wet cheeks. “Listen to me,” I said softly, though my voice cracked despite my efforts to stay steady. “Your mama is strong. The strongest woman I’ve ever known. She’s fighting right now, and your daddies—every single one of them—are fighting too. We’ll bring her back, I promise you that.”

But the words weren’t enough. Elias shook his head violently, his tears spilling over. “No! You’re lying! You didn’t bring her back. You were supposed to bring her back!” His little fists pounded against my chest, each blow small but carrying a weight I couldn’t ignore.

Lyra sobbed louder, her thin frame shaking against me. “I need her! I need Mama! Why didn’t you save her?!”

Aria finally broke, her small voice cracking as she screamed, “I want Mama!” She collapsed onto the ground, her tiny hands covering her face as her sobs filled the air. Kael Junior bent down with her, his own tears silent but relentless.

The sound of their cries tore through me. I felt every scream like a blade cutting into my chest. I tried to pull them close, to wrap them in my arms, to give them the comfort I wasn’t sure I could give. “Please, little ones,” I whispered, kissing the tops of their heads. “Don’t lose hope. We’re not giving up. We’ll bring her home.”

But they didn’t calm. The more I tried, the more their sobs echoed through the courtyard. It was like they knew, deep inside, that something terrible was happening to their mother at that very moment, something they couldn’t escape.

I held Elias tighter, his tears soaking my shirt. My own eyes burned, but I swallowed it down. I couldn’t break in front of them. I had to be strong—for them, for Enzo, for Lisa.

It wasn’t until Kael and Atlas appeared behind me that the storm began to quiet. They moved with the same quiet strength I had always admired in them, the kind of presence that could steady even the most chaotic storm.

Kael bent down, his large hand resting gently on Lyra’s head. His voice, though deep, was gentle. “Little princess, your mama wouldn’t want to see you cry like this. She’d want you to be strong, just like her. Can you be strong for her?”

Lyra hiccupped, her sobs slowing just enough to nod weakly. Kael lifted her into his arms, rocking her gently as though she were still a baby.

Atlas, meanwhile, scooped Aria up from the ground and cradled her against his chest. “Shh,” he soothed, his voice soft in a way I rarely heard. “Mama will come back. You just have to rest, little bird. Rest so you’ll be strong enough to welcome her home when she returns.”

Elias clung to me, his sobs still wracking his little body, but even he began to calm under the presence of his other fathers. Kael Junior leaned into Atlas, his small hand gripping his father’s shirt tightly as though afraid to let go.

Together, we carried the children back inside. It took time—too much time—soothing them, whispering reassurances, rocking them in our arms until their cries turned into sniffles and then into soft, shaky breaths. Eventually, exhaustion claimed them. Their small bodies went limp against us, their tear-stained faces peaceful only in sleep.

Kael and Atlas laid them carefully onto the large bed, covering them with blankets and pressing kisses to their foreheads. I lingered by the door, watching them, my chest still heavy with the echoes of their cries.

When Kael turned back to me, his face was grim. “They need her, Ash. More than they need us, more than they need anyone. They need their mother. If she doesn’t come back…”

“Don’t say it,” I cut him off sharply, my voice harsher than I intended. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe. “She’s coming back. I won’t allow any other outcome.”

Atlas nodded, though the tension in his jaw betrayed his doubt. “Then we need to act. Now.”

I didn’t hesitate. I left the children’s chamber behind, my feet carrying me straight to Enzo’s quarters. He was there, his presence filling the room like a storm contained within walls. His armor was still stained with blood, his hands flexing as though he was restraining himself from tearing Bryan apart with his bare hands.

He looked up as I entered, his eyes sharp and wild. “What is it?” he demanded.

I didn’t bother with formalities. “We need Bryan to talk. He knows something, Enzo. Even if he doesn’t realize it, Irene must have left traces, hints, something he’s aware of. We can’t waste time searching blindly. We have to force it out of him.”

Enzo’s gaze narrowed, his jaw tightening. For a moment, silence hung between us, thick and heavy. Then he stood slowly, his height towering, his power radiating in every step he took toward me.

“Do you think I haven’t considered that?” he growled. “Do you think I don’t want to rip the truth out of him myself?”

“Then let us,” I said firmly, meeting his rage head-on. “Give us the go-ahead, Enzo. Let us set the room. Let us break him until he gives us what we need. Because if we don’t, Lisa…” My voice faltered for just a second, the image of her bound and bleeding flashing in my mind. I steadied myself, gritting my teeth. “Lisa will slip further from us.”

Enzo stared at me, his breathing heavy, his fists clenching and unclenching as though he was battling with himself. Then, finally, he nodded once, the motion sharp, decisive.

“Do it,” he ordered, his voice rough with restrained fury. “Set the room. Break him. I don’t care how long it takes, I don’t care how much blood you spill—make him talk.”

I inclined my head, my chest tightening with grim resolve. “As you command.”

Without another word, I turned and strode out, my boots echoing down the corridor. My mind was already racing with preparations—the chains, the knives, the fire, the tools that would peel a man apart until he begged to give up every secret he held.

Bryan thought he had suffered already. He thought losing his hand, losing his pack, losing his father was the end of his pain. He had no idea. His real torment was only beginning.

And I would be the one to deliver it. For Lisa. For the children. For all of us.