Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 226

Third person POV

The forest stretched wide and endless, its ancient trees looming like watchful sentinels. Night draped the sky in shades of black and silver, the full moon hovering above like a blade. The silence was heavy, pierced only by the crunch of boots against soil and the faint rustle of leaves stirred by the restless wind. Enzo moved at the front, his steps firm and unwavering, his aura radiating dominance and fury. Behind him, Ash, Kael, and Atlas followed, each carrying the weight of determination—and the shadows of their own fears.

The children’s visions had led them here. Elias’s drawings, Lyra’s whispers, Aria’s stormy predictions, and little Kael’s quiet nods had all pointed to this cursed place, a fortress hidden deep in the wilderness where no ordinary wolf would dare to tread.

“This is it,” Ash murmured, his eyes narrowing as the trees thinned, revealing a wide expanse of ground shrouded in a faint shimmering glow.

The barrier.

It rose like a dome, invisible at first glance, but with the heightened senses of alphas and warriors, its presence was undeniable. Power pulsed against the air, prickling their skin, warning them that what lay beyond was not meant to be trespassed.

Enzo came to a stop, his fists clenched. His eyes glowed crimson under the moonlight, his rage palpable. “She’s in there.” His voice was low, guttural, filled with a promise of destruction.

Atlas stepped forward, tilting his head, analyzing the barrier. “It’s strong. Old magic. The kind of enchantment only ancient blood can weave.”

Kael’s lip curled in distaste. “Malrik.”

The name hung in the air like poison, and all of them fell silent for a moment.

Enzo broke it, his voice sharp. “Strong or not, we break it.”

Ash shot him a look. “It won’t be that simple. This isn’t just a wall of power—it’s designed to kill anyone foolish enough to breach it without the key.”

“We have the key,” Enzo snapped, his gaze flickering toward the moon. “Her pain. Her bond. She’s reaching for us. That’s enough.”

Atlas stepped closer, his hand brushing against the barrier. The air hissed where his palm hovered, sparks of violet flaring as though the shield itself recoiled. He yanked his hand back with a grimace. “It’s feeding on her power. That’s why it’s so strong.”

Enzo’s eyes darkened, fury surging through him. “Then we take it down and free her.”

Kael shifted his stance, drawing the blade strapped to his back. The steel gleamed with a greenish sheen—the poison coating he had carefully prepared under Lyra’s instructions. “I’ll cut through anything that stands in our way.”

Ash smirked, though his eyes held no humor. “Don’t go charging in without a plan, Kael. This isn’t some simple raid. Malrik’s expecting us. He’ll have traps layered everywhere.”

“I’ve already seen them,” Elias’s voice echoed in Enzo’s mind, faint but certain. His son’s small, steady tone wrapped around his heart, steadying the storm inside him. *“I showed you the maps. Follow them, Papa. Avoid the spikes hidden under the ground, the poisoned mist near the southern edge, the illusions guarding the main hall. Go where I showed you.”*

Enzo clenched his jaw, his gaze sweeping over his brothers. “We follow Elias’s vision. Not a step out of place. Understood?”

They nodded, the weight of the child’s foresight binding them.

Atlas drew in a deep breath, his aura flaring. “I’ll unravel the first layer of this barrier. It’ll fight back, but once it’s weakened, you’ll have an opening.”

Enzo moved closer, his hand gripping Atlas’s shoulder. “Don’t hold back. Burn yourself if you must. We don’t have time to play games.”

Atlas smirked faintly, though his eyes burned with the same fury. “When have I ever held back?”

He stepped forward, raising his hands. Power surged from him, raw and crackling, meeting the shimmering dome. The barrier hissed violently, sparks flying as the two forces collided. Atlas roared, his veins bulging as the energy clashed, pushing against him with the weight of centuries.

The ground trembled. The trees shuddered. The air warped with heat.

Enzo stood ready, his aura flaring red, his claws extended. Ash and Kael flanked him, their weapons drawn, their eyes never leaving the flickering shield.

With a guttural growl, Atlas forced his power deeper into the barrier. Cracks of light splintered across its surface, thin at first, then spreading wider. The dome screamed, an unearthly sound that rattled their bones.

“Now!” Atlas bellowed.

Enzo surged forward, his fists slamming into the fractured barrier. His power exploded, crimson waves colliding with Atlas’s violet force. Ash added his own, his lightning crackling through the air, striking the cracks. Kael swung his poisoned blade with all his might, the steel biting into the glowing shield, carving a tear into it.

The barrier wailed, shattering outward in a violent eruption of light. Energy burst into the forest, scorching the earth, felling trees, sending shockwaves that rippled through the night.

For a moment, silence reigned. Smoke curled upward, the stench of burned soil filling the air. The shimmering dome was gone, shattered into fragments that dissolved into nothingness.

Enzo straightened, his chest heaving. His eyes glowed brighter, his lips curled into a snarl. “We’re in.”

Ash scanned the treeline, his senses sharp. “Not for long. That noise woke the whole damned fortress. They’ll be on us in seconds.”

“Then let them come,” Kael growled, his blade gleaming. “I’ll cut down every last one.”

Enzo stepped forward, his gaze locked on the fortress looming ahead, dark and jagged against the moonlit sky. His heart thundered in his chest, but it was not fear—it was rage, pure and unrelenting.

“I’m coming, Lisa,” he whispered under his breath.

From the shadows of the fortress, figures began to emerge. Wolves cloaked in Malrik’s power, their eyes glowing an unnatural red, their bodies twisted by his corruption. The ground shook as they approached, dozens, then hundreds, snarling and growling, their teeth bared.

Ash lifted his weapon, lightning sparking along its edge. “Looks like we won’t be bored tonight.”

Atlas cracked his neck, his hands still sparking with residual power. “Try to keep up.”

Enzo stepped forward, his aura exploding outward like a storm. His crimson energy wrapped around him, fierce and untamed, his presence alone making the corrupted wolves hesitate. His voice cut through the night like a blade.

“Kill anything that stands between us and Lisa.”

And then, with a roar that shook the very earth, he charged.

The battle for the fortress began.