Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 228

Lisa's POV

I lay there on the cold stone floor, my body aching from the weight of the runes carved across my skin. The chains dug into my wrists and ankles, heavy and suffocating, but my mind was still sharp. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the faint connection that tied me to my children. That thread of bond, fragile yet unbreakable, was the only reason I hadn’t given up entirely.

Malrik had stormed out only moments ago, his fury echoing in the chamber long after his steps faded. He was reinforcing his wards, preparing to drown anyone foolish enough to come near in his cursed darkness. That meant my brothers-in-arms and my children were close. They were breaking through. I could almost feel them in the air, that subtle thrum of familiar energy pressing against the barriers that caged me.

I clenched my fists, ignoring the pain as the runes burned against my flesh. I whispered into the silence of the chamber, sending my mind out across the bond I shared with my little ones. “Elias. Aria. Lyra. Kael.” My voice trembled, but I pushed harder, my will clawing its way through the barriers Malrik had set around me.

For a moment, I heard nothing but the whisper of the cursed torches. Then, faintly, like a distant melody, Elias’s voice reached me. *“Mother?”*

My heart lurched. Tears stung my eyes. “Yes, my son. It’s me.”

*“We can hear you,”* Aria’s voice followed, soft but strong. *“We’ve been trying to reach you. We’re coming.”*

I swallowed hard, every breath scraping against my throat. “You must be careful,” I told them, forcing calm into my voice even though fear twisted inside me. “Malrik knows you are near. He will lay traps. He will unleash his darkness. He will try to break your spirits before you ever step foot in this place.”

*“We don’t care. We’ll break through,”* Elias said fiercely. His voice carried a strength far beyond his years. *“I can see his paths. I’ve drawn them. We’ll avoid the traps.”*

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head though they could not see. “Do not underestimate him. Malrik is cruel. He is powerful. He will twist everything against you. Promise me you will think before you act. Promise me you will fight together, not alone.”

For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then Lyra’s gentle voice, steady and filled with a resolve that made my chest ache. *“Mother, we know. But we also know you’re suffering. We feel it every time you cry. We can’t just wait.”*

“I can endure.” My breath hitched, and I pressed on quickly. “That is my purpose now—to hold on until you arrive. You must not rush blindly. If you come unprepared, you will only give him more power.”

*“We won’t let him win,”* Kael finally spoke, his tone quiet but firm. *“We’re not afraid anymore. You gave us that strength.”*

My lips trembled into a smile despite the pain. They were so young, yet so brave. I wanted nothing more than to hold them in my arms again, to tell them they had already done more for me than they could ever know. “Listen to me,” I whispered desperately. “Whatever happens, endure. If he tries to torment me, let it fuel you, not weaken you. Pain can be endured if the heart remains unbroken.”

The bond pulsed warmly in answer. *“We understand,”* they said together.

Before I could say more, the air shifted violently. A sudden snap tore through the chamber, like a chain being ripped apart, and the barrier I had been hiding my link behind shattered. My heart froze.

The heavy doors slammed open, and Malrik stormed back in, his cloak swirling around him like living shadows. His eyes burned red, his aura dark and suffocating. He had felt it. He knew.

I tried to pull back, but it was too late. His hand lashed out, striking across my face with a force that made my head whip to the side. Pain exploded along my cheekbone, coppery blood filling my mouth. The children’s voices cried in my head, but I willed them silent, desperate to protect them.

“You wretch,” Malrik spat, his breath hot with fury as he loomed over me. “It was you. You led them here.” His voice was venom. “Even in chains, even bleeding, you find ways to betray me.”

I met his gaze with as much strength as I could muster, tasting the blood on my lips. “Of course I did,” I whispered hoarsely. “They are my blood. My children. You will never keep me from them.”

His face twisted, his hand closing around my throat. The chains rattled as he lifted me slightly from the ground, his grip crushing. “You dare mock me? You dare defy me in *my* sanctuary?”

My lungs burned, but I still managed a broken laugh. “I will always defy you.”

With a snarl, Malrik slammed me back onto the runes. He raised both hands, dark energy spiraling around his fingers like writhing serpents. “Then I’ll take what you hold most precious—your life.”

I gasped as the energy struck me, sinking into my chest, clawing through my veins. It was as though molten ice spread through my body, freezing and burning at once. My strength was being pulled out of me, ripped strand by strand, my very soul dragged toward him.

He closed his eyes, his voice deep with satisfaction. “Yes… I can feel it. Your life. Your essence. All that you are, feeding me. Struggle, scream, it makes no difference. The more you fight, the sweeter it is.”

My body convulsed violently, my nails scraping against the stone floor as I tried to resist. Every part of me screamed in agony, but I bit down on my cries. I couldn’t let the children feel it. I couldn’t let my suffering break their focus.

“You’ll… never… win,” I forced out between ragged breaths.

Malrik’s laughter filled the chamber, echoing against the walls. “Win? I have already won. Look at you—pathetic, broken, bleeding. And your precious little ones? They march right into my jaws. I’ll bleed them dry before your eyes.”

I shut my eyes tightly, pushing past the pain, forcing my thoughts outward. *Children. Listen. Do not falter. He wants to frighten you. He feeds on fear. Don’t give it to him.*

Malrik’s eyes snapped open, and his grip on the magic tightened. “Still clinging to them?” he sneered. “Then watch as I sever the bond myself.”

The energy in my chest flared violently, ripping a scream from my throat this time. My vision blurred, black spots dancing across my eyes, but I clung harder to the bond. I would not let him destroy it. I would rather die holding it intact than let him rip it apart.

Through the haze of agony, I heard Elias’s voice, clear and strong in my head. *“We’re close, Mother. Hold on. We’re almost there.”*

I sobbed, both from pain and relief. “I’m here,” I whispered back, even as my body convulsed under Malrik’s power. “I’ll always be here.”

Malrik’s fury deepened as he realized he couldn’t sever the connection, no matter how much life he drew from me. His voice turned into a snarl. “Then I’ll drain you until there’s nothing left but an empty shell.”

The darkness surged again, crushing, unbearable. My scream tore through the chamber, raw and broken, but somewhere deep inside me, I smiled through the torment. Because I knew—my children were coming. And no matter how much he hurt me now, he could not stop what was already in motion.