MATED TO THE BEAST ALPHA BROTHERS
Chapter 52: Risen from death?

Chapter 52: Risen from death?

"Move her body now."

The doctor’s voice cut through the heavy silence.

No one moved.

Archer sat beside Haelyn’s still form, his fingers laced tightly with hers. His grip was firm, refusing to let go. Around him, the others remained frozen, grief thick in the air.

Then...

A sharp gasp.

A sudden intake of breath.

The heart monitor, once flat, spiked.

Haelyn’s chest rose violently as if something unseen had yanked her back into existence. Her fingers twitched. Her lips parted...

A strangled breath tore from her throat.

The room erupted into chaos.

Marlyil screamed, stumbling back. Cerius cursed, reaching for his sword out of instinct. Seraphis stood frozen, wide-eyed.

Archer jerked away, his eyes wild with disbelief.

"What the hell..."

Haelyn’s eyes fluttered open.

She blinked. Once. Twice. Her gaze flickered across the room, taking in their faces...their shock, their fear.

"Why..." her voice was hoarse, weak. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Silence.

Then...Marlyil lunged, throwing herself at Haelyn, sobbing.

"You died!" she wailed, gripping her arms. "You... you died, Haelyn! We...we saw..."

Haelyn winced at the sudden contact but let Marlyil hold her.

Archer, still in shock, reached out hesitantly, as if afraid she would disappear again. His trembling fingers touched her cheek.

"You’re real." His voice was barely above a whisper. "You’re actually here."

Haelyn managed a tired smile. "Yeah. Looks like I’m not very good at staying dead."

A choked laugh escaped Marlyil. Cerius, still standing stiffly, muttered something under his breath.

But Haelyn wasn’t focused on them anymore.

Her gaze shifted to Archer. "Where is he?"

Archer blinked. "What?"

"Our son." Her voice cracked slightly. "I want to hold him."

Archer didn’t hesitate. He carefully lifted the small bundle wrapped in soft blankets and placed him in her arms.

Haelyn’s entire body relaxed the moment she held him. She inhaled shakily, tracing his tiny features.

"He looks just like you," she whispered.

Archer let out a shaky breath, brushing his fingers through her hair. "And he has your stubbornness."

The moment shattered.

The door slammed open.

Xander strode in, his face pale and grim. "We have a problem."

All eyes turned to him. But the second his gaze landed on Haelyn, he froze.

His face went slack.

"No... no way..." His voice cracked. "You were..." He pointed at her, stepping back as if seeing a ghost.

Haelyn tilted her head slightly, lips twitching. "Surprise."

Xander ran a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. "What the actual hell..."

"Xander," Cerius snapped. "Focus."

Xander clenched his jaw and nodded. "Lyra is dead."

A beat of silence.

"We found her at the pack house," he continued. "Malcolm is dead, too. And Arthur..." He hesitated. "Arthur killed Helen. Then disappeared. Layla is missing as well."

The weight of his words settled over them.

No one spoke.

They were shocked...but not worried.

Haelyn, still cradling her son, sighed. "She did it."

Artemis frowned. "What?"

"Who?" Marlyil asked, instinctively sitting beside Haelyn, wiping the sweat from her forehead like a concerned mother.

"KERES," Haelyn murmured. "She killed Malcolm."

Seraphis stiffened. "And how do you know that?"

Haelyn’s grip on the blankets tightened. "I was there."

Cerius scoffed. "No, you weren’t. You were dead."

Haelyn met his gaze. "I really was there. I saw it. I was in the room."

Rowena inhaled sharply, realization dawning in her wide eyes. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "She’s talking about her soul being there."

Seraphis turned sharply to her, eyes narrowing. Rowena had always been spiritually gifted, but this...this was something else.

Archer squeezed Haelyn’s hand. "You need to rest."

"No." Haelyn’s voice hardened. "We need to get away from here."

Marlyil looked worried. "Why?"

Haelyn’s breathing grew uneven. "I need to see my mother."

Silence.

Artemis frowned. "Haelyn... your mother is dead."

"I know where she’s buried."

The room turned ice cold.

Seraphis stared at her. "No one knows where Lunara was buried. Not even the elders."

Haelyn’s gaze darkened. "Except me."

Something ancient flickered in her expression.

"What’s coming... we all need to be prepared." Haelyn’s grip on Archer’s hand tightened. "I need one last thing to harness my powers. That’s what the Moon Goddess told me."

Seraphis exhaled sharply. "And where exactly are you planning to see your mother?"

Haelyn’s voice was steady. "At the center of the Mountain of the Half Moons. In the cave where she was buried."

No one breathed.

Seraphis’s hands curled into fists. "How do you know that?"

Haelyn didn’t blink. "Because she told me."

Tension cracked through the air like a storm ready to break.

Cerius finally spoke. "Fine. We make the journey to the mountain."

Haelyn nodded. "KERES isn’t the only enemy. She’s not even an enemy."

Xander raised a brow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Zareth isn’t even the problem." Haelyn’s voice grew colder. "There’s something bigger. Someone bigger. They’re going to try to wipe us all out."

A chill swept through the room.

Fear settled in their bones.

But the look in Haelyn’s eyes was something else.

"We need to go now."

Cerius narrowed his eyes. "It’s a four-day journey up the mountains. You’re not strong enough yet."

Artemis spoke up. "We take the cars."

"They can only go halfway up," Ravi reminded them.

"Yeah, then we have to walk about two days the rest of the way," Xander added.

Everyone exchanged glances.

There was no hesitation.

No doubt.

Seraphis finally exhaled, gripping her staff. "Then we leave now."

"Is one life worth limitless power?"

Zareth’s voice echoed through the dimly lit cave, his fingers tracing the jagged symbols carved into the stone walls. His dark eyes flickered with something unreadable as he turned toward the unconscious figure lying on the cold ground.

Nyx.

The glow of enchanted chains wrapped around her wrists and ankles, pulsing with ancient magic. Her breathing was shallow, her once-defiant face now eerily still.

Zareth exhaled, the weight of his decision pressing on his chest.

"The blood of a divine is a key..." He muttered to himself. "But is it worth the cost?"

A dark voice slithered into his mind. You know the answer.

His jaw clenched.

He stepped closer, kneeling beside her, his fingers hovering just above her throat. He could feel the raw energy beneath her skin...the power that could be his.

But something inside him hesitated.

Zareth had never hesitated before.

His fingers curled into a fist. "Damn it..."

A rustle in the cave entrance made him stiffen.

"Who’s there?"

The shadows shifted, but no one answered.

Zareth’s eyes narrowed, his senses sharpening.

Something was coming.

And he wasn’t sure if he was ready.

Meanwhile...

"You think I wouldn’t find out?"

Arthur’s voice was deadly quiet.

Marius barely had time to react before Arthur’s fist slammed into his jaw.

The older man staggered back, his chair crashing to the floor. Blood dripped from his split lip as he wiped it with the back of his hand.

"You’ve lost your damn mind..."

Arthur grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward. "Did you think I wouldn’t eventually figure it out? That I wouldn’t piece it together?"

Marius didn’t struggle. He just laughed. A deep, taunting sound.

"And what exactly have you figured out, boy?"

Arthur’s grip tightened. "Layla." His voice was raw, shaking with fury. "She’s not mine, is she?"

Marius’s smirk faltered...just for a second.

Arthur caught it.

His eyes burned with something feral. "You and Helen. You had an affair. And you..." His voice cracked. "You let me raise your damn child for years without saying a word?"

Marius exhaled, his amusement fading. "It’s not that simple, Arthur."

"It’s exactly that simple!" Arthur shoved him back, his chest rising and falling in sharp breaths. "You used me. Lied to me. Made me believe Layla was my daughter..."

"She is your daughter."

Arthur froze.

His nails dug into his palms. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Marius leaned against the desk, rubbing his jaw where Arthur had struck him. "You raised her. You loved her. You bled for her." He exhaled. "Biology means nothing. You are the only father she’s ever known."

Arthur shook his head, taking a step back. "No. No, you don’t get to say that. Not after everything."

Marius sighed. "I never planned for it to happen. But Helen and I..." He hesitated, watching Arthur’s expression darken. "We had history. Long before you ever met her."

Arthur’s vision blurred with rage. "And you never thought to tell me?"

"And destroy what little family we had left?" Marius shook his head. "You already hated me enough, boy. I wasn’t about to give you another reason."

"Hate you?" Arthur’s laugh was hollow, bitter. "You don’t even understand what I feel for you, old man."

Silence stretched between them.

Arthur’s hands were trembling. Not with fear. Not with grief.

With something worse.

"Where is Layla?" His voice was quieter now. More dangerous.

Marius hesitated. "I don’t know."

Arthur’s jaw locked. "Don’t lie to me."

"I’m not." Marius straightened, his tone leveling. "I swear it, Arthur. She was gone before I got back. Someone took her."

Arthur’s breath came sharp and ragged. His mind raced. Layla was missing.

And he had a sickening feeling he knew exactly who had her.