Mated to My Intended's Enemy-Chapter 239 The New Star Rises

Freya’s POV

The forest pulsed with eerie silence as we approached the clearing. No birds sang, no insects chirped—nature itself seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of the coming battle. Silvano moved with lethal grace beside me, his body coiled with tension. Behind us, a contingent of our most elite warriors spread in formation, led by his father, Alpha Leo.

"The thermal readings confirm it," I whispered, checking the tablet displaying feeds from my Artemis system. "The real Morgana is positioned at the center altar. The others are magical constructs—powerful, but not flesh and blood."

Victoria stepped forward. "She’s channeling dark energy from the ley lines."

"Can you counter it?" Silvano asked his mother, his hand never leaving the small of my back, the mate bond between us humming with protective energy.

Victoria’s smile was grim. "I was containing your curse for months, my son. This witch’s power is familiar to me now."

Alpha Leo, a formidable figure with silver streaking his dark hair, squeezed his mate’s shoulder. "Don’t overextend yourself, my love."

Selene stirred restlessly within me. *She smells of death and decay. She wants our cub.*

I tamped down the primal rage that threatened to overcome me at the thought of Morgana targeting Isabella. My daughter was safely hidden in the pack’s emergency bunker, surrounded by guards and protected by layers of my own security tech and Victoria’s fairy wards.

"Remember the plan," Silvano addressed the warriors, his voice carrying the unmistakable weight of Alpha command. "The illusions will feel and look real, but they cannot inflict lasting damage. Focus on the center altar—the redhead with the black flame aura is our target."

I checked my modified stun gun—enhanced with crushed rowan berries and silver nitrate, designed specifically to disrupt witch magic. Not lethal, but it would buy us precious seconds if needed.

"She’s starting," Victoria warned, her eyes widening as the ground beneath our feet trembled.

The clearing ahead suddenly erupted with ethereal light as multiple versions of Morgana materialized, each with identical flowing red hair and hands wreathed in black flame. Their voices rose in unison, chanting words that made my ears ache and Selene whimper in discomfort.

"NOW!" Silvano roared.

Our forces split into coordinated teams, rushing the clearing from multiple angles. The illusion Morganas reacted instantly, hurling balls of black flame that singed fur and flesh.

"How fitting you’ll die together!"she snarled when she spotted Victoria and Moretti charging toward her.

Victoria’s hands glowed with pure white light, a stark contrast to Morgana’s corrupted black flames. "Your quarrel is with me, Morgana. These are my children you’ve targeted."

"Marcus was everything to me!" Morgana screamed, black energy crackling around her like lightning. "You helped kill him! Now you’ll know what it feels like to watch your loved ones suffer!"

The name hit me like a physical blow. Marcus Grimwood—the notorious rogue Alpha who had terrorized multiple packs years ago before being taken down by a coalition led by Alpha Leo and Luna Victoria.

"Marcus was a monster who slaughtered innocent wolves," Alpha Leo growled, his massive black form advancing on Morgana. "Is that the legacy you honor? Murder and vengeance?"

"He was visionary!" Morgana shrieked, her power flaring. "And Isabella’s blood will resurrect him!"

Understanding dawned with horrifying clarity—she needed Isabella’s blood, the perfect blend of wolf and fairy legacy.

I locked eyes with Silvano across the battlefield, our bond transmitting thoughts faster than words could. *She wants our daughter as a sacrifice.*

The knowledge unleashed something primal in both of us. Silvano’s roar shook the trees as he charged forward, dispatching two illusions with brutal efficiency. I fired my modified stun gun at a third illusion blocking my path.

Victoria was engaged in what looked like a direct magical duel with Morgana, streams of white light meeting black flame in spectacular collision.

"The altar!" Victoria called out. "Destroy the altar!"

I spotted the crude stone structure behind Morgana, covered in symbols that matched those Isabella had drawn from her visions. Racing toward it, I dodged magical projectiles while Silvano and Moretti provided cover, their massive wolf forms herding the remaining illusions away from me.

Just as I reached the altar, Morgana noticed my intent. With a shriek of rage, she abandoned her duel with Victoria and lunged toward me, black flames engulfing her entire body.

"You will not interfere!" she hissed, her face transforming into something barely human, consumed by hatred and dark magic.

Time seemed to slow as the witch’s flaming hands reached for my throat. I raised my stun gun, knowing it wouldn’t be enough to stop her at full power—

A blinding flash of silver light erupted between us, and Morgana was thrown backward with tremendous force. When my vision cleared, I saw Isabella standing before me, her small hands raised and glowing with the same silvery light that now surrounded both of us like a protective bubble.

"Isabella!" Terror and confusion warred within me. "How are you—"

"I followed the gold strings," my daughter said simply, her eyes shining with otherworldly light. "Grandma needed help."

Before I could process her words, Morgana recovered and launched herself at us again, this time with redoubled fury. "The child! Perfect! Both bloodlines in one convenient package!"

The protective bubble around us intensified as Isabella faced the charging witch without fear. "You’re the bad lady from my dreams," she said, her voice eerily calm. "You want to hurt my family."

"Isabella, get back!" I tried to pull her behind me, but she stood firm.

What happened next would forever be seared into my memory. As Morgana’s black flames reached the edge of our protective bubble, Isabella simply raised her small hand and said, "No."

The silvery light expanded outward in a perfect sphere, meeting Morgana’s black flames. Where they touched, the witch’s power seemed to dissolve like smoke in wind. Morgana’s expression shifted from rage to disbelief to—most terrifyingly—fear.

"What are you?" she gasped.

Victoria appeared beside us, her own hands joining Isabella’s. "She is what Marcus feared most—the next evolution. Neither wolf nor fairy, but something new."

Together, grandmother and granddaughter pushed the silver light forward, encapsulating Morgana in its glow. The witch screamed, a sound of pure anguish as her black flames flickered and died within the silver cocoon.

"This isn’t possible!" she shrieked.

Morgana’s only answer was a final, defiant scream as the silver light contracted sharply. When it faded, only a small pile of ash remained where the witch had stood.

The forest fell silent for one breathless moment before erupting in triumphant howls from our warriors. The remaining illusions had vanished with their creator’s death.

I dropped to my knees, gathering Isabella into my arms and checking her frantically for injuries. "What were you thinking? How did you even get here?"

"I told you, Mommy. I followed the gold strings." She touched my chest, right over my heart, then pointed to Silvano, who was racing toward us in human form. "They’re everywhere. Connecting everyone who loves each other."

Victoria knelt beside us, her normally serene face etched with concern. "Isabella has manifested abilities we didn’t anticipate."

Alpha Leo joined our huddle, his imposing presence softened by obvious pride. "Like her grandmother."

I looked around at the battlefield—the destroyed altar, the warriors tending to minor injuries, the pile of ash that was once a powerful witch consumed by vengeance. "Is it over? Truly over?"

Victoria’s smile was weary but genuine. "Morgana was the last of Marcus’s inner circle. With her gone, the vendetta against our family should finally be laid to rest."

I smiled, leaning into Silvano’s embrace as Isabella began excitedly recounting her version of events to her grandparents. Whatever challenges tomorrow might bring, we would face them together—bound by gold strings only Isabella could see, but all of us could feel.

"Take us home," I whispered to Silvano.

His lips brushed my forehead, the mate bond between us vibrating with renewed strength. "Always."