BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 289: GEROD’S SACRIFICE

Chapter 289: GEROD’S SACRIFICE

{You have the heart of a leader and the soul of a dragon. Only you can bring our worlds together."}

The words hit like a blade through bone. "No—" I stepped forward. "There must be another way. We can find it again. We can—"

Gerod opened his eyes and fixed me with a look so ancient and calm that it rooted me where I stood. "Alpha Tor," he rumbled, voice softer now, like the sky before a storm. "You must let me go. The Island was never meant to survive what Ashanai has done. I have only delayed the inevitable. And now..." He lifted his heavy head, casting one final look across the dying horizon. "...the last of my flame belongs to you."

I turned to Freyr. He was trembling, barely keeping it together. The power that bound us to this realm felt fragile now. And Gerod the dragon, who had guarded Hanka Island for centuries, was choosing to fade so we could live.

So the fight could go on, and I clenched my fists, fighting the twist in my chest, and whispered, "We won’t let your sacrifice be in vain."

The air was thick with ash and silence, the sky above us still blackened from Ashanai’s wrath. Gerod trembled where he lay, his massive form heaving, smoke curling from his nostrils. His scales, once shining with golden fire, were now dull and cracked, like the earth itself had drained him. He tried to rise, and we all froze, Rou, Elle, Freyr, and I watching as the ancient dragon summoned every last ounce of strength left in his bones. Rou stepped forward, eyes wide with grief, and Elle placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

Gerod’s wings unfurled halfway, trembled, then lowered, and a low hum started to rise from the ground beneath our feet. At first, it was faint like the whisper of a heartbeat. But it grew. The very soil of Hanka Island began to glow faintly with golden light. Trees groaned. Wind stirred. Magic, old, sacred, and wild awakened. He was doing it, he was giving everything. Gerod let out a long exhale, and with it, his essence flowed into the Island. Light spilled from his chest, from the cracks between his scales, like molten rivers returning to the heart of the land.

We all dropped to our knees. Not because we were told, but because the weight of his sacrifice was too much to bear standing. His voice, deep but fading, rumbled through the ground like thunder wrapped in sorrow:

"I have restored the Heart Spring..." His glowing eyes found us, Freyr and I. "...I will rise again... when peace prevails."

And then, Gerod vanished. No flames. No burst of light, just a fading shimmer as if the Island itself had gently taken him in, folded him into its veins. The Great Dragon was gone but not lost.

The wind stilled and for a moment, it felt like the entire realm was holding its breath. The golden shimmer that had spread across Hanka Island began to settle into the land into the trees, the rocks, the soil. Light danced across the horizon like dawn peeking through a long, cursed night. And then, as if guided by one unspoken truth, we all dropped to our knees and not out of ceremony. But because it hurt.

Gerod was gone.

Rou fell forward, fists clenched against the ground. Elle, beside him, trembled her body rigid with the weight of it all. I looked at Freyr, his hand slowly curling over his heart, head bowed, his golden hair tangled with soot and salt.

And I lowered my head too, and beneath my fingers, the ground was warm, pulsing softly. Gerod’s essence lived within it now, he was the breath of the island, the magic in its roots, the fire in its heart. He gave everything, and a soft sound broke the silence, We watched Elle as a single tear slipped down her cheek and splashed onto the earth below her. Then another and her shoulders shook quietly as she whispered, "He was truly a great leader."

Rou moved toward her without a word and placed a steady hand on her back. I could feel his grief like a tide behind a dam, barely held. The ocean had stilled, and the skies were brighter. The darkness Ashanai had poured into the land had begun to recede, washed away by Gerod’s final act. But in that silence, in that sacred stillness, we mourned. We mourned the protector who became the Island itself, and in our grief, we made a vow that Hanka Island would never fall again.

The magic of the Heart Spring pulsed through the air, settling deep in my bones like a steady, quiet heartbeat. We stood within the Haven cave, the spring glowing brighter than it ever had before. Freyr was beside me, his hand warm in mine, his presence grounding as we all started in quiet reverence.

Gerod had done it, and he had given everything to restore this place: his power, his soul, his legacy. And now, the spring thrived once more, magic dancing like fireflies above its surface, humming in tune with life returning to Hanka Island. For a long moment, none of us spoke. No words could match what we’d witnessed, what we’d lost. Then we turned as one, moving out of the cave, out into the sunlight.

And we stopped, and just beyond the cliff’s edge, they came a ripple of power and precision rolling in like a storm on the sea. Warriors. Dozens, maybe hundreds. Armor glinting in the returning light. Banners cresting the wind like wings.

Paradise Bay Coven had arrived, and my heart thudded once as I saw them at the head of the army, Coven Lord Aurora and her mate Nessa. Aurora, with her commanding presence, her long, midnight-blue hair cascading down her back, her eyes sharp and focused. Every inch of her screamed royalty and war, an emblem of control. Beside her, Nessa was silent, deadly, and calm, her stance coiled with restrained power.

I stepped forward instinctively as Freyr had a smile on his face and Aurora spoke up, he nodded once, then spoke. "We sensed the evil and sent a guard to check and when he reported about the attack we chose to come and defend Hanka Island.

Nessa’s voice followed, quiet and absolute. "We came to defend the realm. And we’re not leaving."

Freyr stepped forward, his posture regal despite the weight of exhaustion lining his shoulders. The wind tugged gently at his hair, the sea behind him calm again, deceptively so. . "Aurora," Freyr said, his voice clear but laced with gratitude. "Thank you for coming to our aid. For bringing your strength when we needed it most." He gave a respectful nod to Nessa. "And to you, General.

Aurora inclined her head, and Nessa laced her hand in hers, and Freyr continued, his gaze scanning the soldiers behind them before returning to the commanders. "Hanka Island has been through hell," he said. "Ashanai stepped foot here, and the land bled for it. She corrupted the magic, raised creatures from the sea, and nearly destroyed the Heart Spring, and Gerod had to sacrifice himself for the Island to survive.

Aurora’s jaw tensed. Nessa’s eyes darkened. "But we held," Freyr said, voice tightening. "With Gerod’s sacrifice, we restored the spring, and now Ashanai is moving toward the Bay Shifter Pack."

Silence fell, heavy with meaning. "We need to go," Freyr finished. "Bay Shifter Pack is next. And if we’re going to stop Ashanai, we have to be ready. Together."

Aurora’s eyes gleamed, her voice sharp with resolve. "Then let us march. Paradise Coven stands with you."

Nessa stepped forward. "We’ll not let the darkness claim another inch of this realm."

As their army shifted into formation behind them, I reached for Freyr’s hand, and He squeezed mine back, firm and sure as Rou and Elle moved to stand beside us, and then we all left for the Bay Shifter pack.

The march back toward the Bay Shifter lands had begun, but my mind wasn’t in the movement. It was with the memory of Gerod, the moment his massive body shuddered and faded, the way his voice echoed in finality before silence took him.

"I will rise again when peace prevails..."

The ground beneath my feet felt steadier than it had in days, but my soul and my heart were far from calm. I kept walking beside Freyr, our arms brushing with every step, but I was somewhere else entirely.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Gerod giving his life to restore the Heart Spring and the way Gerod, a dragon, ancient and powerful, was brought low by Ashanai’s spreading darkness. If even he couldn’t withstand it without a sacrifice... What chance did the rest of us have?

I glanced over at Freyr. His face was calm, but I knew him well enough to recognize the storm that brewed beneath his surface. "I keep thinking about him," I said quietly, breaking the silence between us.

Freyr turned his head slightly, his gaze gentle. "Gerod?"

I nodded. "He gave everything so we could breathe for another day. But what happens when Ashanai pushes again? What happens when more of us are forced to make that kind of choice?"

Freyr didn’t answer right away, and I didn’t expect him to. I exhaled hard, the weight of it all pressing into my chest. "I’m worried, Freyr. Our people will fall before we can stop her. " I stopped walking, and he did too. I turned to face him fully. "We need counsel," I said, voice low and urgent. "We need the Moon Goddess. Her wisdom, her sight. If Ashanai’s power is growing... we can’t afford to stumble through the dark."

Freyr reached out and placed a hand on my chest, over my heart, grounding me.

"Then we seek her," he said simply. "Before more is lost. Before it’s too late."

And in his voice, I heard the same fear and the same determination that echoed within me.