The Warrior’s Broken Mate novel Chapter 126

The air was thick with smoke and ash, curling against my skin and stinging my eyes. The world seemed to hold its breath as Elias and I stood side by side, with the Ash Queen looming behind us, her obsidian crown glowing faintly in the dark. Across the broken stone courtyard stood the sorcerer, cloaked in shadows that seemed alive, writhing and twisting as though eager for blood. His eyes burned like twin embers, locked on us with a hatred that was old and patient.

“You should have stayed hidden.” He hissed, his voice carrying like a whisper made of knives. “Now you’ve walked straight into your own graves.”

Elias shifted forward, muscles tense, his wolf just beneath the surface. The air around him bristled with power, and the growl deep in his throat was a warning that made the shadows falter for only a heartbeat. “Not today.” He snarled.

The sorcerer raised his hand, and the shadows surged forward. Creatures spilled out of the blackness–things with too many limbs, claws dripping with smoke, their faces warped and twisted like nightmares given flesh. Elias lunged into them with a roar, tearing through with brute force, his claws flashing in the dim light.

I lifted my hand, drawing on the magic that pulsed through me, ready to strike at the sorcerer himself. But before I could release it, he turned his gaze fully on me.Visit j-o.b._n-i-b ,,,, com to read the correct story. The world around me seemed to bend, a shiver racing through my skull. His lips curled into a smile, and his voice slithered into my mind like poison.

He isn’t your mate.

The words echoed, heavy and absolute. I blinked hard, shaking my head, but the ground swayed beneath my feet. “No.” I whispered to myself.

The sorcerer’s voice grew stronger, weaving around my thoughts. He is your enemy. He has always been your enemy. You just couldn’t see it until now.

Pain stabbed behind my eyes. My heart clenched, as though the bond I felt with Elias was being tugged and twisted into something false. I stumbled back, pressing a hand to my head.

“Fight it!” The Ash Queen’s voice rang sharp, like a bell breaking through fog. Her dark figure moved to my side, but the sorcerer lifted his hand and sent a wave of shadows between us, cutting her off.

The world narrowed to him and me. His eyes burned brighter, and the whispers in my head multiplied, crawling through every memory. Think, girl. Every time you’ve been hurt, every time you’ve doubted yourself, who was there? Was it him? Or was it me, waiting for you to finally see the truth?

I gasped. Images flashed before me–Elias standing too close with his fangs bared, Elias snarling in battle, Elias’s claws dripping with blood. My heart lurched, my breath ragged. The bond that had always felt like warmth now prickled cold, like a chain tightening around my chest.

“No.” I said, but my voice cracked.

Across the courtyard, Elias was fighting with everything he had. He tore through shadow beasts, his body moving like a blur of fury and strength. His shirt was ripped, blood streaked across his arms, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t even look at me. The sorcerer’s creatures kept coming, clawing at him, trying to drag him down.

And yet… part of me wondered if he wasn’t fighting for me, but against me.

The sorcerer’s laugh slithered through the chaos. That’s it. Let yourself see clearly. He has never been yours. He is the blade pressed against your throat.

My knees buckled. The courtyard flickered in my vision, fading in and out. One moment, Elias was slashing through monsters. The next, I saw him turning toward me, teeth bared, eyes filled with hate. My pulse thundered in my ears.

“Stop.” I begged, though I didn’t know if I was speaking to the sorcerer or to the images clawing through my mind.

The Ash Queen’s voice echoed faintly, but I couldn’t make out the words. The sorcerer’s whispers drowned her out, wrapping around me tighter and tighter.

And then Elias’s voice cut through, raw and desperate: “Fight him, baby! He’s in don’t let him win!”your head-

And then, in the chaos, I felt something break–like a wall shattering deep inside me. My power exploded outward, a shockwave that sent dust and stone flying.

When the world cleared, I was on my knees, panting, the courtyard cracked beneath me. Elias was standing only a few feet away, bloodied, eyes wide. His hand was outstretched, as though he’d been about to touch me.

But the sorcerer was gone.

Or rather… he wasn’t gone. He was inside me.

I could feel him crawling beneath my skin, his laughter echoing in my skull. The shadows clung to me, wrapping around my arms, sinking into my veins. I screamed again, clutching at my chest as the darkness poured in.

Elias’s face drained of color. “No.” He whispered. Then louder, a broken cry: “No!”

The Ash Queen shoved her way through the debris, her eyes blazing like molten fire. “She’s becoming his vessel–stop her before it’s too late!”

Elias lunged toward me, desperation tearing across his face, but I lifted my head before he could reach me. The shadows curled around my body like chains, and when my gaze met his, it was no longer mine. My eyes glowed with the sorcerer’s cruel fire. My lips parted, trembling, but the voice that slipped out was not my own.

“Hello, wolf.” The sorcerer purred through me, smiling with my stolen mouth. “Shall we finish what we started?”