Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Chapter 80 Roots of Power

Victoria

As if on cue, a pained howl echoed through the forest—not Tiny’s voice, but one of Leo’s elite guards. The sound made my blood run cold.

"You’re bluffing," I said, though uncertainty crept into my voice.

"Am I?" Marcus’s hologram gestured, and another image appeared—live footage of fighting breaking out along the ridge. I could make out Shadow Pack warriors engaged with Crimson Claw fighters, the skirmish already turning bloody.

I closed my eyes briefly, reaching deeper into my connection with the forest. *Help me,* I pleaded silently. *Show me the way.*

The response came immediately—a surge of energy through the roots beneath my feet, spreading outward like a map. I could sense the hidden mines, the patrol patterns of Marcus’s guards, and—most importantly—the weak point in their perimeter.

"Time’s running out, Victoria," Marcus taunted. "What will it be?"

I opened my eyes, a plan forming. "I need proof that Enzo and Aurora will be released if I surrender."

"You’re hardly in a position to make demands," Marcus scoffed.

"Neither are you," I replied coolly. "This isn’t about humiliating Leo. You need something that runs in my blood."

His expression flickered. Got you.

"So it was you," I pressed, my eyes narrowing. "You dangled Aurora in front of Enzo to force that bloodline test, didn’t you?" I pressed, stalling for time as I sensed movement in the trees behind me—Leo and his warriors repositioning.

Marcus’s jaw tightened. "Clever girl. You’ve figured out more than your father ever did."

"Then you know I’m more valuable alive and willing than forced," I countered. "Show me Enzo and Aurora, let me speak to them directly, and I’ll cross your border of my own free will."

As Marcus considered my proposal, I felt rather than heard Leo approaching.

"Very well," Marcus finally agreed. "But no tricks, Victoria. My patience has limits."

The hologram shifted again, showing Enzo more clearly now. One of Marcus’s men cut him down from his suspended position, allowing him to slump to the floor.

"Vic—don’t!" Enzo rasped, his voice shredded with pain. "He wants your—"

Static swallowed his words, the feed snapping back to Marcus’s sneer. "Satisfied?"

"With pleasure," Marcus replied before his projection vanished.

The battle was brief but violent—Leo’s warriors moving with practiced precision while I used my connection to the forest to warn them of hidden enemies and traps. Within minutes, the immediate threat had been neutralized, though distant howls suggested the fighting continued elsewhere.

"We need to move," Leo ordered, scanning the area. "Tiny, extraction plan Beta."

The massive Beta nodded, already on his comm unit coordinating our retreat. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Leo gripped my hand, his knuckles white. "That was reckless."

"That was necessary," I fired back, chin high. "The forest showed me where Enzo and Aurora are. We’re closer than ever."

His eyes softened despite his scowl. "You’ll be the death of me, Victoria."

As we retreated through the forest, Leo kept me close to his side, his body positioned to shield me from any potential threat. Despite the danger we’d just faced—or perhaps because of it—I felt a surge of confidence. Marcus had underestimated me, seeing only a half-blood where he should have recognized a new kind of strength.

"He’s afraid of me." I murmured as we reached the vehicles. My pulse quickened. Marcus knew something about the Elves—something even my mother never dared to uncover.