Trapped with the Alpha King (Althea) novel Chapter 215

can fix this.”

She pressed her trembling hands against his chest, already summoning her power. Golden light flickered weakly between her palms.

Cain shifted back slowly, painfully, returning to his human form. His body looked fragile now, broken and burned by dark magic. The corruption pulsed beneath his skin, spreading with every breath.

He reached out and gently caught her wrist.

“Stop,” he said softly.

Althea shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face. “No. Please don’t say that. I can do this. I healed Riela. I can heal you too.”

Cain smiled faintly, a tired, peaceful smile she remembered from her childhood.

“You’ve already done enough, my little star.”

Her breath hitched. “Don’t call me that,” she whispered desperately. “You always say that when you think you’re leaving.”

His thumb brushed her cheek, wiping away a tear. “You were never meant to carry all this pain. But because of my greed I-”

“The magic,” Althea cried. “It’s still spreading. I just need time.”

“There is no time,” Cain said gently. “Rett’s attack was designed to consume from the inside. That dark magic does not leave survivors. I am sorry Althea… I failed you as a father.”

Zander stepped closer, his expression grave as he examined Cain. “He’s right, Althea. If you force the healing, it will consume you too. He’s bound to die and you must accept it. Let him go…”

She turned on him with tear-filled eyes. “No. I need to save my father. I know he can still redeem himself and aton-!”

“No.” Gavriel moved instantly, kneeling beside her and gripping her shoulders firmly.

She struggled against him. “He’s my father!”

Her power stirred on its own as she stared into his eyes. She didn’t need him to speak. His thoughts poured into her mind, heavy with regret and pain. He was sorry. He finally understood how wrong he had been, how much damage he had caused. And he realized it too late.

She felt it clearly. Not as a criminal’s guilt, but as a father’s regret for failing his daughter.

“And you’re my mate,” Gavriel said fiercely. “I will not lose you.”

Cain’s voice softened. “Listen to him. He loves you. Just as I always have.”

Althea’s sobs broke free completely. “I never cared about blood. You were there. You raised me. You protected me. That makes you my father.”

Cain closed his eyes, overwhelmed. “That was all I ever wanted to be.”

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The dark veins spread rapidly now, creeping up his neck, across his face. His breathing became shallow.

“Promise me something,” he said quietly.

Althea nodded frantically. “Anything.”

“Live,” Cain said. “Live without guilt. Love without fear. And do not let my mistakes define your future.”

His body began to glow faintly, the dark magic reacting violently to his fading life force.

Cain’s hand slipped from hers.

“Father?” she whispered.

His body turned to ash in seconds, crumbling gently to the stone floor, leaving nothing behind but silence.

Althea screamed. The pain tore through her as she watched the only person who had cared for her since her mother’s death disappear before her eyes.

To others, her father was ruthless. A criminal. A man who deserved his fate. But none of that erased what she knew in her heart.

He had loved her. Truly. Not as a tool, not as a pawn, but as his daughter. And that love had been real, no matter what the world believed.

Gavriel pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as her cries echoed through the dungeon. He buried her face against his chest, one hand cradling her head as she shook with grief.

“I’m here,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

Zander turned away, his jaw tight then he froze. The ashes on the ground began to move. A dark mist seeped out from what remained of Rett’s remains, coiling upward, alive, sentient. It hovered briefly, pulsing with ancient energy, then drifted toward the shadows of the dungeon walls.

Zander’s eyes widened.

“This is not good,” he muttered.

Gavriel looked up sharply. “Why?”

The mist vanished into the stone.

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