Page 13 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

The memory of that day comes to mind. I was so young, so my father always assumed that I wouldn’t remember exactly what went down that day. But I remember every waking moment, in vivid detail.

I had been half asleep in my room. Mariya had just read me a bedtime story when we heard a commotion downstairs.

“Stay in here, buddy. I’ll make sure everything is okay, and then I will come get you. Okay?” she had said.

I nodded as I watched her tiptoe across my room. My full powers had not yet kicked in, but my hearing was pretty good. However, after a day of playing and painting, I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open.

Where was my father?

Where was Jade?

I was just slipping into dreamland when I heard a loud crash.

“Mariya,” I called out.

I was scared. Something was terribly wrong. I was not sure what, but something had gone wrong.

Then my door had creaked open, and my nanny walked back in.

“Shhh, baby, you have to be quiet!” she whispered.

“Are you okay?” I asked because even then, I could see the clear worry on her face.

“I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

Then she had pulled a small bottle from her pocket. Her eyes were wild as she whispered something in a language I did not understand.

Then she leaned over me.

“I have something for you, Liam.”

I clapped my hands excitedly, but she had wrapped both of them in her right hand. “I need you to be quiet, baby. Now, I want us to play a game.”

I loved all her games.

Now, as an adult, I recognize that her “game” was just an attempt to keep me calm in a crisis. Unbeknownst to me, there were people in our house. We were under attack.

“Okay,” I said.

Then she had uncapped the bottle and asked me to open my mouth. “This is a small juice I am giving you. It will make you feel sleepy, and when you wake up, it will be morning, and we can go to the park.”

I could tell she was lying, but I did not want to upset her.

So, I let the cool liquid slip down my throat. It tasted vaguely of cinnamon, and I hated every second of it.

I opened my mouth to tell her I had swallowed it, but something was wrong.

Everything was all hazy.

“Mariya,” I tried to call out, but my tongue was too heavy.

My hands and legs were so tired.

I wanted to sleep.

My eyes drifted shut, and I was out.

When I woke up, Mariya was cradling me in her arms.

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