Page 23 of Broken

I can’t help myself and I know I’m digging my own grave. “It won’t work.” The Omega groans but I ignore her, trying to bide my time. There’s a small tug in my chest that reminds me of all the stories my mother used to tell me about my father. Stories about mates and bonds and connected emotions. Rowan and Amand might not be physically here with me but I can feel them and that feeling is slowly getting closer.

They’re on their way.

“Of course, it will work. I’ve done too much for it not to. Everything is perfect.”

Briar is still staring into her little stone bowl, a deviant smile spreading across her lips. I lean back against the cave wall, trying to regulate my breathing before she steals more of my magic. I have no idea what she meant by the fact that I have more than Vince knows but I’ll capitalize off of it. “Nothing is perfect. You can’t use pure magic to resurrect something evil. It’s against everything that Mother Nature stands for. Besides, necromancy means that the first Alpha may not even come back with his soul intact. Briar-”

“Ugh!” My mouth is once again sealed shut with her magic, pain seeping into my skin as she glares at me. “I have done everything right. Studied the spellbooks. Learned from the other witches and then broke off on my own. This will work. The first Alpha will be here.” Despite the wrinkles I caught from before, Briar acts no older than some of the Omegas she’s stolen. Her temper reminds me of a spoiled toddler but her magic is strong and fierce, forcing me to focus on my breathing so I don’t pass out.

If I can’t fight her hold on my magic, she may very well take all of it and while I don’t have many qualms about dying, there’s one last Omega to rescue.

I also need to see my mates rip her apart.

Just beneath the pain, the growing bond between my mates and I tightens and strengthens. They’re close. “It won’t work,” I say again, just before the darkness claims me.

Chapter 19

ROWAN

Ten Minutes Earlier

“We’ll get him,” Amand growls but I’m not listening, throwing another punch at the wall before stalking into the small arsenal I keep in the food pantry. Amand has always hated my disorganization but it doesn’t matter. Vince just delivered our mate to a witch and possibly to his death. I might not be in love with Lev but the thought of not having him at my side, at our side, is unfathomable. Especially after the conversation last night where Lev told us that he could love us.

That he wanted to.

That he wanted a happy ever after.

It might not be possible for us with fatal attraction in play but I’m going to make our last moments worthwhile, whether it’s a few days or a decade. My beast is just beneath the surface, threatening to unearth itself. Hearing Lev’s voice over the phone has been terrifying to say the least, especially since we have no idea where he is. We also can’t just call up Vince and ask since he’s the one who handed our mate over.

Amand has the phone in his hand, on speaker as we wait for another clue. He mentions the woods and that's all I need to know. My magic can find him as we get closer but I imagine it has to be close to the bar. Lev’s voice wavers but it’s the scream that tears from his mouth that has a growl ripping from my throat. That witch is going to be shredded. No one will stop me from pulling her limb for limb until she’s scattered over the entire earth floor.

The scream stops, Lev’s heaving breathing meeting our ears. I’m halfway out the door when Amand asks for my phone to dial a number. I pay him no mind as I slip into the driver’s seat, Amand taking up the passenger side.

“You don’t know me but our mate rescued yours. We could use a little backup. I know that he worked a paid job and we can find a way to repay you but the witch has our mate and it doesn’t look good. There’s also still one missing Omega and-”

“Say no more. Send me your location and we’ll be right there.” The call ends and I stare over at Amand for an answer.

“Essence PI. They seem like they have a few resources if they paid Lev half a million dollars to complete the job. It’s a last resort but we can’t call the police. We’ll get Lev and then we’ll figure out what a future looks like.

I already know what I want in the future. Amand, Lev, and me. Anything above and beyond that is fine but that’s all I need. If that witch rips my version of a happy ending from me, I won’t rest until the entire world knows and feels what I’ve lost.

We park at the edge of the forest just behind the café, both of us hopping out to meet Cole’s Alpha, two other Alphas, and a witch that I don’t recognize following behind him. There’s no time for greetings, just a mere head nod before we trudge into the woods, my magic guiding me to Lev. The deeper into the forest we go, the more my beast fights to be let out. It’s been a long fucking time since either of us shifted. Our second form has a lot of pros in a fight but it also paints a much larger target on our back.

Being nearly 10 feet long and easily a few feet wide makes us both lethal and vulnerable. If it’ll save Lev, I don’t really care at this point.

Lev’s magic signature hits my nose, my beast bursting forth before I can stop it. A hiss rings through the brush as I push forward, the sunlight dimming until darkness surrounds us. We all have night vision of some sort, Amand and the others shifting until it’s just a group of beasts racing to tear apart a witch. Hisses and growls echo through the forest, a terrifying mixture of a pack. Basilisk and wolves working together are unheard of. Adrenaline pours through me as I slither across the earth floor, eyes trained on a small cave that holds my mate and the creature who will die at my hands tonight.

Or shall I say fangs?

A scream pierces the darkness, Amand doing nothing to slow my need for blood.

Take what is ours. Make her feel pain. Then we bring Lev home.

His words ring through my head, urging me on. The cave is not what I would have expected of an experienced witch, a woman who’s been part of stealing Omegas away from their home. However, the several ingredients along the back wall and the circle of symbols in the middle tell me everything I need to know. Briar has her hands raised over her head as she hums an incantation, Lev squirming beside her.

Tears are streaming down his face, his back bowed, and his lips parted in agony. Whatever she’s stealing from him ends now.

The middle of the cave begins to rumble and crack, a bright red light shining through. Absolute glee pours over her face as powerful magic spills through the cave. “You can’t stop me! I have done everything right!”

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