Page 106 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

“And how are you going to stop me?” The Queen of the North Alliance tilts her head. “With that flimsy barrier that you’ve put up? How long will you be able to keep it up? And just how many attacks can it absorb?”

“As many as it has to!” I lie through my teeth.As long as it takes for the humans to escape. Although, I’m starting to think that I’ve not really thought this plan through. Even if they escape, where will they go? Karina can still chase after them.

Nathan who had hurried inside the gates at my orders, returns. His voice is low and urgent. “They have no way out. They had one other exit, which had been blocked off by Karina’s soldiers.”

Karina lets out a shrill laugh. “Oh, dear. Were you planning to help the humans escape? You really are a foolish child.”

I glare at her, feeling like an idiot. She continues. “I’ve been doing this for far longer than you. Of course I would block off any escape route. The humans aren’t going anywhere. And neither are you. It’s already over for them, Sophia. There is nothing you can do for them. Nobody is coming to help you. The South Alliance is under attack and they’re too busy saving themselves to come do your bidding. Your mate is imprisoned. You have to be a special kind of delusional fool to think you can stand against me and my entire army with just a handful of people and win.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Logan snarls. “Let us be delusional fools. An honorable death is better than being a prisoner.”

I give him a long look. “That’s cheerful. Thanks for the pep talk.”

“He has a point,” Patrick snarls as he looks at the sheer size of Karina’s army. “Let’s be real here, Sophia, we don’t have a very good chance. However, I would rather die than be captured. And if I go down, I want to go down fighting.”

The others agree and I feel despair.

“No matter what, I will get us out of here,” I vow, my jaw clenched. “I’ll find a way out. You won’t die here.”

“How sweet,” Karina remarks. “Delusional but sweet. Your companions will die, but how they die is up to you. I can give them a merciful death if you surrender. If you choose not to do that, I can make sure that the manner of their deaths is something straight out of a nightmare. And I’m quite creative when comes to killing. Your companions are well aware of this. After all, they watched me murder their parents.”

Jared’s face is pale. His hands curl into fists by his side, his knuckles white. “Let’s just get rid of the old bat. If she dies, her army will scatter.”

“So optimistic.” Karina sighs. “So, have you made your decision, Sophia? What’s your answer?”

I show her my middle finger. “This my answer.”

Karina smiles at me, her eyes angry. “That finger will be the first one that I break. Break down that barrier!”

At this point, my barrier has increased to cover the entire city, and I am expending a lot of magic. However, determination is also a form of fuel. I’m determined not to die.

Karina’s soldiers run in my direction and start slamming themselves against my barrier. My companions shift, but I hold out my hand, stopping them. “As long as you’re in here, you’ll survive. The minute you step out, her witches will weaken you and her soldiers will do the rest.”

“You want us to hide in here like cowards?” Patrick shifts back and snarls. “That is not how we fight!”

I turn my head to face him, my eyes flashing. “That is how I can keep you alive right now! We don’t have the numbers to win and dying pointlessly is useless. Stay here where you are safe. If it was only the soldiers, it would have been fine. But she’s using cheap tricks.”

Logan has also shifted back, and he looks at Patrick. “Fight smart, not stupid.”

Patrick bristles. “I’m sure you are used to being a coward since you’re a mercenary…”

“Enough!” I snarl at the two of them. “This is not the time to turn on each other. I’m telling you to stay. That is my order. You will not join the fight till I am able to take out all the witches!”

Unfortunately, we are close enough to Karina for her to hear everything and she laughs. “Take out the witches? Do you know how many witches I have at my disposal? You can take out a hundred and you won't even scratch the surface.”

Tweaking the magic within the barrier is no easy feat, but manipulating magic is a skill that the Silver Wolf has in abundance. However, I'm not an expert at it yet. It takes me time and effort to weave the magic together that will allow my attacks to land through the border but not vice versa.

Sweat is beading on my forehead and upper lip despite the cold. I have to concentrate on two tasks at the same time and both require me to use a lot of power. Maintaining the barrier and making changes to it requires my utmost focus. But I have to take out the witches at all costs.

“Sophia?” Logan catches me when I stumble back.

“I'm fine,” I gasp, my muscles straining.

“Don't touch our Alpha Female so casually!” Nathan snaps, pushing Logan away and steadying me.

“This is so not the fucking time,” I grit out. “Logan, throw some rocks, will you?”

Nathan stares at me, but the older mercenary picks up on my plan and smirks.

---