Page 124 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

Alex is quiet at my promise and then asks, seemingly wanting to change the subject. “How was your meeting with Dorian the other day?”

“You mean this morning?” I ask, amused.

He sighs. “Sorry. My head’s not all here.”

I can tell, but I just kiss his jaw.

“Dorian and the other Alphas want me to take over leadership of the North Alliance. But I’m already the leader of the South Alliance. How do they think that’s supposed to work?”

“Merging the two alliances?” Alex suggests.

They don’t want that. They want me to walk away from the South and focus on the North. I wish you would join in on these meetings, Alex.”

“Brian is there with you,” my mate reassures me. “Besides, I have my hands full with the Cross River Wolf Pack. They’ve not exactly taken their downfall from power that well. Marlene and the other witches are trying to sort out the mess that Karina has created of the witch covens in the North.”

He’s not given me an update on the situation since two days ago, and I study him. “What happened?”

I never knew that once a battle ended, there was so much left to do, so many loose ends, so many matters to sort through.

“Somebody needs to send your grandfather back to the Central Alliance. He’s insistent on getting involved with everything, and it’s a headache. He’s demanding to kill every dark witch.”

“I’ll have to agree with him there,” I point out.

“If it was that easy, sure.” Alex sighs. “But a lot of the younger witches were forced into learning the dark arts. For them, it was not a choice. Marlene has suggested taking those with her who are willing to change and relearn the roots of the magic.”

“Did you find out how Karina was able to convince all witches to swear their loyalty to her?” I ask, curious. “How did she get access to so many dark witches?”

Alex doesn’t look happy. “Karina’s nanny was a dark witch. I don’t know how that happened, but when she was born, this witch was the one who delivered her, and she had been by Karina’s side since she was a child. She was the one who introduced Karina to dark magic and her own coven. The prophecies Karina received were from those dark witches. Karina has been around magic for a long time. A year before Karina had her stepfather murder her mother, she got back in touch with those dark witches.”

I ponder over his words. If dark witches had been guiding Karina, I’m sure they would have shown her the path of the most bloodshed.

“Karina had the help of the dark witches in capturing the first witch coven in the North. She started with the weaker ones, captured them, and then forced them to swear their loyalty toher. Those that didn’t were tortured. The younger witches were forced to learn the dark arts. I’m sorting through it and Marlene is helping me. Can’t just throw everyone on the chopping block, now can I?”

I silently agree.

“It’s getting dark,” Alex looks at the sky. “Let’s head inside. You can tell me how it went with Noah and Tina today.”

I get up and hold out my hand to him, pulling him up.

As we begin walking, I ask, “What do you want to do, Alex? If you want, we can restore this piece of land. If you want to return and live here…”

My mate smiles down at me, tenderly. “The fact that you would even ask it is enough for me. This place is not inhabitable. Marlene told me that the soil has been imbued with dark magic for far too long. It can never be removed. Nothing can thrive here. Karina probably wanted to destroy the land on which my parents fell in love and lived their lives. She succeeded. I just have to accept that. Now, come on. I’ll cook us dinner.”

“You go ahead,” I murmur as an idea sparks in my head. “I’ll catch up.”

Alex shoots me a strange look but leaves. Alone, I look around and then walk over to a long-dead tree. Planting my hand on its trunk, I release a sliver of healing magic.

Nothing happens.

I pour in more magic.

Everything is still, and then the branch before me shakes. It’s a slight movement, but then a single, new leaf grows on the edge of the branch.

I stare at it before smiling.

Whistling a soft tune to myself, I turn around and walk back inside.

Nothing is impossible.

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