Page 88 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

My jaw tightens in fury as I realize where it was that I saw it. At that moment, I hear Logan stir.

He’s awake.

But I don’t turn around just yet, my eyes trained on the red, bejeweled brooch.

At the banquet, I saw this brooch pinned onto Karina’s long cloak.

My hand tightens around the piece of jewelry, crushing it.

I’m going to kill that bitch.

Chapter 20

Sophia

“It was the fog,” Logan tells me as I give him the flask to drink some water. He sips the water slowly, before setting it down. “We didn’t see it coming. As soon as you stepped out of our sight, the fog just rolled in. We didn’t even get a chance to react before the paralysis set in.”

“The witches must’ve been waiting,” I say darkly. “I was able to create a barrier and I tried to get back in time but…”

“It wouldn’t have been any use,” Logan reassures me. “The attack was fast and planned. The fog paralyzed us within a few seconds. The portal opened up and soldiers arrived, attacking Alex. I tried to step in, but the effect of the paralysis was stronger on me than it was on him. He still had some fight left in him, but they knocked him out, and he was pulled into the portal right before my eyes. We heard you scream, but we couldn’t respond.”

He looks guilty and I shake my head. “There is nothing you could have done. You’re lucky to still be alive. Alex was probably able to fight of the effects because of our bond. But I know who has him. We’ll get him back.”

I gaze into the fire, my wolf snarling inside my head. My voice is low, filled with a rage that I so rarely experience. “I’ll get him back, or I’ll burn down the entire North Alliance trying.”

“If you know where he is, let’s go after him,” Logan urges.

“It’s not going to be that easy. Queen Karina wants me to act recklessly. She’s not going to kill Alex. Killing him means my death. She wants to get her hands on the Silver Wolf. She’s playing a lot of her cards all at the same time. The attack on the humans, the attack on Alex. She’s probably figured out that we’re going to try and stop the attack, so she’s trying to divide us. She’s right. Alex is a priority.”

“You have a plan in mind?” Logan asks me, studying my expression.

“We’re going to continue on to the South Alliance.” I hate myself even as I utter the words. I don’t know what condition Alex is in, but I know that going alone into the North Alliance is nothing short of a suicide mission. If Karina captures me, it’s over for all three alliances. She’ll get what she wants.

“My plan is a little strange, but if you can cooperate with me on this, Logan, we will be able to cut our journey in half.”

“Three days?” Logan stares at me. “I thought Ricker Town was at least a week away, and that was if we pushed ourselves.”

I look up at him. “No breaks. One of us sleeps while the other runs. And we switch roles. When I run, you sleep on my back. And when you run, I sleep on your back. When we switch, we eat and continue.”

The older man stiffens. “That’s ridiculous. I can’t…”

“This is not about what you want,” I cut him off, my tone severe. “Or about what is proper or now. This is about us getting to the others in time and letting them know what’s happened. We haveto prepare the soldiers. A lot has to be done and we don’t have time to waste now. Like I said, if you’re willing to cooperate with me, we can do it this way, or I can just go by myself and run without stopping. When I collapse, I collapse. It’s your choice.”

Logan studies me and then sighs. “Let’s go.”

I lift my hand. “Not like this. You’ve not recovered yet. Eat and sleep for a few hours. We’ll leave once the sun is about to rise.”

Logan doesn’t have the strength to argue with me. And after eating some dinner, he falls asleep. I tighten the barrier around us and lean against the tree, unable to sleep. Thoughts of Alex haunt me. Is he hurt? How bad is his head wound? Is he awake? How much pain is he in? What is Karina doing to him?

My eyes are unseeing as I gaze into the fire.

There’s a lot going on in my mind. Sleep evades me, and when Logan wakes up, the darkness is fading to give way to the sun.

He takes the first shift. He points out that there are dark circles under my eyes.

I pack some of the meat to save us time when it comes to hunting. Once Logan begins running with me on his back, it’s the strong beat of his heart that finally helps me to nod off. When I wake up, he’s stopped and is unloading the bag. It’s dark outside, and he looks tired, but he doesn’t say a word. However, as soon as we eat, I quickly shift and he climbs onto my back. The next three days go like this. We work in tandem, silently. He doesn’t offer me any comfort and I’m grateful for it. I know that Alex is alive. That is all I need to know for now.

It’s nightfall when we reach Ricker Town, and the first person I lay eyes on is Nathan.

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