Page 3 of My Fated Alpha: The Royals

A narrow section of the dungeon’s wall collapsed.

“Take your positions,” Soleil commanded, and the rookies, resolved looks on their faces, followed right away.

A handful of imps burst out of the hole.

“Engage.”

The battle ensued, and Soleil bided her time while keeping an eye on her team, making sure that no one was taking any unnecessary risks. She slipped her hands into her pockets, her fingers finding and wrapping around the twin grenades.

The last ace she had up her sleeve, Soleil thought, but in this case it was in her pants. If things weren’t TARFU, she would have laughed at her own quip.

Aurora suddenly appeared by her side, grabbing Soleil’s arm as she muttered, “I’ve thought of something.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Call your heartkeeper.”

Soleil didn’t even hesitate. “No!”

Half of the wall crashed.

Her time had come.

Soleil prepared to run, but Aurora’s grip on her arm tightened, and the other woman insisted in a yell, “Call him! Your plan might work, but it’s not going to be without casualties, and you know it! But if you call him—-”

Soleil whitened.

“Call him!” Aurora pointed at the rookies. “If you care for them—-” She knew she was being heartlessly manipulative, but she didn’t care. “If you want to give them the best chance for surviving tonight—-”

“I hate you, Aurora.”

A whisper, but Aurora knew she had won. Thank God.

Soleil gently pushed her hand away, and Aurora let her.

“I’ll call him.” Soleil backed up a step. “But I’m also not going to wait for him to answer because...” Her upper lip turned up in an unusually mocking smile. “I do want to give everyone the best chance of survival.”

Aurora’s eyes widened.

No!

But it was too late, and Soleil had run past everyone, heading straight to the horde of imps.

“NO!” Aurora screamed and tried to run after her friend, but there were too many imps between them now, and she finally had to admit defeat.

Fleur reached her, demanding, “What’s the plan?”

“Help Soleil get to the center,” Aurora answered tonelessly.

Pain flashed in Fleur’s eyes.

Aurora furiously blinked back her own tears.

But they only allowed themselves a nanosecond of grief before throwing themselves into battle, knowing that it was what Soleil would have wanted.

SOLEIL WAS ABOUT THREE-imp-layers deep into the horde when she realized that her plan just might not be good enough.

A middle-level demon stood next to the hellhole, and as it locked gazes with Soleil, she knew there was a very good chance it might tear her throat out before she could even detonate the grenades.

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