Page 129 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

Thomas sees me and staggers back in fear.

As the white witches are engaged by the Black Arrows, I shift back and rush over to my daughter. She cries out to me hysterically. I take her in my arms, whispering, “It’s okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

“I want Mama!”

She’s clinging to my neck as I comfort her. When the white witches see me holding her, they intensify their attacks, and I roar, “Enough! What is the meaning of this?”

The fighting stops momentarily. Although the white witches are powerful, their strength lies in healing magic. They’re not well-versed in battle magic. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to stop before they get whatever it is they want.

One of them steps forward, her voice harsh. “That girl has the mark of a dark witch. We came to retrieve her. You have no business getting involved in this matter, King Darian!”

Thomas has also shifted back now, and while he looks pale, his eyes hold a familiar defiance. I’ve seen that look far too many times. The day Willow forced me into making that deal with her, he had that same smug look in his eyes, as if he’d gotten his way. But when Alice disappeared, he lost some of his leverage. He tried his best to manipulate me like a puppet, to control the royal palace from behind the scenes, but I never allowed father nor daughter any sort of power, especially not the kind they craved. Most likely, he found out about Mira and thought he could use her against me.

“She’s a dark witch!” Thomas declares. “She cannot be allowed to live!”

“Just like your daughter will not be allowed to live for exposing our kind to the human world?” I ask him, keeping my tone even.

Thomas freezes. “What have you done to her, Darian?!”

“I am your king,” I growl. “There is no familiarity between us. Don’t ever use my name again, or I’ll have your head.”

Thomas trembles. “Where is my daughter? What have you done to her?”

“Willow attacked my mate. And I’m starting to see that her doing so was merely a distraction. But she revealed her true formto humans, and as a result, she will now be imprisoned and executed. That is how our laws work, isn’t it?”

Thomas bristles. “You’re lying. She never would have done that! Willow was just going to talk to Alice…” He trails off.

“Talk to Alice? About what?”

“That dark witch interfered in her marriage!”

“There was no interference,” I growl. “Willow was never really my wife. She was only bound to me legally. You’re lucky I didn’t tear her heart out sooner. She will pay for what she’s done. And as for you—”

“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Thomas spits out. “This thing is a dark witch. She needs to die!”

“Talk about my daughter again, and I will annihilate your entire bloodline.”

From the lack of surprise in Thomas’s eyes, I can tell he’s already aware that Mira is my child.

The witch closest to him announces, “It doesn’t matter if she is of your blood, King Darian. She still carries the bloodline of the dark witches. She needs to be put down. It is our job as the white witches to—”

“The white witches will have no say in the royal kingdom anymore. I will not hand my child over to be executed or tortured or whatever it is you wish to do to her,” I cut her off calmly, holding Mira close to me. Jimmy has shifted back now, and his whole body is bloody from being badly attacked.

The witch before me takes umbrage. “Then you leave us no choice. You had a child out of wedlock. The white witches will not recognize this child or your mating. Your true queen is Queen Willow. You will rescind the divorce papers and have a child with her. Alice Lane and this child will be brought before the white witches’ coven and dealt with. We will not be lenient any longer.”

“You won’t be lenient?” I laugh coldly. “I’m afraid you have it backward. It is the royal kingdom that has been lenient with you all these years.” I narrow my eyes and look around. The Black Arrows are still in wolf form, ready to shed blood at my command. “You must think you have a lot of power in the Wolf Kingdom, but you don’t. I am the king, and I’m telling you that you will stay away from my family. If you do not, I will not hesitate to wipe out all the white witches.”

The threat has the witches turning pale. “You can’t do that. The white witches are the backbone of the Wolf Kingdom.”

“When it comes to my family being threatened, there is no line I will not cross,” I snarl. “You have attempted to manipulate me for long enough.”

The white witches exchange looks with each other before one of them steps forward and says coolly, “Perhaps it’s time for the Wolf Kingdom to have a change in leadership.”

I frown, and all of them suddenly crouch down and put their palms flat on the forest ground.

The white witches are known for their healing powers. But from the spots where they have their hands pressed down, dark streaks begin to spread out. As the streaks reach the plants around them, they turn black and wither away.

Thomas doesn’t look surprised, but the Black Arrows’ wolves instantly grow nervous.

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