Page 57 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

My voice is hoarse. “I didn’t d–do anything to you. Why did you d–do this to me?” Getting those words past my throat is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

He takes my hand in his, but I still can’t discern his features. “This wasn’t my doing. I promise you I am going to facilitate a way for you to leave. Alice, you will not be branded. You will not suffer. I will make sure nobody gets to you. Consider this my gift to you. I wish I could have done more.”

He gets to his feet, and before I can stop myself, my hand reaches out to grab his sleeve. But my grasp is weak, and my hand falls back down. He notices and wraps his withered hand around mine.

“Do you want to say something to me?”

“Why won’t you let me die?” I gripe, forcing the words out.

He’s silent, and then he strokes my hair so gently that tears come to my eyes. “It’s a selfish reason. You remind me of someone precious. Live a good life, Alice. And remember, you are not weak, and you are not worthless. I meant what I said. You don’t owe the world anything.”

I watch him leave. I don’t owe the world anything? The world doesn’t seem to think that way. It’s collecting some sort of vicious debt from me.

I find myself fading away again. The next time my eyes open, I’m in the back of a car. I hear someone panting, and then I hear Jason say, “Don’t give up. Just a few more minutes, and we will be there.”

Mary’s voice is strained. “Her heart is quitting. I’m trying to hold on!”

Jason’s voice is hard. “Just a few more minutes.”

The world fades to black again.

The next thing I see is that I am in some sort of hospital room. My body feels stronger, but I am so tired. I look at the ceiling wearily. Exhaustion fills me.

“Why am I still alive?”

My voice is whisper-soft, but it wakes up the person sleeping in the chair beside my bed. Mary jumps to her feet, and when her face flies into my field of vision, I realize that I can see clearly now.

“Oh, thank God, Alice. I thought we lost you!” Mary sniffles, taking my hand in hers.

“Where am I?”

“A private clinic. How are you feeling?”

“Why did you save me, Mary?”

My friend looks at me, her eyes welling with tears. “You are very important to me, Alice. I don’t care if the whole world is against you. I believe in you. And I can’t lose you.”

Her words should make me feel better, but I just feel tired. “They called me a dark witch. Darian—He orchestrated it all. He told me—” I don’t want to think about it. “But I was nothing to him. He crushed me like a bug under his shoe. I just don’t want to—I know you must think I’m weak but—”

“I don’t think you’re weak,” Mary says fiercely. “I think you are incredibly strong. And you have to be even stronger now. You have to recover and live the life you wanted to live.”

I sigh, a hollow sound.

Mary grips my hands, her expression grim. “There’s a reason you have to live now.”

That’s when I notice the blood on her hands.

I look over the side of my bed and see a woman lying there, dead.

“Mary?” I ask cautiously.

My friend swallows. “There’s something you need to know.”

Chapter 11

Alice

I pack the sandwich in a plastic container before pasting a sticky note on it and writing a sweet message. After smiling at the note that I know is going to have the recipient laughing like a loon, I look over my shoulder and call out, “Mira, it’s getting late. Move your little butt.”

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