Page 40 of Alpha's Twins
“Twins,” Callum exclaims.
“Woah,” Tristen laughs, “you are in trouble. Congrats, man.”
Hearing their congratulations does something to me, and I feel even stupider. Of course, this is good news. Why wouldn’t I see that immediately? I’ve never felt like a bigger fool than I do right now. How could I have walked out on her? And now she’s out there, scared. Of what?
A thought hits me just as another wave of fear rolls through the bond. Malik. The name is so clear that I know it comes from her.
“Malik,” I say down in the line, grabbing my keys and heading back out to the truck. “She’s scared of Malik. He has her.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Tristen reasons, but I can hear the concern in his voice.
“Ifeelit. I-I need help,” I tell him, and in the background, I hear them both shouting instructions to others before Callum comes back on the line.
“You’ve got it, we’re on our way,” he says, and I can hear his truck engine roaring to life. “Follow the mate bond, let your wolf take over. He’ll take you to her, and we’ll track you.”
“Em is calling the witches,” Tristen says, his voice full of urgency. “We’re near the coven now, so close to the border anyway. We’ll get to you.”
I hang up, my mind on fire, my wolf clawing to get out. I reach the edge of the woods beyond the property, letting the bond guide me and the fear drive me. The urgency pulses through my veins, and I shift, the world blurring as my wolf fully takes over.
I run, my paws pounding the earth, the scent of her filling me, a beacon in the chaos. She’s close. She has to be. The bond tugs at me, leading me deeper into the forest, and I push harder, faster, feeling the raw, electric pull. I can only hope that this new bond is real and true, and not leading me in the wrong direction.
The towering trees blur past, a riot of color and scents, and I know I’m getting closer. I know because the flowers are everywhere, blooming wildly, unnaturally, beautifully, and chaotically. The air is thick with their scent, and I feel the bond tighten, feeling the warmth, fear, and life.
Pure Serena.
I turn a sharp bend in the trail, and suddenly the air changes, a dark, ominous energy creeping in. My wolf senses it before I do, a wrongness that makes my fur stand on end, my wolf baring teeth. The scent of her is stronger now, and I follow it, my heart a wild, frantic beat.
I reach a clearing, and the sight in front of me stops me in my tracks. My wolf howls, the sound raw and furious. Serena lies in the center, unconscious, her body limp and surrounded by a circle of dark energy. The ground around her is scorched,the grass withered, and my heart stops as I see the blood on her head; it looks so stark against her pale skin.
A figure shifts beside her, hunched and twisted, and I know it's him. Malik. His face is gaunt and hollow, aged and filled with desperation, carved into every line. His eyes are fixed on Serena, a mad kind of hunger on his face, and I see the sickly glow of dark magic enveloping them both.
The sight sends a jolt of rage through me, and I lunge forward, my wolf wild and fierce, but an invisible force throws me back, the circle holding strong. Malik’s head snaps up, and I see the shock in his eyes as he stumbles back, his grip on Serena faltering before he recovers slightly.
“No,” he snarls, his voice a rasping hiss. “She’s mine. Her magic is mine.”
“Not a fucking chance,” I growl, the sound ripping from my throat. I shift as I approach the edge of the circle again, my body human now but seething with power. I feel the fire brimming beneath my skin, and I summon it, letting it surge to the surface, allowing it to consume me. The flames roar to life, and I release a volley at one of the magic circle markers.
“I’ll finish you once I have her magic,” Malik sneers. “Her gifts will rejuvenate me, and then I will have yours too,alpha.”
I ignore him. My only focus is on Serena as she stirs slightly. Malik’s powers are obvious, as weak as he is, and whatever he’s trying to do isn’t happening quickly. I summon my fire again and repeatedly fire at the magic circle markers. I can tell it’s infuriating Malik, but he doesn’t stop his spell, and the bond only urges me on as I feel Serena’s body trying to resist.
I glance up, seeing the forest explode with light as Callum bursts through the trees. His lightning immediately joins my fire as we focus on the circle. I’m vaguely aware that he has broughthis betas with him, and Ava too, who has shifted, something she rarely does, her wolf fierce and fixed on Malik.
Malik’s face twists with rage, his body hunched and desperate. “No!” he screams, his voice a raw, furious snarl. “You won’t take this from me.”
We don’t even speak, as no response is necessary, only brute force.
I barely register Tristen’s arrival, but I feel the force of it. The air fills with his magic as a tornado whips through the trees and batters the magic field of the circle.
A moment later, Marian, Emily, and the witches appear, white light surrounding them as they charge toward us. The other women follow, their presence a wave of energy and power. Marian’s magic joins with the alphas’, and I feel the heat, the force of it, surrounding us and battling the circle.
Malik’s face is a mask of fury, his eyes wild and burning as he tries to hold his ground. “I’ll kill you all for this,” he spits, but his voice is strained, his body shaking.
“Everyone focus,” Marian commands, her voice sharp and insistent. “He’s weaker than he looks.”
Malik’s face twists, and he falters again as the magic of all three alphas, the witches, and the pack finally begins to take its toll. The circle flickers, and the air vibrates with a raw, electric tension. I feel the bond surge, a desperate, urgent pulse, and I know Serena is fighting. I know she’s beginning to wake up.
I step forward, shouting her name even as the chaos continues around me. I see her trying to stand, weak and unsteady. Serena lifts her head, her eyes meeting mine across the chaos and through the magical barrier. I see herdetermination, fierce and unyielding, and I know she’s not done yet. She’s stronger than any of us.
