Page 41 of Alpha's Twins
“Serena!” I shout, my voice a raw, desperate plea. “I’m here. I’m so fucking sorry.”
She looks at me, and I feel the bond tighten, feel the warmth, the life, the power. I see the moment she decides, and she seems to know exactly what she has to do. She stands, her body trembling as she faces Malik, and I see the dark magic falter; the circle sputters as she reaches within herself, letting her magic bloom.
The forest responds, an explosion of life and color, and I watch in awe as the ground beneath Malik surges, vines twisting and swelling, a massive tree erupting from the earth beneath his feet. He stumbles back, his eyes wide with shock and terror as the tree envelops him before he can even raise his hands. Thick branches curl around his struggling form, obscuring him from view. I hear his scream, a furious, desperate sound that’s quickly swallowed by the thick bark, and then he’s gone, entombed within the tree itself.
The tree stands tall and impossibly ancient, considering it didn’t exist only moments before, its presence dominating the clearing, and I feel the dark energy that lingers just out of reach. The barrier dissolves to nothing in front of us, and I watch in horror as Serena collapses to the ground, the forest floor bursting into a carpet of flowers as if to soften her fall.
“No,” I scream, rushing toward her. “Serena,” I whisper, the name a plea, a prayer, as I press my forehead to hers. “I’m so sorry. I need you. Please.”
The bond pulses, faint and flickering, and I feel the tears burn in my eyes, the terror of losing her more real than anything I’ve ever felt.
“Aiden,” I hear Callum’s voice, but it’s distant, like it’s coming from the end of a long tunnel. “Get her out of here. Get her to the clinic.”
I’m dimly aware of everyone’s movements, voices, and sounds, but I operate purely on autopilot as I begin the journey to the clinic, holding Serena’s pale and unconscious body in my arms. I don’t know exactly what she did, but it’s clear that Malik is defeated, or at least contained. But so help me, goddess, if Serena dies, I will free him, so that I can kill him myself.
Chapter 21 - Serena
I’m floating in a thick, heavy fog, and everything is distant and muted, like I’m underwater. I think I hear voices, and I think I recognize them, but they’re muffled, and I can’t tell if they’re real or just in my head.
Aiden’s voice. Sharp and urgent, but it fades before I can make sense of it. I try to reach for it, try to hold on, but it slips away, and I’m left with the echo of it, the longing.
The fear.
The darkness closes in, and I see Malik’s face again, twisted and haggard, his eyes burning with a cruel, mocking light. He’s laughing, a sharp, grating sound that fills the air, fills my mind.
“I’m going to take everything,” he says, and I feel the terror wrap around me, cold and all-consuming.
I’m back in the forest, back in the clearing, and I see him standing over me, a mad hunger in his eyes. The dark magic is like a suffocating blanket, and I can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t fight. I feel the life, the warmth, slipping away, and I know it’s over. I know he’s won.
The babies.
The thought is a knife, cutting through the fog, and I panic, trying to fight to the surface of my consciousness. I want my babies, I want Aiden, I want my life. The darkness pulls me under, deeper and deeper, and I can’t find my way out. I hear a woman’s voice, warm and soothing, I think it sounds like Marian, but it fades all too quickly, replaced by Malik’s laughter echoing through my mind.
I’m going to take everything.
The words are a noose, tightening around my throat, and I feel my panic rising, a desperate, clawing need to know if the babies are okay. The fear is suffocating, and I feel myself slipping, the world going in and out of focus, the fight leaving me.
Aiden’s voice again, a distant rumble, and I reach for it, for him, but it’s like grasping at smoke. I feel the warmth of him, the life, the strength, and I know he’s near, but everything is blurred, spinning, and I can’t hold on.
Did Malik win after all?
The terror feels like a real living thing, a weight on my chest, and I feel the darkness closing in, blotting out the light, the hope. Was the tree that entombed Malik just a dream? Was it all a dream?
I want to cry out, but the sound dies in my throat, and I’m falling again, the fog thick and relentless.
The babies.
I feel something reaching for me, and I reach back, a desperate, wild grasp. I feel the bond, a flicker of light in the darkness, and it feels like Aiden. Like life.
I hold on to the feeling, hold on to him, the feeling of warmth growing stronger and more insistent. I gradually feel the thick fog begin to lift, and the world sharpens and comes into focus around me.
“Aiden,” I whisper, the name a breath, a prayer, and I feel him move even closer, his presence wrapping around me, pulling me back into the real world.
The darkness finally fades, the terror loosening its grip, and I hear his voice, clear and urgent. I know he’s with me, and I feel him holding my body close.
The babies. The words are a desperate pulse, and I feel the bond answer, a rush of love, fierce and undeniable. I gasp, the air rushing back into my lungs, and for the first time, I know I’m okay. I know I really did survive.
I force my eyes open and see his face hovering above mine, his eyes wild with relief and fear. “Serena,” he says, his voice breaking, and he pulls me even closer, holding me so tight I can barely breathe.
