Page 62 of Curvy Alpha Bride
“She has always been weakened in the light,” Ivan says. “And she has only fed once. It seems reasonable to me that she won’t be able to attack over the next few nights.”
Shaw nods. “Last night was almost full illumination. Tonight will be total. The next night will be bright enough that the moon still looks full, but every night after that, the sky gets darker.”
Serra chews her lip thoughtfully. “I think we can relax a little. Hector, run out to the cabin and get the girls, and we’ll have a town meeting. We all need to put our heads together and share what we know so we’re ready to go back underground if need be.”
“And see our daughters,” a woman in the crowd adds. “We need to remember what we’re fighting for.”
“Yes, we do,” Serra agrees as she turns back to me. “What say you, Alpha? Do you agree with my suggestions?”
“I do,” I reply. “Let’s prepare as quickly as possible. We can have the girls here by noon and then back to the cabin by sunset. Get on it, people!”
As Hector leaves for the cabin, the rest of us restock the bunker and tend the daily jobs that ensure our survival. I never imagined there could be so much work involved in sewing a shirt, making boots, or preserving food.
We pause in our work to put together a meal in Town Hall as a treat for us and the girls. An almost festive air comes over us, and even Serra picks up on it, laughing and leading us in a song.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you singing,” I say, laughing. “I don’t think I’ve even seen you smile before today.”
Serra chuckles, smiling even more broadly. “A weight has lifted—all of us can feel it. Along with all our other rules for survival, there is also this one: take joy when you can. Savor it,and indulge in pleasure as often as possible. It keeps the heart strong and gives hope to the soul.”
Her words stir me, and the growing excitement I’ve felt since we decided to bring the girls back bubbles up inside me. I can’t wait to see Mabel again, even if she still doesn’t want to talk to me.
Just seeing her will remind me why I’m fighting. Serra is right—I need this hope, and so does everyone else.
By the time Hector’s truck pulls up outside, we have food laid out on the tables in the hall, as much as we can spare without affecting our stores. As the girls get out of the truck and greet their families, I feel free and clean, as if the witch has truly withdrawn.
When Finnah steps out, Serra runs to her, hugging her tightly and rocking back and forth. It touches me deeply to see the display, because Serra always acts so tough.
She loves her sister, though. It must have been horrible to be separated from her family for so long.
Finnah sees me over her sister’s shoulder and hurries to give me a hug. “Look at you,” she says, stepping back to look me up and down. “Your shoulders are so broad, you’ve got callouses on your hands—and I daresay, you look a bit taller.”
“Well, it can’t be the food,” I tease. “The service in this place is incredibly poor. Not even one star.”
Everyone chuckles, even though it was a shockingly poor joke. I hear Finnah reply, but I don’t hear her words, because I’m being drawn towards the truck like a magnet when I see the last person get out.
Mabel!
The second her feet touch the ground, the full noonday sun lights her up, making her pale skin glow with a golden sheen. Her long, dark, curly hair shimmers with shifting shadows and reflections from the sun, and her eyes smolder like storm clouds about to break into the devastating beauty of a winter blizzard.
I stop in my tracks, unable to take another step towards her. All I want to do is run to her, wrap my arms around her soft curves, and bury my face in her hair, but I’m frozen in place, struck by her beauty and desperate to know how she feels about me.
This time apart has clarified everything. I want her by my side for the rest of my life. I didn’t know it at the time, but without her, I was hollow. I denied my own heart, and almost lost the only thing I ever really cared about.
“Mabel,” the whisper rises from my lips, almost strangled in my tight throat.
She turns, her long, dark blue skirt swirling around her legs as she walks towards me.
“Xavier,” she says, reaching for my hands. When our fingers touch, a shock flows through me, swiftly followed by an unbelievable gratitude.
“I’m so sorry—” I begin, but she shakes her head.
“Don’t apologize, please. I understand now that you made the only decision you could. We can’t leave these people. This is our home now.”
“Yes,” I answer, relieved. “I didn’t want to let you down, and I know we’re in danger here, but—”
“Everyone is,” she reminds me. “Not just our pack, but the entire Range.”
Our pack.
