Page 22 of Red and the Alpha
“Red.” Her nickname fell from his tongue like smooth butter.
Her gaze flew to his, and she instantly felt herself weakening.
“Please.”
“Kamila,” Kadir bit out through clenched teeth. “We must go. Now.”
“What will it be, Red?” Maxius’s eyebrows rose. “Or do I need to let your cousin in on our little secret.”
Kamila narrowed her eyes on Maxius. He was literally playing with fire, and by the look of his crooked grin, he knew it, too.
“Fine.” She snatched her arm away and stalked toward Kadir. She blocked out the low chuckle and tried to fight off the way her body had responded to Maxius.
From the sound of his laughter, he knew.
“What the hell was that?” Kadir asked, catching up to her.
“Nothing,” she muttered. She didn’t want to have to explain anything at the moment. She didn’t even know what was going on between them.
“It sure didn’t look like nothing,” Kadir quipped.
Kamila ignored him.
They marched down the path where the gathering would take place around the pyre. Kamila had to push down her fear of seeing her grandmother burn. It was a day she thought she would see in the future. It wasn’t fair that her grandmother had been taken. Hazel should have died from old age. A witch mixed with Fae blood would be expected to live well past a hundred years old.
They came upon the opening of the path that let out into a massive area with hundreds of people dressed in dark clothing.
Kamila wasn’t sure if the chill she felt was from the crisp air or the sight of her grandmother being carried toward the concrete hearth. Her body was wrapped in white linen sheets, which prevented them from seeing her face, but Kamila knew without a doubt it was Hazel.
Kadir held out his arm, and Kamila took it. The two of them had been close to Hazel. At the moment, she would need to share the strength from her cousin.
All eyes turned on them as they strolled down toward the pyre. Heads bowed out of respect for Kamila. She glanced at the crowd, and when they arrived at the front, she turned to find her parents and Kadir’s mother standing together.
Tears slid down Mave’s and Wendal’s faces. The two sisters resembled each other. They were a year apart and had often been confused as twins.
Kamila and Kadir separated and stood before their mothers.
Mave instantly reached for Kamila’s hands, kissing the back of them as sign of respect for her daughter and as the next leader of the coven.
“Kamila. You are beautiful tonight,” Mave whispered.
Kamila held back the tears she’d ached to shed. Blowing out a deep breath, she held on to her mother.
“Thanks, Mom,” she responded, clearing her throat.
“Don’t worry about my mother. Hazel is where she is supposed to be. It is your time now. She has prepared you for this day. Now go make me proud.” Mave moved forward and kissed Kamila on her cheeks. “She is looking down on the both of you.”
“We’ve known since you were younger that you were special. Now prove Hazel was right,” Wendal said. She glanced at Kadir then turned her attention to Kamila.
Kamila gave a nod to her aunt, for she knew they both were right. Eternal Flame was her destiny.
A light flutter brushed against her psyche.
Maxius.
He was letting her know he was near. She was slightly comforted by it. She wasn’t sure why, but she was nervous.
As if sensing something was going to go awry.
