Page 123 of Taming the Alpha's Daughter

The last barrier, the final layer of guilt and pain, falls away. Luna steps forward, cupping my face in her translucent hands. “I can't take back our past, but I can ensure your future.”

With that, she kisses me. It's a soft, heartbreaking touch, filled with centuries of longing and regret. It feels as though the very universe shatters around us. A resounding crack echoes as the power inside the pentagram reaches its zenith. Luna's shadows flow into me, adding to the maelstrom of energy.

Then the manor explodes.

When the dust settles, I find myself in the midst of chaos. The manor is gone, obliterated. Darkness envelopes everything, the weight of the silence palpable. Kyan sits up, his eyes frantically searching the rubble. When we spot a figure beneath the debris.

Kyan lunges forward, pushing through the rubble and pulling Marabella into his arms. Time seems to stand still. The weight of our actions, the sacrifices made, pressing down on us as we wonder if it was all for nothing. Everything we've endured, all leading to this singular moment. All leading to her.

The world holds its breath, as Kyan pulls her into our arms, he sweeps her hair from her face, hers covered in soot, when Kyan hears our father groan, peering around, we see him sit up. He gasps a shuddery breath as he looks over at us and what's left of the manor. Jonah clambers his way through the wreckage, throwing debris to get to us, before falling to his knees. A sob escapes him.

“It didn't work,” Jonah chokes on a sob. Kyan sucks in a breath, and time seems to stop when finally Marabella takes hers.

ChapterNinety

Temperance

I blink, forcing my eyes open, grogginess giving way to immediate panic. I'm in a van, the air heavy with a stale musk, and right across from me is Lucas. Even with his hands handcuffed and tape stifling his little cries, he’s trying to stay brave. Those big blue eyes, full of innocence, reflect anger and determination.

Beside him, little Casey lies, seemingly unconscious. I struggle against my own bindings, the cold steel biting into my wrists. The van's movements are erratic, causing my stomach to churn with every bump and turn when I am suddenly thrown into the side as the van turns sharply. I groan and roll on my back.

Lucas locks eyes with me, and I stare up at him. He motions me to be silent with a tiny finger holding his bound hand up to his mouth and giving me a shush, he nods towards the front of the van. My heart sinks when I see Satish at the wheel and Vince beside him, both of them engrossed in a low conversation.

I reach for the mindlink, trying to establish one with Eziah. But there’s nothing, just an ominous void. Panic rises, but I push it down, focusing on the immediate danger.

Suddenly, the van grinds to a halt and the back doors fly open, revealing a gloating Satish. “Hi sis!” he smirks, yanking me roughly out by my foot.

I plead, “Please, let the kids go. They have nothing to do with this.”

A sharp slap from him makes my vision blur for a moment and my ears ring. He starts dragging me, the chilling cold of the ground seeping through my clothes.

“Open the cage!” he orders Vince, and the air in my lungs freezes at his words. Visions of a dog cage, my past prison, flash before my eyes. My pulse races, the walls of the warehouse we are in seeming to close in.

Shadow’s calm voice emerges from the recesses of my mind. “Breathe, Temperance. Eziah will come for us. The Octavians will come for Lucas.”

But the memories are too strong, too haunting. “I can't go back there! I don't want to be in the dark! Not again,” I whimper.

Nova joins in, her voice soothing, “You won't. We're here with you. We won't put you in the dark,”Nova promises, but I don't trust them.

My pleas fall on deaf ears as Satish flings me into a cage; the cruel metal cold familiar against my back. Lucas is suddenly dragged out and tossed in the cage next to mine, Satish rips the tape from his mouth. Though he's just a kid, there's fire in his eyes. Casey, still groggy, is carried away by Vince. Her faint cries pierce my heart as she cries for Rose.

I peer around at our surroundings to find men everywhere, and it seems Satish has found a new place to call home. Yet as I glance around, I don't recognize anyone here. These are new people; a new pack of some kind. Satish kneels in front of my cage, and I shuffle back. He peers over his shoulder briefly.

“I know what a slut you are, so they'll get to play with you later, but first I have another use for you. Don't worry, they won't miss out on taking their turn,” he says with a wink. My stomach rolls at his words, and he laughs.

Suddenly, a woman emerges from the shadows, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Satish, and it takes me a moment to recognize her; his mother, Lorelei Thana. I've seen photos of her before, but never met the woman. “Mother, meet Temperance,” Satish introduces with a sly grin.

Lorelei sneers. “Looks just like her father! Poor kid.”

Yet, the woman's impatience is evident. “Where’s the other one?!”

“Being fetched,” Satish replies. “Soon we’ll have our revenge. But first we need the Gemini awakened, only then can we end The Moon Goddess and Octavian bloodlines.”

The woman nods and goes to leave when Satish grabs her arm, his eyes darting to me for a split second.

“Exactly how are you going to awaken the Gemini? I've tried. Are you sure it doesn't skip a generation? The Octavians, with that abomination of Kaif, return every twelve years. Believe me, there isn't a thing I haven't tried to awaken her. If she had two wolves, they would have shown by now,” Satish tells her.

Lorelei looks at me in the cage before coming closer and squatting down next to it. She peers in at me and smiles crookedly.

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