Page 73 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

Once we’re outside, she finally speaks. “Are you going to tell me what that was about?”

I stop, turning to face her. The moonlight catches in her eyes, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. “I just needed to get you out of there.”

“Why?”

“Because,” I say, stepping closer, “I want to get you alone.”

Her lips part in surprise, and I take another step, closing the distance between us. “Gray—”

“I want to show you how much I love you,” I interrupt. “And I can’t do that in a room full of people. Not with a thousand other things hanging over our heads. Just us.”

At that, she smiles. A soft, genuine smile that sends warmth flooding through my chest.

“Then what are we waiting for?” she whispers.

Epilogue - Jaslyn

Six months of demon-free peace should feel like a victory. A win. But here I am, sitting in yet another meeting, and the restless energy in the room is almost enough to set my teeth on edge.

The discussion has already dragged on for over an hour. Despite Gray’s repeated attempts to keep things on track, the conversation keeps circling the same arguments. Should we stay, or should we go? Should we risk bringing more witches into the fold, or uproot the packs in the area and start over somewhere else?

I lean back in my chair, tuning out Damien’s booming voice as he goes on about the risks of staying put. Again. For someone who’s been an alpha as long as he has, you’d think he’d have more creative solutions.

“What do you think, Jaslyn?” Alec’s voice cuts through my thoughts, dragging me back to the present. “You’ve been quiet.”

I tilt my head, letting his question hang for a second while the room falls silent. All eyes are on me now, and I can practically feel Gray’s gaze burning into the side of my face. I keep my expression neutral, refusing to let them see how much the attention bothers me.

“I think that we’re all dancing around the real issue,” I finally say.

“And what’s that?” Damien asks, clearly unimpressed.

“That no matter where we go or how many witches we bring in, we’re always going to be a target as long as supernaturalenergy is involved. Shifters. Witches. We’re like a damn buffet to anything drawn to that kind of power.”

“Then we should leave,” Damien snaps. “Find somewhere remote, cut ourselves off—”

“And what?” I interrupt. “Spend the rest of our lives running? Waiting for the next threat to find us? Because it will. Maybe not demons, but something else. It always does.”

The room falls quiet again, and tension is thick enough to choke on. Gray shifts in his chair beside me. I can tell he’s biting back whatever he wants to say. Good. Let me finish.

“There’s another option,” I continue, sitting up straighter. “One that doesn’t involve running or isolation. But it’s not going to be easy.”

Alec raises a brow, his interest clearly piqued. “I’m listening.”

I take a deep breath, glancing at Gray before turning back to the room. “Malcolm.”

The name lands like a bomb. Damien’s lips curl in disgust, Jade’s eyes narrow, and even Theo stiffens beside Gray. No one likes talking about him, let alone entertaining anything that might involve him. But this isn’t about liking it.

“Malcolm is running a slave system,” I say, forcing the words out. “We all know it. And we all know he’s been hoarding witches for years—training them, using them. Who knows how many are under his control or how strong they are?”

“What are you suggesting?” Jade asks cautiously.

“I’m suggesting we take him down,” I reply bluntly. “Topple his entire operation, free the witches he’s enslaved, and bring them here.”

Damien scoffs. “That’s a suicide mission. Malcolm’s forces are huge. His influence—”

“Is built on fear and lies,” I snap. “We’ve dealt with worse. Hell, we’ve dealt with demons. Are you telling me Malcolm scares you more than that?”

Damien’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue.

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