Page 31 of Alpha Bride

As I stride into the kitchen, I catch snippets of conversation between the witches. They talk in hushed tones, casting nonchalant glances my way before returning to their mixing bowls and ingredients. I clear my throat, and they all turn in unison, completely unbothered by my presence.

I raise an eyebrow at the mess in my kitchen. “What’s going on here?” I ask warily.

A witch with long, black hair steps forward. “We’re just…mixing potions for Emily,” she says quickly, gesturing to the back patio. “She’s outside.”

I nod, deciding not to say more to the witches currently trashing my kitchen, before heading out to find her. The sun is still shining, and Emily is standing underneath a tree with Marian, deep in conversation. Her hair is blowing in the wind, and she looks so radiant that it almost takes my breath away for a moment.

I know I need to tell her about Malik, so I let out a breath and walk towards them. They both seem to spot me at the same moment, Marian turning to look at me with the same aloof expression as usual, but unless I’m mistaken, there’s a note of mutual understanding there now that feels new.

“Tristen,” Emily says, her face lighting up as I approach, “I’m glad you’re here.”

Marian can’t help rolling her eyes at that. “Yes, apparently, we need to talk to you first,” she says dramatically.

Emily glares at Marian, which surprises me. “I…we…have been talking about unbinding my powers,” she tells me. “I-I can’t be vulnerable, and my powers might help us defeat Malik. If we understood what they are.”

I’m not sure what she’s expecting me to say, but she looks concerned. Marian simply studies me, waiting for my reaction. I let out a long breath. “We just received word that Malik knows about the baby and is actively hunting you,” I tell her, hating the way her eyes go wide with fear, and her hand immediately flies to her stomach as if to protect our child. “If unbinding your powers will keep you safe, then it might be worth a shot.”

Marian nods. “I told you wolves can be reasonable when they try,” she says dryly, which I ignore.

“But what about the baby?” I ask. “Will Emily and the baby be safe?”

I notice Marian’s demeanor shift slightly, looking more humble as she nods. “I believe we have more resources at our disposal than when we dealt with this issue before,” she says carefully. “Plus, Emily already carries this magic within her, whereas her mother did not. And the child, too, as well as being a shifter—I believe they are already designed to survive it.”

“And if you’re wrong?” I ask, my blood running cold.

Marian looks directly at me, the power in her eyes flashing silver to emerald in defiance of my question. “I won’t lose them,” she says finally. “I promised her mother I would keep her safe, and I will not fail.”

I look at Emily and see the certainty in her eyes; in my head, I know she’s right. But my heart is just filled with fear. The thought of losing either of them suddenly feels crushing. But the knowledge that Malik could find a way to break through our defenses again and attack at any moment is all too real.

I have no choice—for once, I have to trust the witches.

Chapter 16 - Emily

I bite back a silent scream of frustration as the tiny spark I swear I just saw on my fingertip dies before anyone else can see it. I glance around, but Marian is deep in conversation with Samantha and Merrick, one of the younger witches, who at least gives me a sympathetic smile.

I’ve been at this for two days now, with Marian trying to gradually unbind my powers rather than all at once. Apparently, it’s never been done before, but if anyone can do it, Marian can. But even I can see the strain it’s putting on her—the bags under her eyes and her usually luminescent skin have taken on a worrying gray hue. She also looks smaller somehow, which is disconcerting.

Looking down at my hands, I notice the tremor is back. Every time I push myself, the tremors follow. I guess Marian isn’t the only one showing signs of struggle. She seems to sense my thoughts and finally looks up, her face a perfect mask of serenity despite the frustration that is engulfing us all.

Waving the others off, she walks over to where I’m standing under the giant cedar, hoping that its substantial canopy will somehow guard the little sparks against being blown out by the breeze that flows around the meadow. Ironically, we decided to travel along the coastline to this meadow because Marian was concerned about unleashing my powers around too many bystanders. So far, theunleashinghas elicited about five random sparks. Not exactly fearsome.

“This isn’t working,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady even though my emotions are all over the place. I glance over at Ryan and the rest of the betas who Tristen has stationed aroundthe meadow to protect us, feeling like I’m wasting everyone’s time.

“That’s not entirely true,” Marian sighs. “Yesterday, there were no signs. Today there are…some.”

“Can we try to lift more of the binding magic now?” I ask, knowing that she’s worried about the repercussions, but there have been none so far. With Malik hunting me and the fear he knows about my pregnancy, I’m more than ready to have the means to defend myself and my unborn child.

Marian nods with understanding, “I know you’re frustrated, but I’m trying to keep you safe,” she tells me again. “Besides, we tried an hour ago, and I could feel the resistance coming from within you. You know, it’s not a case of doing the incantation, click my fingers, and suddenly, you have all the power.Youneed to welcome the power. At the moment, you’re pushing it away.”

I scoff for a moment before remembering who I’m talking to, taking in her raised brows and the flash in her eyes. I offer her a tentative smile as an apology. “I’m not trying to push it away,” I say quietly, “I want this. Why would I push it away when this power could fight Malik or at least help us understand him better?”

Marian chuckles before sitting on one of the tree's enormous roots. “I’d say there were a few very obvious reasons,” she replies. “This power took your mother. You’re pregnant, and all women are risk-averse when pregnant. You have a stubborn shifter mate who has a problem with witches…I think you’re about to dwarf his magic. You know it, and so does he.”

I sink down next to her, feeling like she’s just peeled back my soul and read my mind. “I don’t think…”

“Of course you don’t,” she interrupts me. “You’re not used to thinking of yourself as powerful. Now, you have to own up to the fact that you are a force to be reckoned with, and once we unleash that part of you, there is no going back. That scares you. Perhaps it should.”

I blow out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding as I consider her words. Tristen has actually been surprisingly supportive, more so than I ever would have imagined. When I see him, that is. Malik’s rogues are attacking the borders and even the ships coming from the mainland; thank goodness Tristen has an alliance with Nolan, the other pack alpha, so they can work together. Everyone is on edge, with stories of Malik shapeshifting into a sea monster to attack the coast…is that even possible?

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