Page 32 of Alpha Bride

Tristen is out with multiple patrols day and night. When he finally returns to the house, I’m already in bed, and he slips beneath the covers, pulling me close. I let him take what he needs, and in return, he gives me everything I need. Except for the words, I think deep down, I want to hear: that we are in this together. That he won’t reject me or our child. That he’ll love and protect us.

Finding out I’m pregnant and learning more about my parents has made me think about my own childhood with a fresh perspective. I think I understand better why Marian kept me close but not too close. And why I felt the older witches viewed me with tentative compassion, but equally preferred to let the younger witches raise me. They both grieved my mother and feared the magic they knew resided within me. Even Samantha spoke to me about my mother yesterday and how they used to play in this very meadow when they were young—I never even realized they had been close, so concrete was the wall of silence, the elders all complicit in keeping the fact that my magic hadbeen bound a secret. Even Samantha hadn’t realized the link between my father’s magic and Malik’s, though. Everyone is reeling from that.

All magic is elemental, even Tristen’s family gift. But Malik appears to be able to steal power from other magical beings, absorb them, and grow stronger…that is unheard of. Part of me hopes I can’t do that. I don’t want to be thought of like Malik. Marian said that my mother was in awe of my father’s powers but very secretive about him. She mentioned that he seemed to have the power of all the supernatural species and could almost pick and choose which to use.

I shudder, thinking about Malik with that kind of power.

“Emily,” Marian’s voice brings me back to the present. “We’re going to need to try again if you’re ready.”

I look over to where everyone is waiting for me. It feels strange to be the center of attention in my own coven when I have spent my whole life living on the edge, trying to blend into the background and help everyone else with their magic. And now they’re all looking at me like I’m some kind of project—an experiment. Something to be studied and gawked at.

We walk over to where they are all waiting, and I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as Marian begins the incantation. The wind instantly picks up, whipping around me, and light begins to spill from my fingertips as I struggle against the invisible binding. It’s beautiful and terrifying all at once. I feel like I’m being pulled in a million directions as the power surges through me, threatening to overwhelm me. Suddenly, there is a crack of thunder above us, and the entire meadow shakes.

I scream as pain sears through me, my muscles clenching so tightly that I can feel my bones groaning in protest. The ground beneath me rumbles, sending vibrations up through mybody. I fall to my knees as I hear someone shouting my name frantically.

I look up, tears in my eyes, to see Tristen pushing witches out of the way. His expression is one of raw panic as he reaches me. I don’t even know when he arrived or how much time has passed, but his touch is cool on my skin and grounds me.

"I'm here," he whispers against my ear. “Breathe."

It takes a moment, but I do as he says, focusing on him and the calming effect of his presence. The darkness around us begins to lift, almost as if the sun dares to reappear behind the turbulent clouds above.

“T-the baby,” I sob against his shoulder. “Is my baby okay?”

The pain was so terrifying, my only thought is for my baby as Marian and the healer rush over. The healer has to coax Tristen into letting go of me for just a moment to hold her hands over my stomach, as I’ve seen her do so many times for mothers. She’s checking to see if my baby is alive. Seconds feel like an eternity until she nods, smiling. “The little one is fine,” she soothes. “Sometimes our pain is not their pain. Especially true with this one; I can already sense the shifter strength.”

I look at Tristen and don’t miss the smile that crosses his face at the mention of his baby having shifter strength. “That’s my boy,” he grins, pulling me close again. “Or girl, obviously.”

Marian clears her throat, looking between us. “I think it’s time we get you back to the house. That is quite enough for today,” she says, looking over at the uprooted trees and the cracks in the earth that I didn’t even notice before.

I nod, feeling like my bones have been turned into jelly, as Tristen scoops me up into his arms like I weigh nothing at all.I’m used to him being strong, but today, it feels different. More protective.

We get into his truck in silence, both of us trying to catch our breath. I lean against the cold window as he starts the engine. “I’m glad I arrived when I did,” he says quietly. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It was like a funnel of light sucking in all the daylight. The sky was black. Your scream…do you think the magic is unbound?”

I shrug, concentrating on my body and trying to figure out if I feel any different. “Lighter,” I whisper. “I do feel something, but I can’t explain it.”

I rest my hand on my stomach, overwhelmed. Looking at Tristen’s disheveled hair and concerned-filled face, I’d say he feels exactly the same. All I want is to get home and shut the whole world out for a moment so I can think. Maybe I will figure out if the unbinding really has worked this time without everyone’s eyes on me.

We pull out of the meadow and onto the old coastal road in silence, both lost in thought. I look out to sea as it appears on my left over the sand dunes. Suddenly, I notice shapes moving fast along the shoreline, and my heart drops.

“Tristen?” I say, grabbing his arm. “Look.”

A group of rogues appears further along the road, soaking wet as they’ve clearly emerged from the sea. Did they swim in from a boat or around the coastline to avoid the runes? My heart hammers in my chest as more appear scattered along the dunes. Some have shifted, but their wolves appear much larger than usual, with eyes glowing so green that I can see them from here.

Tristen stops the truck and jumps out, yelling something at Ryan before reappearing at the door. “Stay in here, lock thedoor, and if you can, break through and drive straight back to town; I’ll clear a path.”

I shake my head; the thought of simply driving away and leaving him to deal with these monsters is completely unthinkable. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Goddamit, Emily,” he glares, “you’re vulnerable. These are shifters.”

“They look like a lot more than just shifters to me,” I say, the horror clear in my voice as I look out and see more of the glowing eyes approaching. Ryan and some of the betas have already shifted, but their wolves look noticeably smaller in comparison.

I nod as Tristen shuts the door without another word, but I have absolutely no intention of just leaving Tristen or my coven. I notice Marian rounding the trucks. Whatever weakness or tiredness I noted earlier is gone, replaced by her usual imposing appearance. Her white hair flows around her as her feet hover above the ground. When she looks in my direction, the silver in her eyes is more blinding than ever.

Marian wastes no time firing on the rogues. Her silver magic showers them with fire along the dunes, causing some to retreat in agony while others break through, attacking Tristen’s defensive line. I immediately see Ryan go down and scream from the truck, grateful when I see him dragged back by some of the betas, one of whom isn’t so lucky as I see a rogue tear into his flesh and fling him into the dunes. I gasp as his blood begins to soak the white sand, and he doesn’t get back up.

I can’t just sit here. I ball my fists, the fear and anger threatening to overwhelm me as I see two of the massive rogues advancing on Tristen. Looking down at my hands, I see they’vestarted to glow and feel as though they’re burning. I jump from the truck and run toward the sand dunes without thinking.

The rogues notice me and howl, their combined voices sending chills down my spine. I raise my arms, trying to summon the power I know now lurks within my grasp, but struggling against the fear that grips me.

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