Page 36 of Alpha Bride

Perhaps I need to be further away from the shield, but the runes need to be closer.

I take another rune and push it against the shield, creating a tiny patch of disturbance in the shield. I wonder if it’s a genuine hole in the magic or simply disturbed energy. Before I can think about it, I suddenly feel Tristen’s presence. It’s like a warmth spreading over me. My soul is calling out to his. I look up as another wave of fighters moves through the forest in a blur of violence. I don’t see him at first, but I know he’s there.

Then I see him burst through the tree line and rush straight past the shield. Instinctively, I reach out a hand, almost willing him to stop. He looks desperate and feral as he shouts something to Ryan I don’t catch. Then he races off but stops abruptly, shifting into human form and glancing around.

“Well, well, well,” Malik says, walking to stand directly behind me as I return to my curled-up position in an effort to hide the runes behind me. “It appears that shifter bond even extends beyond their own pathetic species.”

I turn slightly to check where he is, but don’t respond. I can barely tear my eyes away from Tristen’s face. Despite the fact he’s covered in blood, and disheveled from the fight, he’s as handsome as ever. Something deep within me stirs at the thought of our family, and the very real danger that we will never have a future.

I physically feel it when Malik steps back into the center of the shield, his darkness retreating momentarily. Then, he claps his hands together. “It’s been a fun show, but I’m done waiting,” he declares. “It’s ironic that he knows you’re near but can’t see you. You can see him, though, and you can watch his confusion as your bond dies with you. When I drop the shield to kill him, he’ll see your body first.”

The cruelty of his words takes me aback. “Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?”

Malik pauses for a moment, as if thrown by the question, but then sneers. “You represent my brother’s greatest weakness and betrayal,” he says, leveling me with a hard stare. “Of course, I’d kill you anyway for your power, but I’m going to enjoy it even more as a final fuck-you to Aaron.”

As Malik spins around, lifting his hands high as his dark energy begins to manifest, I know I’m out of time. He’s going to kill me and my unborn child. And then, he’s going to kill Tristen. I fumble in my pocket for the last of the runes, channeling everything I have into them, making them burn my skin as their magic spirals almost out of control. Malik chants in an unrecognizable language, oblivious to my movements, as I pull the runes from my pocket. I glance at Tristen, whose eyes are fixed on me, almost as if he can see me, but the confusion in his expression tells me he can’t.

I know I only have one chance, one shot. Lifting my hand, I throw all the runes at the tiny hole made by the other two and follow up with a blast of dark energy that completely drains the last of my strength.

“You bitch,” Malik roars as the golden shield falters, almost completely fading. I roll over to shield my stomach from Malik’s advance and try to gather my power again. Facing Tristen, I see the exact moment he spots me through the faded barrier and unleashes his own attack, summoning a direct hit of hurricane-strength wind that breaks through, knocking Malik off his feet and flinging him across the clearing.

Chapter 19 - Tristen

My heart races with a level of panic I didn’t even know existed until now. With Emily gone and both she and our unborn child in danger, my mind races with the knowledge that I stand to lose absolutely everything.

My pack is under siege, and my family is gone.

The forest rushes by in a blur. When a rogue appears in front of me, I barely pause before ripping out his throat. The first time I saw the magically enhanced size of the rogues, I was intimidated. Now, fuelled by pure rage and desperation to find Emily, I barely register the threat. My fur matted with blood and dirt, I continue along the trail deeper into the trees, driven by an unseen bond with Emily that refuses to be severed.

I came so damn close to telling her how I really feel. What I really want. Her and our baby, our whole future. Why couldn’t I just say the words, or tell her before now? Why did I waste all this time when I knew right from the start? I knew it the first day I met her. My wolf knew, he tried to tell me, but I refused to see it just because she was a witch. I assumed the worst because of what Ralph taught me about witches.

Deep down, I know I don’t agree with Ralph on almost everything. Why would I believe him on this? I wish I knew the answer, but the truth is, I refused to listen to reason for far too long and wasted so much time. I don’t even know if Emily can ever be happy with me, considering how I’ve treated her. After everything she’s been through with her parents, the coven, her magic, and me treating her as though she were a criminal, why would she ever want to build a family with me? I don’t deserve her or all the opportunities I’ve had to make this right and failed to take.

I see fighting up ahead and realize that Ryan and a couple of my betas are being held up by a small group of rogues. One breaks free to attack me, but Ryan yanks him back while Oliver, one of my betas, tears out his throat. I’m relieved to see we’re taking minimal casualties thanks to all the training we’ve put in and the runes the witches have given everyone that offer some protection. But it’s not going to be enough if these rogues keep coming.

Intending to continue along the trail in search of Emily, I turn to tell Ryan, but suddenly pause, hit by the overwhelming sensation that Emily is near. The mate bond.

Glancing around the clearing, it appears empty, but it feels as though she’s standing right next to me. My wolf begins to feel disorientated, and my vision appears unable to focus properly on the space in front of me. Even though I can’t see her, I also can’t leave. So in tune is the mate bond, I know she’s here, even though I can’t see her.

Feeling dizzy, I shift back into human form and survey the clearing again. I’m dimly aware of a rogue behind me, taken out by Ryan, who is watching my back, but just as I’m about to say something to him, I hear an almighty crack that seems to split the very air around me. A flash of shimmering golden light almost knocks me backward, and when I look up, I can see Emily lying on the ground with Malik only a few feet away, standing in what had been an empty clearing only seconds before. Runes litter the ground near my feet, and Emily’s hands smolder with magical residue.

“You bitch,” Malik thunders, advancing on Emily, who is curled into a ball on the floor.

Knowing I have to stop him, I summon the power of the wind faster than ever before. A direct blast of the strongesthurricane wind I can muster sends Malik flying across the clearing. Rushing forward, I grab Emily and pull her away from the center of the clearing.

Running my hands over her, I’m frantic. “Are you okay?” I ask. “Did he hurt you?”

She shakes her head and clings to my shoulders. “He’s going to kill our baby,” she says, her voice cracking.

I shake my head. “No, he’s not,” I assure her, my voice strong and steady. Though turning back toward Malik, I feel my confidence slip slightly as he begins to shift right in front of me. Huge dragon wings unfurl from behind his muscular frame, which begins to twist in shape, scales appearing before my eyes. I should be accustomed to the shifting process, but seeing a dragon's metamorphosis is something different altogether.

Staggering back, I know I’ll need all my power to even stand a chance in this fight. But losing isn’t an option. As Malik’s dragon lifts into the air, I see the fire in his mouth and focus a volley of wind at his wings, knocking him off balance as he misfires a blast of orange fire.

As he slams into the ground, I see an opportunity and shift into my wolf form, launching myself at him, intent on tearing out his throat or at least damaging his wings. But as I get close, he whips around with his long black tail, sending me flying through the air. I crash into a tree and slump to the forest floor, momentarily dazed.

“Tristen,” Emily calls out, and I see her scramble toward me, dodging Malik’s tail. “I-I’ll hold him off,” she says, turning to face the dragon.

No,I think, pulling myself to my feet and shifting back. I sway slightly but draw on my reserves to use the power deep within me, summoning the very forest itself. Branches and vinesare ripped out by tendrils of wind, lashing out at Malik and entangling him. He roars and thrashes, trying to break free. Wrapped in vines and battered by the trees, I know it won’t hold him for long.

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