Page 36 of Alpha's Heir

I pounded on his back, trying to break free, but it was useless. He carried me effortlessly, his strides long and steady as he moved deeper into the forest. The darkness seemed to close in around us, and I felt a growing sense of dread.

"How do you know about my pregnancy?" I asked, my voice muffled against his back. The question hung in the air, unanswered, as we delved deeper into the sinister woods.

Hanging over Preston's shoulder, the world was an upside-down nightmare. The forest, once a sanctuary, was now a twisted maze of shadows and grotesque forms. Trees bled dark, oozing sap, and the air was thick with a malevolent red and purple mist that seemed alive, twisting and curling around me like sinister serpents.

"What the fuck have you done to this place?" I spat, my voice filled with both fear and disgust.

Preston chuckled darkly. "The forest's magic told me about your baby. It speaks to me, it's one with me now," he said, his voice a blend of triumph and madness. "That's why you can never win."

I twisted, trying to get a better view of the surroundings. It was like peering into a demented wonderland. Creatures that shouldn't exist skulked in the shadows. I saw a deer with glowing red eyes and fangs dripping with venom, a nightmarish version of something once so graceful and serene.

"How is this possible?" I gasped, my voice barely a whisper against the overwhelming dread that filled the air.

"The magic here... it's changed, adapted to our needs," Preston explained, his tone casual as if he was discussing something as mundane as the weather. "We are the Unseen Pack, and the forest is our ally."

I saw a rabbit with a serpentine tail slithering across our path, its eyes glinting with a malevolent intelligence. The creature hissed, revealing fangs that were far too large for its small body, before vanishing into the underbrush.

Further ahead, a cluster of mushrooms pulsed with an eerie, unnatural light, casting distorted shadows that danced macabrely around us. The air was filled with whispers, sounds that were almost words but not quite, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. "You can't control this," I said, more to myself than to Preston. "This isn't natural."

Preston's laugh was cold, devoid of any real humor. "Control? No, little Alpha, I don't control it. We're partners, the forest and I. And it's hungry, always hungry for more."

The path twisted and turned, each step taking us deeper into the heart of darkness. Every so often, I caught glimpses of monstrous shapes moving just beyond the edge of vision, too quick to be fully seen, but leaving an imprint of terror in their wake.

It was a realm of nightmares, a place where the natural laws of the world no longer applied. The magic of the forest had been corrupted, twisted into something unrecognizable and terrifying.

Preston's grip on me never wavered as he navigated through this hellish landscape. I felt a sense of despair wash over me. If this was what the forest had become, what chance did we stand? My thoughts turned to Weston, to our pack, to our unborn child. What kind of world were we bringing her into?

The realization hit me like a physical blow. We were in a war we couldn't win, not against an enemy that had turned the very land against us. Fear, cold and sharp, knifed through me, but it was quickly replaced by a burning determination. I wouldn't give up, not while I still had breath in my body.

As Preston carried me deeper into the abyss, I steeled myself for what was to come. Whatever his plans were, I wouldn't go down without a fight. For my pack, for my family, for the future of all we held dear, I would find a way to fight back. The darkness might be closing in, but I wasn't defeated yet.

My heart hammered in my chest as Preston's words echoed through the twisted woods. "A sacrifice? You mean... my baby and me?" I choked out, fear and disgust mingling in my voice.

"Yes, Cora. Your child is the key. The final piece," Preston said with a sickening sense of certainty. His voice was cold, devoid of the friendship we once shared. "Your baby's innocent life will grant me the ultimate power."

I felt a wave of nausea at the thought, my mind racing for any possible way out of this nightmare. The forest around us was a labyrinth of horrors, a place where the line between reality and madness blurred. Shadows moved with a life of their own, and the air was thick with an oppressive, malevolent energy.

As we moved, I tried to loosen the binds around my wrists, wriggling my fingers to keep the circulation going. "Why, Preston? How could you do this?" I demanded, trying to keep him talking, to understand the madness that drove him.

Preston's laugh was like the sound of a grave. "Power, Cora. Pure, unadulterated power. With the forest's magic at my command, no one can stop me. Not you, not Weston, not anyone."

I felt a surge of anger and desperation. This man, who I once considered a part of our pack, had fallen so far into darkness that he was willing to sacrifice an innocent child for his own gain.

"You're insane," I spat, twisting again in an attempt to free myself. "You think you can just take whatever you want, even a life?"

Preston's grip tightened on me, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "It's survival, Cora. The strongest take what they need. And I need your child."

The forest around us seemed to respond to his words, the air growing heavier, more suffocating. I saw creatures lurking in the shadows, their eyes glowing with a hunger that chilled me to the bone.

Preston navigated the twisted paths with a confidence that spoke of his deep connection to this place. The forest was his ally, bending to his will, sharing its dark secrets with him.

I knew I had to keep him talking, to find some weakness, some way to escape. "And then what, Preston? You'll rule this hell?"

He sneered. "This 'hell' is power, Cora. Power that should have been mine from the start. Once I complete the sacrifice, nothing will stand in my way."

I felt a glimmer of hope as I worked at my bonds, feeling them start to give way under my persistent efforts. "You won't get away with this. Weston will come for me. He won't let you hurt our child."

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