Page 109 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
The betrayal feels like a punch to the gut. Olivia, who I trusted. Who I thought of as family. Who listened to me talk about relocating, about building a future with Erik, with that strange expression on her face.
She has been reporting everything back to them.
“You’ve caused us quite a bit of trouble,” the man says, wiping blood from his scalp. “But no matter. You’re coming with us now.”
“No, she’s not,” Alex says, stepping between me and the man despite his injuries.
The man reaches into his jacket, and I see the glint of metal. A syringe.
That’s when Dylan appears behind me, out of nowhere. I see his reflection in the mirror hanging near the front door, his usually cheerful face grim with purpose. Before I can react, something hard connects with the back of my skull.
The world goes sideways, colors bleeding together as my knees buckle. The last thing I see before darkness takes me is Alex lunging forward, shouting my name.
Then, nothing.
Chapter 18
Erik
The unease starts as a whisper in my chest, so faint I almost dismiss it as anxiety about leaving Fiona. But as I drive through the winding mountain roads toward the northern border, the sensation grows stronger—a tugging at my ribs, a restlessness that makes my wolf pace inside me.
Something is wrong.
I try to shake it off, focusing on the mission ahead. The border incident Griffin described sounded serious—Silver Ring forces attempted to breach our defenses at three separate points simultaneously, suggesting coordinated planning. My expertise is needed to assess their new tactics and shore up our weaknesses.
But the feeling persists, growing more insistent with each mile I put between myself and Fiona. By the time I reach the halfway point, my knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
The mate bond. Even though it is dormant on her side, suppressed by Maya’s treatment, it still connects us. And right now, it’s screaming at me that Fiona is in danger.
I pull over at the next rest stop, parking beneath a flickering streetlight. My phone shows three missed calls from the surveillance team I left watching the café. My blood goes cold.
I dial immediately. The phone rings once, twice, then goes to voicemail.
“This is Commander Wild,” I growl into the phone. “Report your status immediately.”
I try the second guard. Same result.
Panic begins to claw at my throat. I call Fiona’s number, knowing even as I dial that she won’t be able to answer if she’s in trouble. The phone rings endlessly before switching to her cheerful voicemail greeting.
“Fiona, it’s Erik. Call me back immediately. I’m on my way.”
My hands shake as I dial Griffin’s secure line. He answers on the first ring.
“Erik? What’s your ETA? We’ve got three breaches and—” His voice cuts off abruptly, replaced by shouting in the background and what sounds like an explosion.
“Griffin!” I shout into the phone.
“I’m here,” he assures me, breathing hard. “Erik, it’s worse than we thought. The Silver Ring has launched simultaneous attacks on our palace and the Northern Kingdom. Full, coordinated assault. They’re hitting us with everything they’ve got.”
My blood turns to ice. “Casualties?”
“Unknown yet. Maya’s safe, but Cedric and Leanna are pinned down in their castle. This isn’t just border skirmishes anymore. This is all-out war.”
“Something’s wrong with Fiona, too,” I tell him, already turning the car around. “My surveillance team isn’t responding. She’s not answering her phone.”
There’s a pause filled with distant sounds of battle. When Griffin speaks again, his voice is grim. “How sure are you?”
“The bond is going insane. She’s in trouble, Griffin. Real trouble.”
