Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
Tabitha reached up and pressed her hand to her son’s cheek. “Of course I did, Son.
We all have a part to play, and this was mine. I accepted it. You need to too.”
“No. I won’t.” He shook his head, his voice wavering as a tear splattered on her hand from his eye.
“You must. And you must move on. The spell worked; my sacrifice has been accepted.”
“No, the fuck it hasn’t!” Cain snapped. He moved Tabby off him and shoved me over, leaning over her.
He put his hands over her, and they glowed. Until they didn’t. He tried again.
Tabby was still pale.
“Help me!” Cain growled at me, and I scrambled over to help him.
But we both knew it was not going to work. I tried anyway.
I put my hands over Tabby and tried to heal her with Cain.
Nothing happened.
“Mom, don’t okay? I need you, we need you. You’ve given everything; this isn’t right!” Cain shouted, the pain in his voice and heart infecting us all.
Tears ran freely as I sniffled, my heart clenched, my throat blocked.
Kai was there then, wrapping his arms around me, grabbing Tabby’s hand.
“I love you, Tabby,” he said, his voice thick as his own eyes wavered. “I will avenge you. The vampires will pay for forcing us into this path.”
Tabby smiled weakly and shook her head. “No, Nikolai, this was not the vampires.
This was the realm. The path you’re on only ends in balance if both sides lose.
Otherwise, it is not a balance.”
He rolled his eyes, then kissed her hand, laying it on her chest.
“You’re a crazy witch, but you’re ours, and we will remember you,” he said.
“You will.” She smiled, her breath shuddering.
“No,” I cried, turning into Kai who shook with his own emotion. His tears were wet on me as I accepted what was happening. Or tried to.
“Thank you,” I whispered to her. “For your sacrifice.”
She smiled between us but said nothing.
Brax and Derik came over with the twins.
My magic stirred inside me, and I swallowed at the pain that ached through my bones with it. I wasn’t sure if the pain was meant to continue, so I ignored it and moved over so the twins could see Tabby.
Her eyes went wide, then she grinned, her eyes closing.
“They absorbed the witches’ magic,” she chuckled breathily.
I frowned and looked at them.
“I thought Adrenna’s came to me? I felt it?” I asked.
“You absorbed Adrenna’s. That was the border magic; it belonged to you. The witch’s curse on the beast though? That was the witches’. Your children have that now. They must’ve seen the sparkles too,” Tabby winked up at me, then her eyes closed again.
Her breaths were shallow and slow as Cain held her to him. We all surrounded her, crying as she struggled to take each breath.
I was tired as she had predicted, my mind exhausted from the spell, but my body had none of that. It was still aching and throbbing. I winced as the pain clutched my bones in my ribs, a sharp pain stabbing me.
I sucked in a breath when it did it again.
“You okay?” Derik asked.
Brax was whispering to Tabby, and I tried to listen to what he was saying, but more pain stabbed my head.
“Ow,” I gritted out.
Brax turned to me, and Tabby peered around him. Her face broke out in a weak grin.
“It has begun,” she let out a final breath and fell into a peaceful sleep. One we knew she wouldn’t come out of.
Cain cried against her, holding her, rocking her as we all became silent, tears in all of our eyes.
I swallowed them down and nuzzled into Derik, who had Zale. I kissed them both as Kai laid Tabby’s shawl that had fallen off her shoulders over her body.
“I’ll take her to get prepped for burial. She’ll want to be near her swamp,” Cain sniffled, standing and lifting Tabby with him.
Nobody stopped him.
I turned into Derik and cried, my heart broken. It felt like my fault. I had insisted on the stupid spell.
“The spell worked,” a soft voice whispered from a few feet away.
I spun to the voice and looked over at Adrenna.
She was getting her shackles removed, looking over her body. Then she looked over at the beast.
But he wasn’t a beast anymore.
His body was human, naked, and slumped on the floor. He stirred and grunted, slowly rising from the ground.
I watched in fascination as the beast I knew stood up as a man.
As soon as his eyes fell on Adrenna, they lit up.
“Adie.” He grinned, then ran for her, and their mouths connected harshly.
I looked over at my mom and Galen.
“Take them to the human village. We’ll be in touch with details for Tabby’s funeral ceremony,” I murmured. Galen nodded solemnly, walking forward as Mom wiped her face of tears.
They interrupted the make-out session of the happy couple and led them away from the pack.
“Thank you,” Parker dipped his head toward me as Adrenna gave me a grateful look.
I nodded.
I couldn’t say more than that. Not when their happy ever after had cost Tabby’s life.
I knew that wasn’t the only reason we had done it, but it felt like it when my magic felt the same in me.
Sure, I felt fuller, my magic heavier but not more powerful.
I curled into Derik again.
Until the pain lacerated me again. I winced, sucking in a breath.
I gripped my stomach as a searing ache tore through it.
“What’s wrong?” Kai asked, standing up and coming to me. Brax held Enzi but looked up to me too.
“I don’t know,” I gritted out.
My magic swelled, and the touch of it on my bones fucking burned.
“My magic, I don’t know. It’s–” I screamed as it burned brighter and dropped to my knees.
There was a crack as my arm broke, my legs. I collapsed to the ground, my sobs turning to whimpers.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?