ISABELLA
We made it out of the dungeons in time to hear a small explosion. We all looked around to see where it was coming from. I looked at Isaiah with a horrified expression.
“That was the pack’s hospital.”
Victoria.
I quickly made my way to the hospital, praying to the Goddess for Victoria’s safety. Half the building had collapsed. Pack members were running out as I made my way through the crowd. Most of them crowded around Isaiah looking for directions.
Isabella-
Do what you have to do. I’ll go ahead.
I knew what the title Alpha entailed as I ran through the part of the building still standing. I could hear Isaiah yelling instructions to help anybody who was injured. I focused on making my way to Victoria’s room.
I stopped at her door…well, the space her door used to be. There was a huge hole where her room was. My heart was pounding in my chest thinking the worst. As if to answer me, I felt a burning pain in my back. Something was hurting her.
I frantically looked around for any signs of her. Then I heard my mother scream. No. I followed her voice around the corner and froze at the scene in front of me. A huge black wolf was leaning against a tree and I could tell it was my father. My mother was crouching near him. A few feet away was…Victoria! She was trying to crawl away.
As if she sensed me, she turned her head and our eyes connected. She was staring at me. She was awake. She reached out her hand and I immediately ran towards her. I needed to touch her, be close to her. Right before I could reach them, a force held me still. I was so close to her, my hand was only inches away.
I heard my mother gasp and her eyes went wide. My head was stuck in place but I could see out from the corner of my eye. Someone was coming near us-someone powerful. From the laugh, it could be only one person. Alaia slowly made her way towards us. She had a huge slash across her face that was knitting itself back together.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is. Didn’t expect you to be back so soon, Isabella. I guess I should wrap this up.”
She threw me a few feet away into a tree. Away from Victoria. I hit the ground hard but still couldn’t move. I looked up to see Alaia brandishing a knife.
“Sorry Vicky. Someone has to pay and you won the lottery.” Alaia raised the knife to throw it when my mother stood in the way.
“No!” My mother stood in front of Victoria with her arms outstretched. “Alaia, why are you doing this? I know you must be in a dark place after losing your child and I could never begin to understand what that feels like, but this won’t bring back your daughter.”
My mother must’ve struck a nerve because Alaia stepped back with a shocked expression. I followed her movements and realized I was able to move. I ran to Victoria and quickly pulled her into a hug. She was trying to speak but I shushed her and pulled her far away from Alaia.
“Alaia!”
I watched Isaiah carefully approach Alaia from behind her. She didn’t turn around but instead kept her eyes on my mother.
“Don’t you ever talk about my daughter,” Alaia growled. “No one could ever understand what it feels like!”
I’ll keep her talking while you guys get out of here Isaiah linked us. Was he insane? I was not leaving him with a murderous witch.
Isai-
Isabella, this is my fault. Let me fix this.
“Alaia, please. Look at me. Let’s talk about this,” Isaiah spoke softly.
Alaia’s eyes slowly turned black as she turned to Isaiah. “Talk about this, Isaiah? How could I talk to you when you’re busy looking for Zira, every chance you get? She is gone, Isaiah, and this one is the reason our child is gone,” Alaia said, pointing at Victoria. “She has to pay.”
“Alaia, I know you’re angry. I get it. I am, too, but we have to stop blaming people and focus on healing. It’s the only way to move on. Right now, you’re acting cra-”
Alaia grabbed her hair in frustration. “Don’t you dare call me crazy,” she screamed at him. With a flick of her hand she threw Isaiah far across the field.
Now! Isaiah yelled through the link.
He distracted her long enough for us to get close to her. My mother shifted at the same time as I did and we both lounged for Alaia. We were able to pin her down. We finally thought we had the upper hand until Alaia broke into a loud demonic laughter.
ALAIA
This was comical. Watching Isaiah trying to distract me while his mother and sister flanked me was hilarious but so motivating. I watched as Isabella and her mother attacked me, pinning me to the ground. How wonderful I thought. The one time they worked together was against me. I should be thanked for this. I couldn't help but laugh at this situation.
“Kill them,” the voices spoke to me. “You can do it.”
Of course, I could, but an idea popped into my head. I used my power to blast them off of me. I quickly grabbed the knife from the ground.
“You’re right, Luna Bella. I might not be able to bring my daughter back, but at least I can show how it feels to lose one.”
I made the knife bigger in my hand and threw it towards Isabella. In the blink of an eye, a black wolf jumped in the way and instantly fell to the ground.
No! Elena screamed inside my head.
It took me off guard to suddenly hear her voice, but I didn’t let that stop me. I had a plan and I wasn’t going to let anyone get in my way. Not even an Alpha.
I had to get out of there. I portaled my way back to the pack house. As planned, Omega Lisa and Omega Mary were waiting for me with my cloak and grimoire. I wasn't sure I really needed it, but I wanted it just in case. Omega Lisa handed me my cloak.
“Let’s go.”
We made our way to the dungeons, cutting down any pack member in my way. No one mattered to me in this pack and I was out for blood. We finally made it to Nas’s cell. He was still chained up and looked furious.
“Aren’t you pretty,” I said. I used a bit of magic to open the cell since the bars were covered in wolfsbane.
“You sure did take your sweet a.ss time,” he growled as I removed the chains.
“What can I say? I like to prolong these things for the drama.”
I stepped back as the chains fell to the floor. Nas stretched a bit but I could tell it was uncomfortable.
“On to the next step.” I took the grimoire from Omega Mary and whispered to her. “Remember what we talked about.”
I stepped out of the cell with Omega Mary right behind me. She screamed as loudly as she could to alert the crew before I spun around with the grimoire and knocked her over the head with it.
I quickly went back into the cell. Omega Lisa shrieked as she stepped away from me. “Calm down, I’m not going to hit you.”
“Alaia!”
I was getting tired of him calling my name. I turned to see Isaiah and his crew running from the entrance. I quickly closed the cell’s gate, trapping us in and keeping them out. Isaiah pulled at the bars, forgetting they were covered in wolfsbane. I could hear his flesh sizzling from touching them and he didn’t pull away.
We had to get out of there as I heard the breaking of the bars. I looked away from him and opened a portal. I waited for Omega Lisa and Nas to walk through before turning back to him.
“Why,” he asked.
His gaze burned into my soul. I could still feel his emotions through the bond. He actually still felt something for me. No matter what I did, he still had hope for me. It was endearing and it pulled at a small part of my heart, but it wasn’t enough. I had a plan for myself and I couldn’t let him get in the way.
“I, Alaia Thorne, reject you, Alpha Isaiah Thorne, as my mate. And denounce the pack of Black Moon.”
A small pain barely caused me any problems. I did feel Elena but I just ignored her. Nothing worse than a weak wolf. Isaiah, on the other hand, seemed to crumble to the floor.
He was definitely perfect for Elena. Both weak and a waste of time. I couldn't watch anymore as I turned to walk through the portal.
It let me out to my new home. I found this little castle when I was a kid and came here to practice magic. The kind of magic my mother didn’t allow me to practice. Nas and Omega Lisa were waiting for me near the entrance. I made my way past them.
“You really thought this through, huh, princess?”
I smiled at him. “I’m no one princess, Nas. Go make yourself look presentable. We’re going to have company soon. Omega Lisa, show him to his room.”
Nas huffed at me as they walked by. What was his problem, I wondered as I walked towards my room. I didn't have time to think about that. I pulled out James’ scarf to remind myself of my true goal. It was time to start building my family again. It was time to bring Daddy home.