Page 254 of Alpha Mates

The air is sour,Isabel comments, wrinkling her nose.Dark Magic. She’s a dark magic witch.

If that were the case, there would be no life around,Beckett counters, and as if to prove his case, a bird glides overhead.Nature only welcomes earth witches.

Then there’s more than one,I conclude.

Julian shakes his head.There was only one, and there were no other scents on her.

She masked herself, used a spell. Or maybe she’s met up with a friend since,I list off quickly, then shrug.There’s more than one type of magic at play here.

Witches have three factions: earth, dark, and ancestral. Each can only pull from one source—the earth, the dead, or their most powerful ancestors. Two types of magic at play in the same place? That means two witches.

So, what do we do?Beckett asks. His voice is steady, but his gaze keeps cutting towards Julian.

With all their years as friends, it’s clear that he senses the same thing I do from him. Julian’s already decided how this ends, and every instinct in me is screamingdon’t let him do it.But what other choice do we have?

It’s this, or go home and wait for the worst, and that isn’t an option to me.

That was a protection spell,Julian says, scanning the trees.So one of them will be here to investigate soon … if they’re not already,He pushes his shoulders back with sudden determination.I’ll wait for her.

The hell you will,I grab his wrist before he can do something stupid like just walk out there.You’re not going to stand there after what we just saw.

Agreed! We just saw scythes drop from the sky, Julian!Emitt reminds with a gesture at the empty space.Purple, flaming, death scythes!

Julian ignores him, looking solely at me.One of them saw me. If she’s going to interact with any of us, it’s most likely to be me.

That’s true enough, but I’m not about to watch my mate walk out there and test these witch’s level of curiosity. Not to mention, as much as Julian is pointedly ignoring it, I know this whole thing is making him uncomfortable, considering his past with their kind.

Swallowing down the curses that try to crawl up my throat, I straighten beside him.

We’ll go together,I say.

Julian’s eyes widen with alarm.

If you think I’m letting you do this alone, then you don’t know me at all.

Lips sealed shut, he glares at me with obvious reluctance before forcing a stiff nod.You guys spread out. Surround the space and attack the second things take a turn.

Beckett hesitates, and I can see the argument forming on his face, but one look from Julian kills it. He isn’t getting him out of this one. With a glance at his mate, Beckett moves off to take his position. Emitt does the same with a mournful sigh, leaving Isabel in her spot.

Good luck,she whispers with a thumbs up.

“Well,” I mumble since there’s no point in using the link anymore, “let’s fucking do it.”

Julian grimaces, clearly not thrilled by his plan either, but on the samefuck itwave as I am.

Bending over, I grab a handful of twigs and stones, tossing them ahead with each step to make sure we don’t trigger the scythes of death as we close in on the tear.

The stench of magic gets stronger—earth and decay twisting together until my stomach roils. I try not to gag as Julian and I stop opposite the warble, close enough for the witch to see,ifshe decides to grace us with her presence.

You ready for a fight?I ask, poking at Max. He answers with a ragged growl. As far as he’s concerned, this is just another obstacle standing between him and Alex, and he’s prepared to do anything to get it out of the way.

The woods are quiet outside the scuttling of creatures, and the wind that canters by with an owl’s call. Beneath it, I can hear the others’ beating hearts, steady, if slightly faster than normal. We wait.

I sense them before they let us see them. Well, it’s not me so much as my body’s ingrained response to danger that starts with Max stiffening inside me, and ends with the hairs on the back of my neck rising.

From the corner of my eye, I see Julian tense too, but otherwise, he’s an unmoving mask of calculated indifference. We wait, breath in sync.

“We just want to talk to you,” Julian calls into the open.