Page 259 of Alpha Mates

We both growl at the slur, but she keeps talking. “You wouldn’t be forced if you genuinely didn’t want to. Just … a favour, by your means—by one of your means, that’s all.”

“So basically anythingwedecideto do for you,” I say, watching her closely. “How’s that worth anything to you?”

Katerina shrugs. “I don’t know yet. But I’m alone out here, and everyone needs a hand in a stitch sometimes.”

And just like that, she’s back to looking like a person. Not an all-powerful witch, but a person who is clearly trying to outrun something. Maybe her coven, maybe her own head.

I can’t believe I’m even considering this,I say to Julian.

He chuckles in response.There aren’t enough words for what our parents would call us right now.

That just makes me want to do it more.

This time, Julian laughs out loud, startling Katerina.

“So?” she asks carefully. “What’s the verdict?”

“A favour,” I confirm. “From one of us by those exact terms.” I extend my hand.

Katerina jumps off her toes as she rushes in to clasp our hands together. A sliver of magic rushes through me, tugging at my blood and sealing itself as a promise.

I yank my hand away, shaking it off as I gesture to Julian. “Now bring Alex out.”

“One inner wolf, coming right up,” she says before she gives me a hard look. “If I’m doing this, he’ll feel some pain and I’m going to need you to not attack me. Can you do that for me?”

“No promises.”

“Barrier it is.” She snaps her fingers, and an invisible wall hums between us.

I’ve never seen a witch in action before, but from all accounts, they don’t usually do magic like this—so quickly, without serious concentration or vocalised intent. No spells or ingredients, just raw will. And she does it as easily as breathing.

She sets one hand over Julian’s heart, the other on his forehead, closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Julian tries to do the same, but his heart hammers, pounding with anxiousness—until it begins to slow. Somethingmakesit slow.

That’s when she starts chanting, and there’s no fooling around this time. It’s a real spell.

The words mean nothing to me, just a stream of guttural nonsense, but the ground beneath our feet begins to shudder. I frown as I struggle to stay put. This is exactly why I don’t fuck with witches.

The wind picks up around us, growing stronger as her voice climbs with it. And that’s when Julian screams.

The sound guts me. Instinct takes over and, even knowing there’s a barrier around them, I can’t help but try to get through it.

Let me come forward,Max says as Julian’s scream rips through the clearing and tears at my chest.I can do it. I can wait for Alex.

I don’t want to leave him, especially not with a witch, but Max is right. He’s the one who needs to talk to Alex.

Reluctantly, I let him come forward and don’t fight it as I sink into our mind, praying to Goddess that when I return, this hell would be over.

Chapter 52

Alexander

The light hurts.

Its touch is physical, like a branding made internal. I shrink away from it, grasping desperately for the darkness again. It was cold there, and lonely, but at least it was safe. In the dark, I didn’t have to face the parts of me that ached.

The pain was there—it would always be—but I didn’t have to see it.

Now something unfamiliar and frighteningly powerful drags me away from that a safety. Like manacles clamped around my ankles, it tugs viciously, sinking unforgiving claws into the parts of me no other should be able to touch, and yanks, forcing me into the present.