Page 69 of Her Destined Alpha (Alpha #3)

Delsanra

I could barely walk when we were done, and Rayhan found it incredibly amusing. The man was sexy and panty-wetting hot, but he was a tease. It had taken me at least an hour before I felt my legs were up to bearing my weight a little.

I hated that I couldn’t tell him about Raihana’s dreams, but I had promised her…

It was nearly time for dinner, so we had showered and gotten dressed.

I had opted for a sky-blue satin wrap dress with long cuffed balloon sleeves.

I was about to put some tights on but watching Rayhan’s eyes trail over my legs made me decide to simply put on some white heels instead.

I pinned my hair back from the centre, making a small quiff like Raihana had shown me.

We were seated around the dining table, which was made out of actual marble! I could see the flecks of gold in it; elegant, modern, yet very glamorous.

“The food is delicious,” I said, eating some of the chicken. I was seated next to Rayhan, with Raihana opposite me next to her mom, and Papa Raf at the head of the table.

“That’s good; the cooks are excellent. Especially since Rafael here is a very fussy eater,” Maria said. Papa Raf looked up, reminding me of a deer caught in headlights.

“In my defence, I just don’t like vegetables,” he pouted. “Come on, Mari darling, do you blame me when I have someone as perfect as you as my mate?”

“What have vegetables and Mom got to do with each other?” Raihana asked before scrunching her nose. “Eww, Dad! I hope it’s not what I think it is.” Maria shook her head, whilst Papa Raf just grinned.

“Then you should really zip it, Ri,” Rayhan smirked. His fingers brushed circles on my leg, sending tingles through me and making my core ache. “Oh yeah, Mom, what did you want earlier?” My cheeks heated up as I stared down at my plate, feeling so mortified.

“Oh. It was nothing important, nothing that can’t wait,” she said with a small smile.

“Well, since that’s not important, there’s something I want to share with you all,” Papa Raf announced, looking at us all, although his focus was on Maria.

“Oh?” Maria asked, raising an eyebrow as she ate gracefully.

Rayhan’s hand stopped tracing circles, resting it on my thigh, his fingers dangerously close to my core.

“Despite us being wolves… Maria, you know my mother was a hybrid, and I am to some extent immune to certain things, which I actually realise is quite common in males from witch bloodlines.” Maria froze, and I realised that was a very good point.

Although Rayhan didn’t have as much immunity as his father, who did have all the traits of a man born of witches, there were moments he wasn’t as affected as he should have been.

“You are not one of them,” she said, coldly placing her fork down.

“I can’t deny that my mother was one. Regardless of the path she chose, she didn’t define me,” he said quietly, taking her hand.

“You are not one of them!” she exclaimed, trying to pull her hand free, but he refused to let go. My heart was thundering, and I could see the pain in Raihana’s eyes too.

“Why are you even talking nonsense, Rafael?” she cried angrily.

“Because I’m saying you still love me, despite the fact I am her blood.

She is the one responsible for the death of your brother, your friends, and our pack members, not the entire witch community.

” His voice was soothing. I could see from the tender love in his eyes that he truly loved the woman before him, and even causing her this much distress was hurting him too.

It was painful to watch. I looked at Rayhan, who was watching keenly yet remained emotionless.

“That’s not the same! Stop it, Rafael! I hate them, their kind, their offspring, their very existence! May they all rot in hell!” she shouted, making me suck in my breath. Rayhan’s eyes flashed, and Raihana gasped, jumping up from her seat and knocking her chair back.

“I’m a witch, Mom!” she cried out. Her eyes blurred with tears.

“Ri…” Rayhan murmured. That was not the plan.

Maria spun towards her, her face ghost-white as she looked at her daughter from head to toe.

“Yes, Mom! That’s why I can’t mind-link, not because of something being wrong with my wolf. It’s because I’m a hybrid!” she cried out, whispering something and then lowering her cloaking spell. Maria’s heart was pounding as she looked at Rayhan, Papa Raf, and me.

“You all knew this…” she whispered, tight-lipped. We were all standing. The tension was suffocating.

“Maria, for obvious reasons, I just-”

“DON’T TALK TO ME NOW!” she shouted, her eyes flashing, her canines elongating as she stepped away from her mate and daughter.

“Mom… I’m still your daughter,” Raihana said quietly.

“No witch can ever be my daughter!” she hissed.

The gasps, followed by the silence in the room, were painful. I wanted to move towards Raihana, who looked shell-shocked, tears streaming down her cheeks. The pain radiating off her was excruciating, but I felt moving might trigger Maria even more. Papa Raf looked… broken.

“Mom!” Rayhan said, “Look, calm down, and don’t say something you will regret.”

“No. I don’t regret it, this sick joke… this… you were all in on this... and as for her-” She jerked her head towards Raihana. “She needs to leave, or I will!”

“I’m still just Raihana, Mama!” Raihana said, walking over to her mom and trying to grab hold of her, only for Maria to jerk away fearfully.

“Stay away!”

“Raihana…” Papa Raf moved to go to her.

“Don’t, Rafael…” Maria warned.

“She’s my daughter, Maria!” Rafael replied with disapproval.

“And I’m your mate… It’s your choice.”

“Fuck, Mom…” Rayhan muttered just as I rushed around to Raihana, making to reach for her. She moved back, shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I will not choose,” Papa Raf growled.

“Then… I will leave,” Maria said. “I hate them, Rafael, with every cell in my body. I resent them!”

“She’s your daughter!” he thundered, his aura rolling off them.

“You guys need to calm down. Mom, chill and have some time out,” Rayhan interjected.

“There’s nothing to calm down over. I won’t ever accept this. She needs to get rid of her witch side. I know what they are like! They are vile creatures…”

I zoned out when I felt the huge storm surge behind me.

My head snapped towards Raihana. She was clutching her head.

I glanced back at Rayhan and his parents.

I could no longer hear them; the thudding of my own heart and Raihana’s was growing.

The surge of her powers made the ground tremble.

I could hear it before it even registered to the wolves in the room.

“Move!” I shouted.

I chanted a spell, spun around, and raised my hands just as a thousand knife-like blades blasted from her, a move that Endora relished…

Rayhan.

The only thing on my mind was protecting the man I loved.

I whispered a spell creating a barrier, raising my hand as the vicious shards hammered against it.

“Delsanra!”

I couldn’t move. The power she held was immense. I was forced to go down on one knee, my own powers pushed to the max.

Raihana’s strangled scream filled the air. She was out of control. A hurricane of wind was destroying the room; the lights went out, and I heard the windows shattering. She couldn’t reign it in. The force was too much.

“Leave!” I shouted.

“I am not leaving you!” Rayhan growled from somewhere far behind me, but there wasn’t much we could do.

“It’s safer if you go!” I shrieked. The pain in my chest was growing.

I couldn’t hold out for much longer… I could taste blood in my mouth.

I felt the strain against my seal, but it was futile.

I couldn’t think anymore. Hoping they had moved to safety, I fell onto all fours, my barrier shattering as I coughed up blood, flinching when I saw a new wave of shards spearing towards me.

I closed my eyes, readying for the impact, just hoping Rayhan was okay.

Suddenly I felt soft fur brush against me.

I looked up in shock when Rayhan jumped in the way to shield me.

“No!” I cried, closing my eyes when I heard the shards impale skin.

The smell of blood filled the air.

No…

Rayhan

Raihana’s emotions were out of control, her powers surging into a storm of knives.

It was rolling off her in waves. The moment Mom saw Delsanra raise her barrier, she had frozen.

Dad pulled her away, and I rushed towards Delsanra, pushing against the powerful surge of magic.

It slowed me down, but I managed to get to Delsanra just as her barrier gave way, ready for the impact of Raihana’s out of control power.

But it never came.

I looked up sharply as another scent filled the air, and stared at Chris’s gold coloured wolf in front of me. My eyes flew open as the smell of blood coated the air. Delsanra’s cry hit home until suddenly everything stilled.

Chris! I shouted through the link, fear filling me as his huge wolf fell to the ground and shifted to human form. His entire back and side were ripped open. He was losing blood fast.

“Oh no…” Raihana’s horror-filled voice came as she looked at Chris.

She rushed over as Delsanra crawled towards Chris too.

She whispered a spell, and I could see the glow that wrapped around his injured torso, covering his gaping wounds.

Blood was trickling out of her nose and mouth, and she was shaking.

I shifted back and gripped her waist, supporting her weight and mind-linking the pack doctor to hurry to the mansion.

My heart was thrumming in my ears. My mate was weakened, my friend was injured…

“No, no, no… what have I done?” Raihana cried, snapping me from my thoughts.

“Stay calm,” Delsanra whispered. “Rose quartz, obsidian, and pyrite. Now! He will die if we don’t hurry. This magic is… dangerous.”

“Tell me the spell to save him!” Raihana cried, shaking as she looked down at Chris’s lifeless body. His heartbeat was dimming fast.

“We need supplies first,” Delsanra coughed.