Page 109 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

“Alpha,” a shifter butts in. “If we stay here and protect the witches, it may be a distraction. It’ll allow enough time for you and Tara to go through and find the flower. After all, you both are the ones who saw the vision.”

I glance at Danielle, my breath coming out in rapid, panicked gasps. “But how will we destroy the flower, without your magic?”

Jasper has one protective hand, resting on the back of my waist. I expect him to say that going is too dangerous, but he remains silent.

The air is tense.

Danielle swallows and digs for something within her cloak.

“Here,” she says, offering a small silver dagger, enshrined with ancient markings and a glowing red ruby at its base.

I bend down to take it from her. Its weight resting in my palms, far heavier than I thought.

“We crafted this for the purpose of destroying Willow with one clean swoop. It should work better than fire or pure magic. Itshouldbe easier, although we haven’t used it yet.”

I nod, watching the dagger hum faintly against my palms, like it’s alive. My fingers tighten around the hilt.

Jasper’s eyes flick down to it, then up to mine, sharp and stormy. He doesn’t need to speak for me to understand everything he’s feeling.

“We’ll hold them off here as best as possible,” Danielle says, though her voice is trembling as she tries to stay strong.“You both should leave as quickly as possible. The darkness is awake.”

Danielle peers up at the heavy clouds above, her face pale as beads of sweat trickle down her temples.

Jasper exhales, his grip at my waist tightening for a split second before he lets me go. “Stay close to me. If you notice anything moving beside you that isn’t me, you stab it, okay?”

I swallow, nodding before remembering to speak. “Yes. Okay.”

The shifters close ranks around the witches as Jasper and I slip past them, deeper into the woods. As we move through the forest, even I begin to feel the darkness.

It’s hard to describe; it’s just an energy, a cold, unsettling sensation that seeps into my bones.

Jasper and I walk side by side as the sunlight fades behind an overlapping canopy of trees.

The world gets a little darker, there’s a mist that surrounds us, but I remind myself to stay strong.

“You good?” He asks, scanning our surroundings.

“Good,” I whisper, clutching the dagger between my palm.

I’m holding onto it for dear life.

In the distance behind us, we hear a shadow monster’s scream.

I panic.

“They’ll be all right,” he tells me. “We can’t stop.”

I nod, moving forward.

Our bodies are moving in unison now, our steps matching up with one another in perfect rhythm.

“Do you remember the way?” I ask him as we head toward what looks like an even darker part of the forest.

“Most of the flowers we mapped out are ones in exposed areas of the forest, but this way leads to those that thrive in the darkness. It’s even wetter here; they’re water flowers of sorts.”

I nod.

The forest has transformed now, no longer a bright shimmering paradise but instead a depth of darkness and mystery, wrapping its tendrils around us. Pulling us deeper into its lair.