Page 42 of The Alpha’s Seer (The Shifters of Stormhollow #1)

Chapter Forty-Two

CALIX

Night falls.

Lexie has been trying to penetrate the fucking dark magic surrounding the rock to no avail, and I’m losing the will to live.

My mate is in there, along with my mother.

My poor fucking mother.

I’m powerless—stalking around the rock like a fucking useless pansy.

Cox watches me from his seat—a large rock beneath a tree. “What do we do now?”

I want to tear the mountain apart with my bare hands, but that’s not how magic works. I’d die trying. I study the rock for the millionth time, and my shoulders tense. I can’t say what I feel, that I don’t know what to do next. That as an Alpha, I’m fucking stumped, and I don’t know what to do.

Lexie sighs and leans against the mountain, both her palms pressed against it.

Cox moves over to her, prising her palms away and pressing them against his chest. I watch the intimate gesture and frown.

I’ve never seen Cox care about anyone like this.

He sweeps her hair from her eyes, and she mumbles something before he looks at me.

“She’s exhausted, Calix.”

Lexie lifts her head and looks directly at me. Her eyes are ringed with dark circles, and her skin is pale. “I’ll rest for a little while, then I’ll try again. I’m sorry, Calix.”

I grunt in response. I know she’s tired, but I don’t care. What if my mate is being raped? Goddess, I need to get into that fucking rock.

Lexie curls up on the ground, and Cox watches her intently. She’s soon sound asleep, her breathing evening out as she falls deeper into it. My Beta doesn’t take his eyes away from her, and his fingers keep twitching, like he wants to touch her.

“What’s going on with you two?” I bark, nodding to the sleeping witch.

“What?” Cox frowns but doesn’t look at me.

“You and the witch. Lexie. What’s going on?”

Cox finally looks at me and shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know, Calix.”

His words sound empty and sad, and I know not to press him further.

A werewolf and a witch? It probably isn’t the first time, but it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.

It means if Lexie is his mate; Cox will kill anyone that even looks in her direction—something that is incredibly likely considering our current surroundings.

Maybe they just like each other. It doesn’t have to mean they’re mates.

Right?

We take the opportunity to rest, although I don’t sleep, and neither does Cox. The sky is soon a navy blanket with a sprinkling of stars, and I can’t help but stare at them, wondering why my mate and my mother had to be taken. They also killed my father and brother.

I will destroy them all.

A branch snaps in the distance, and Cox and I leap to our feet, our eyes focused on the trees in the distance. Maybe it’s one of them, maybe it’s—

A figure emerges from the darkness, and irritation sweeps through me.

“Alpha Asher,” I bite out. “I told you all to stay away until I gave the command.”

Alpha Asher glares at me before striding forward, eyeballing the rock with curiosity and suspicion. “You don’t get to command me, Calix. These bastards killed my family too.”

I clench my jaw and curse, turning to see Cox watching Alpha Asher intensely.

“What’s she doing here?” Alpha Asher nods to Lexie, and Cox steps forward, a low growl escaping his lips.

“Cox,” I caution softly, knowing now that whatever is happening between him and Lexie is anything but casual. But Lexie had given nothing away—does she even know how Cox feels?

Alpha Asher glares at Cox. “Why are you growling at me?”

“She’s his mate,” I say, waving a hand over Lexie’s sleeping form. “We don’t have time for this.”

Alpha Asher steps back respectfully with his hands raised, and Cox gives him a stiff nod. Cox doesn’t acknowledge my words, and I don’t expect him to. I can’t imagine mating with a witch is at all easy to accept.

“Lexie is helping us with the magic,” I explain, rubbing the back of my neck. “Well, she’s trying.”

Alpha Asher frowns at the mountain. “You’re sure they’re in there?”

I nod. “Positive. I heard them crying, and Lexie can’t penetrate the magic.”

“Why don’t we smash the shit out of it?” Alpha Asher suggests, crossing his arms.

“Dark magic,” Cox points out with a sigh. “It will only exhaust you.”

“Fuck!” Alpha Asher stares at the mountain, mimicking our earlier movements by circling around it, touching it, and muttering to himself. “It’s fucking small. How is everyone inside this?”

“Dark magic,” I state, like it should explain everything. “It could be another universe in there for all we know.”

Alpha Asher stares at Lexie. “Has it done this to her? Wiped her out?”

I follow his gaze. “Yeah.”

Lexie is the only witch we all know, so it isn’t like we can call on anyone else to help. We’re powerless, and I can’t bear it.

“She’s tried her best,” Cox says defensively. “She’s not trying again until she’s got her energy back.”

“Great,” Alpha Asher remarks and starts pacing. “So we just wait until Sleeping Beauty wakes up.”

Another growl emits from Cox, and this time I send Alpha Asher a warning glare. It doesn’t matter that Alpha Asher is stronger than Cox; Cox will die defending his mate if needed.

I can’t fucking believe this.

But we have nothing to do but wait, so the three of us sit and watch Lexie sleep, praying when she awakes she will have a plan.

Because if she doesn’t, I think we’ll go with Alpha Asher’s suggestion of smashing the rock. If nothing else, it will make us feel better. The fury within me is crippling, knowing I’m so close yet so far. I wonder how deep inside this rock my mate is.

Blair, if you can hear me, I love you. I’m coming, baby.