300 Days With The Alpha Beta Triplets

Bella:

"Before we start, I will have to make sure my prisoners do not escape," Enzo said. Then he lifted his hand, raising a black cage around Ryder and me.

Halle kept floating, her eyes blazing, and her gaze locked on Enzo. Suddenly, the room felt hot as the energy radiating from her intensified. This must be her highest form, I reasoned. Her form didn't seem to scare Enzo, because he stared at her with a smirk forming on his face.

Then he cracked his knuckles, and I watched him transform with dark energy swirling around him.

"This is your last chance to back away, witch," he stated, and Halle charged at him without warning. A beam of white light shot from her hands. Enzo barely dodged it as the blast hit the ground, leaving a smoldering gouge. He stared at it, and a chuckle escaped his lips at once.

Then he looked back at Halle.

"Nice try," he said, his grin widening.

Halle's hands blazed again, and she was ready to go in with another blast, but Enzo disappeared in an instant, reappearing right behind her. Halle twisted just in time, blocking his attack with a huge white energy ball. Enzo's claws hit the shield, and it cracked, pushing Halle back with great force. She almost hit the ground, but she regained balance at once.

"You've got what it takes, witch. Surrender now, and you can conquer the world with me," he said, and Halle stared at him without a word.

The fact she wasn't speaking to him further confirmed she was in her form. He thrust his hands forward, and jagged black energy surged toward her. Halle dodged to the side, throwing up a barrier of light to deflect the attack. The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the room, shaking the walls.

"I am really impressed," he chuckled, and Halle shot a couple of fireballs at him. Enzo dodged them with his hands behind his back. "Your cheap tricks cannot save you," he growled.

It was obvious he had gathered a lot of black magic, making it difficult for Halle to land an actual blow. As I watched, I prayed silently she would win, even if they both got badly beaten. Halle losing meant Enzo would kill her. As Halle shot at Enzo, he yawned, moving swiftly.

After a while, he stopped, then he stretched his hands.

"You are boring. Your moves are predictable and pathetic. Don't you have any magic tricks up your sleeves?" he asked. "Well, if you don't, I do," he said. Then smoke clouded the room at once, leaving everyone coughing as we all tried to catch our breath.

Through the smoke, I could spot Enzo's red eyes heading for Halle.

"Halle!" I screamed, but before she could move, his hands grazed her back, slashing her really hard and causing her to fall to the ground. Then he landed with a loud thud, glaring at Halle.

Halle landed on her feet, planting them firmly on the ground as she tried to brace herself. She slammed her hands together, and a column of light erupted from her body, shooting toward Enzo. Before he could make a run for it, his left arm was caught, causing a huge chunk of flesh to be cut off.

For a moment, it seemed Halle might have the upper hand. But Enzo was quick. Before she could follow up, he slid behind her at the speed of light, slamming into her back and sending her sprawling to the ground. Halle fell, causing a dent in the ground. She changed back to her normal state, and Enzo stood tall above her with his wounds closing.

"Getting tired, old witch?" he sneered, and I watched as blood trickled down from the side of her mouth. Halle pushed herself up, trying to remain brave.

"You're predictable, Enzo!" she spat, and Enzo's smile faltered. She seized the moment. She slammed her hands into the ground, and a long crack grew toward Enzo. A huge ball of light shot out from it, shooting him up, then he fell to the ground on his chest.

"Your reckoning has come, Enzo Darkmoore!" Halle gritted her teeth, closing in on him while he remained on the ground. "This is for everyone you have hurt!" Halle raised her arms, summoning more fire beneath Enzo, causing it to burn him further.

He groaned in pain as the fire seared through his skin. Hope flickered in my chest, and I imagined the end of Enzo Darkmoore. But in that moment, all we saw was a flash of light and Halle's head rolling onto the ground. My blood froze at once as I watched her body fall close to her head.

Then Enzo appeared in front of the head.

"Playtime is over," he said, letting out a loud cackle before turning to me. "You see why you should never play with me? You could have obeyed me, and I would have given you everything as my sidekick. But you chose to disobey me." My lips couldn't even move; I was still in shock.

What Halle said made sense now. She knew she was going to die, but why didn't she back down from the fight?

"Now my throne room is a mess, and it will take a long time to rebuild it," he said, looking around at the destruction they had caused. I glanced at Ryder. His lips were pressed shut, and his body remained stiff, as if frozen in time. He no longer struggled with the person holding him, and his eyes were locked on Halle's lifeless body. The blank look in his eyes told me everything-he was traumatized. I couldn't blame him, because I, too, was trying my best to keep my mind sane after what I had just witnessed.

I couldn't imagine what Hazel would feel if she knew Halle was gone. My hands shook as I tried to keep myself steady, but the more I looked at Halle's lifeless body, the harder it became to keep a sound mind. Her lifeless body lay in pieces, with her blood pooling beneath her. Enzo crouched down, swiping at the blood and putting it in his mouth.

"Whoever suggested the Baudelaire's taste great was right," he said, making my stomach twist into knots. Then he turned to one man in the room. "You should find something to preserve her blood before it turns bad." The man gave a brief bow, then left the room.

I had witnessed death before, but this... this was different. Alpha Trent dying was painful. Watching Lyra die was painful. But Halle? I didn't know how we would ever get over this. We had lost the only help we had left. A wave of sadness crashed over me, but I swallowed it down. There was no time to grieve because the monster responsible was still alive. As the man returned to the room, I watched as Halle's blood was scooped into a jar. That was what she had been reduced to.

"Now, Bella," he began, his tone dripping with mock sympathy, "it's time to collect the reward Halle promised me." My heart skipped a beat when he said this, and I waited for him to request my execution. But then his gaze shifted to Ryder, causing my heart to stop.

"Take him out to be executed. I want his head on a platter." When he said this, I felt my heart stop, and the surrounding air thinned out.

"No," I said in an almost inaudible tone. Enzo's grin widened as he took a step closer.

"Oh, don't worry, Bella. You'll get a share of his blood as his mate. Did you think I wouldn't share?" I glanced at Ryder, who remained mute instead of struggling. I could tell his spirit was down, and he probably wanted to give up. Panic clawed at my chest, but I refused to let it show. I couldn't let Ryder die. Not like this.

"Don't you dare touch him!" I spat, and Enzo chuckled, undoing the cage around both Ryder and me. "The cage is free, so come and fight me, Bella!" This was a challenge, and I wasn't stupid enough to fail it.

If he could knock out Halle within minutes, then I was done for. So I remained mute, and I watched as the guards dragged Ryder out to be executed.