The Alphas & The Heiress

Magnolia (Syble)

More than a week has gone by, ten days of planning and researching and little action. Elder Rimori’s words haunt my dreams. Everyday I become a little more tired, everyday a little angrier. Not even the twins’ touch has been able to soothe this feeling for long.

“That’s it, we’re rescheduling.” Ro throws his hands up in exasperation.

I don’t meet his eyes, rather I continue using my fork to push my breakfast around on my plate like I’ve done for almost every meal the past few days.

“Why would we do that?” Exhaustion hugs every syllable I speak.

“Because you’re wilting away in front of me, Mags.” His words bite at me like the lash of a whip.

“What Ro is trying to say, Love, is that maybe we should wait to announce our mating to the pack. Incandis and Xander worry that it may be overwhelming.”

Still staring at my plate my only reaction is the slow lifting of a single eyebrow. “And what do you think? You think I’ll be overwhelmed by a simple meet and greet?”

“We’ll be announcing you as Luna of the pack, people will be excited to speak to you. They’ll expect a mating ceremony shortly after the announcement.” Ro replies.

The twins have been traveling back and forth between the grove and Shadowmoon all week with help from Incandis and Xander. They have a pack to run, and I have a colony to manage. I’ve evaded conversations about how to merge our lives because it’s nearly impossible for me to think about the future when my family still isn’t whole.

“No, we should do it. They’ve waited long enough.” I give them a weak smile, the best I can manage.

Ro sighs at me, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off the chair. “I hate seeing you this way, spitfire. I promise we’ll bring them home.” I wrap my arms around him and nod against his neck.

He sets me back down on my barstool and steps into the space between my legs. With his hands on either side of my face he presses his lips to mine, softly, lovingly, trying his best to absorb the lingering ache in my heart and bear the burden himself.

He releases me and steps back to make way for his brother. Varian steps into the space Ro previously occupied and spins my chair so my back is to the counter. I’m trapped between his arms which rest on the counter on either side of me. His kiss is rougher, filled with longing — longing for me to be whole again, for our lives together to move forward without all this turmoil.

Before he turns away he kisses my forehead. “We’re going to head down to Shadowmoon now, we have a few quick meetings and then we’re going to start setting up for the pack dinner tonight. You’ll have Incandis drop you off by 5?”

I nod my head and watch them disappear down the hall. I give up on my food, any appetite I might have had has vanished into thin air. I can’t stomach anything right now. Instead I make my way over to my office to continue my research of the archives.

I fly down to my office and swoop in through the balcony. The lovely scent of flowers wafts through the air and I find its source sitting on my desk. A large vase sits in the center of my desk containing white roses and magnolia flowers. For a second my anxiety melts away and I forget everything except how ridiculously supportive Ro and Varian are, and the lengths they will go to see me happy.

I smile for the first time in a week, inhaling the delectable scent of my favorite flowers. Like a giddy school girl I lift the envelope next to the flowers.

As soon as my brain processes the contents of the envelope all good feelings are gone, flash frozen and pulverized into dust. The wind is sucked out of my lungs and I stand there floundering.

I drop the card like it’s burned me and finally manage to remember how to breathe.

It’s a picture – just one – of my father and uncle chained to a prison wall, emaciated, beaten, and bloodied.

I look at the envelope again to see if there is any information on who sent it. On the back of the envelope I see numbers, coordinates, and the letters D.H. written in neat black script.

That’s it. That’s all the confirmation I need. My family is being held by the Drow King, but it’s not them he wants – it’s me.

I quickly think through a plan, running through every possibility, every outcome, calculating chances of success.

Yes, this could work. I fly down to my room and get dressed in my combat gear. I can’t bring my glaives, so instead I slip a small knife into the pockets by my hips.

I scribble a note to Incandis and the twins – 'I’m not a sacrificial lamb. I’m a goddamn dragon. I am the fire.'

I leave the note on my pillow where I’m sure they’ll see it…eventually. They’ll be furious, no doubt, but I’m done waiting. I was gifted with this Fey Fire and I intend on using it. Now I just need to figure out how to get past the shield without the guards noticing. To do that I’ll need someone to teleport me out, and I know exactly who to ask.

I fly out of my office and head up to Xander’s room hoping that he’s slept in as usual and hasn’t already started his day.

Luck is on my side because when I reach his balcony, he’s still out cold in bed. I land on his bed with a thump, causing him to spring up out of bed from the force. He lands gracefully on his feet at the edge of the bed, posed to fight. Always in guardian mode.

His body relaxes instantly when his brain finally catches up with the rest of his body. “Mags, what brings you here? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just need you to teleport me to Shadowmoon. Incandis was going to take me later but I can’t focus here. It’ll be good for me to get my mind off of everything for a day.” I feel guilty for lying to him, but when I return with my family I know he’ll forgive me.

“Sure, yeah, that sounds good, Mags. I’m glad you’re finally taking some time for you. You want me to drop you off in the Alpha’s office?”

“No!” I shout suspiciously quickly. “Sorry, no, they have meetings all morning. The gardens will be fine, I can hang out with Kat and Accalia.” Another lie. Kat and Accalia will be running around trying to prepare for the pack dinner tonight, they won’t have time to waste on leisure.

“Alright then, let’s go.” He grabs onto my hand and teleports us through the void to the gardens.

“Need me to pick you up later?” He asks.

“No, I’ll call Incandis tomorrow. Thanks, Xan.” I squeeze his hand once and let go before he disappears.

I slip into the shadows before anyone can spot me and I fly off in the direction of the coordinates written on the card.

After fifteen minutes of flying through the trees I land at the mouth of the same cave where we were ambushed, but this time it’ll be me who ambushes them. I remain concealed by shadows as I make my way through the cave, past the site of last week’s carnage, and down the tunnel deeper into the cave.

The tunnel begins to widen as I get closer to what appears to be a larger cavern. There is light and the sound of voices coming from it. Two guards sit at the entrance to the room beyond the tunnel.

They may not be able to see me, but I have to be careful not to make a sound if I’m going to surprise them. I manage to get right up behind the left guard and swiftly snap his neck. Before his body can even hit the floor I dash behind the other guard and lift a blade to his neck.

“Drop the spear.” I hiss at him through clenched teeth.

He throws down his spear, the loud clang of it hitting the rocky earth echoing through the halls.

“Fucking quiet! Show me to your King.”

“Why the fuck would I do that?” The guard spits at me.

I press my blade harder against his throat. “Because, you may be resistant to flame, poisons, and magic, but not even you can survive a severed head.”

Using the guard as a human shield and guide, we make our way to what he assured me was the throne room.

“King Illian.” The guard alerts the King and the rest of the guards to our presence in the room.

“What is this?” The King speaks.

There’s something so familiar about his voice.

“My apologies sir, she requested that I show her to you.”

“I doubt very much she requested anything, what with a knife to your throat and all. Now my dear, either kill him or put the knife down, I haven’t the time for theatrics.”

His voice is so familiar. I peek over the guard’s shoulder to have a look at this King.

The blood drains from my face, my grip on the knife falters by a fraction. I’d recognize this man anywhere. His inky black hair, pale skin pull tight over his hollowed cheeks. His eyes are as cold as his touch was, his voice just as acidic as it was fifty years ago.

“Ian?”

His face cracks into a slow, malicious grin. “My little flower.” He breathes in wonder.

I’m so overcome with rage. My hands act on autopilot, slashing through the guard’s neck and letting him drop unceremoniously to the floor.

“It would be rude of me to refuse my little flower an audience with her King. So my sweet Magnolia blossom, what can I do for you?” Saccharine sweetness seeps into every syllable he speaks.

“I have a proposal of my own, Ian. Set my father and uncle free. Alive, unharmed, right now.”

“And in return?”

“In return…I’ll take their place.”

His grin widens even further showing off his sharp, white teeth. “Very well. I accept.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than did three guards appear before me as if stepping out of the shadows. Two hold my arms on either side of me, while the third sticks me in the neck with a syringe.

I kick and jerk my body back attempting to thrust myself out of their grip but the fight slowly slips from me. Soon, black spots dance around my vision and I’m forced to embrace the darkness that overtakes me.