Page 58 of Fated Alpha Baby

“I should have stayed with her, Conan. What if—”

He shakes his head. “Nothing will happen to her. I trust Damian and Sophie.”

Amalia comes toward me, and Conan steps aside to give us privacy. “Iron Breath wolves are on their way to Bitterroot Valley with a fresh dose of potion,” she assures me. “I am glad you are here, Hannah. You’ve finally taken my advice, and stand on the frontline of this war now.”

I look down at my palms, pulsing with magic that’s ready to burst forth, my awareness turned sharper than ever. “Yes, I am ready, Sister Amalia.” I look up with a controlled frown. “You knew my destiny before I did.”

“Yes, child,” she says with a nod. “But the war has only begun. We have much work to do. And when we rescue little Nico, you will be the one who interrogates Marcus Hale.” She gently presses a finger to my chest. “I have seen it. You are the key to finding out what it is the demons are after.”

I nod my acceptance, fully understanding why Amalia did what she did to lead me to this moment. Just then, Alpha William rushes back into the hall, panic written all over his face.

“My wolves have found the location of the portal in Milford. It’s starting.”

“They’re using Nico already,” Orlando growls, fists curled at his sides. “We have to go. Now.”

With that, everyone rushes out of the building, ready to fight, ready to save the child the demons are using to open their portal. Conan joins me again, taking my hand to lead me outside.

“Conan, wait,” I stop him as everyone passes us. He turns back, fury, determination, and protectiveness all wrapped into one neat parcel of dark eyes.

“What is it, Hannah?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen out there, but I want you to promise me that you’ll take care of Clarissa.”

“I’m not letting anything touch you, Hannah. I don’t care about what happened in the past. You and Clarissa are my future, and I will protect that with everything I have in me.”

The fierce determination and sincerity in his eyes and in his voice crack my heart open in a way that has never happened before. None of it matters when so much is at stake, and I realize how foolish it was to hold a grudge against him for so many years when he’s right here now, by my side, ready to fight for our daughter and me.

And I will fight for him now.

Chapter 17 - Conan

Running through the forest as fast as my wolf paws can carry me, I’m agile enough to stick to the frontlines while my mate holds onto my fur.

On one side, Simon runs ahead; on the other, Heinrich charges forward with Annika on his back.

Behind us, the wolves from both Bitterroot Valley and Helena Valley head toward Milford, the alliance strong as we join our forces for the first time. All to rescue Alpha Orlando’s son, Nico, from the demons’ clutches.

As we charge ahead, all I can think about is our daughter and how her life is in danger because she’s also a hybrid child. Like Nico, she’s a child of an alpha wolf and a witch, and now the demons are planning on using children like them to power up their portal.

My heart pounds with panic, and I can feel Hannah’s too, throbbing in her heartbeat, coursing through her veins. Alpha Orlando is furious, his son’s kidnapping hurting him in ways I wish to never experience in any lifetime.

I can only imagine what he’s going through, having lost his mate a year ago, and now, his son.

The thought of losing the most important people in one’s life is dreadful, and a new surge of panic rises like acrid bile in my throat, driving in the realization I had earlier.

No matter what has happened in the past, Hannah is my fated mate. Clarissa is my daughter. The two of them are my future, the most important people in my life.

I cannot lose that. I cannot risk a moment of weakness just to quell my ego that forces me to linger on the past. What does any of it matter when the Moon Goddess blessed us with a second chance to be a family?

So what if Hannah ran away because she was too afraid of being my luna?

In eight years, a lot has changed, and not only is she by my side now, but she’s here, on the frontline of this fight, ready to use her powers to fight the demons. Like she did that first night on our way back to the Bitterroot Valley.

She was always fearless, independent, and able to hold her own. She never needed me. And if she was afraid of being my luna before, she’s not afraid anymore. Hannah Young has stepped fully into her power, and I am in awe of the woman she has become.

How can I possibly still be angry with her when only admiration is left? Love is left.

Somehow, the realization spurs me on, my senses heightened enough to pick up the smell of sulfur and rot from far out of Milford. I race ahead, beyond the others, picking up speed and leading the group toward the direction of the decaying smell.