Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 193

Chapter 193

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I placed my hand over hers. “Scarlett, our people need you here. Your strength, your leadership. I promise I’ll bring everyone back safely.”

She held my gaze for a long moment before finally nodding, though her jaw remained tight.

Kaius stood, his hands flat on the table, his expression resolute. “Tonight. Tonight we end this witch’s reign of terror. Tonight we reclaim

our freedom from her shadow.”

The determination in his voice sent shivers down my spine. This was it. No more running. No more reacting to Morgath’s moves.

Tonight, we would strike first.

By the time darkness fell, the three of us were already at the cave entrance.

The journey had been tense and silent. Each of us lost in our own thoughts about what lay ahead. Now, standing before the innocuous- looking cave mouth, the weight of our mission settled over us like a physical thing.

Evelyn broke the silence first, her voice filled with uncharacteristic wonder as we entered the tunnels. “God, this place is beautiful. Look at these crystal formations—the way they refract light is absolutely mesmerizing. And the mineral composition suggests—*

“Evelyn,” I interrupted. “Focus. We’re not here for a geology lesson.”

“Right, right. Sorry.”

We moved deeper into the cave system, following Faelan’s map. The bioluminescent moss provided just enough light to navigate by,

casting everything in an eerie green glow.

“Kaius,” I said quietly, my voice echoing slightly off the stone walls. “Do you think our packs are safe right now? If they’re attacked while

we’re here-if this whole mission fails-”

“We’re gambling,” Kaius admitted, his hand finding mine in the darkness and squeezing. “Gambling on our speed. Our timing. If we can destroy the gemstone before Morgath launches a major assault-or at least before she can cause significant casualties-we win.”

“And if we can’t find the gemstone in time?” The words came out barely above a whisper. “If the packs are overwhelmed while we’re down

here chasing shadows?”

I could see the worry in Kaius’s eyes, but his voice remained steady. “My father is there. Recovering, yes, but still formidable. If danger comes, he’ll defend everyone with his last breath. I trust him.”

That did ease my anxiety somewhat. Aldric had proven his loyalty-and his power-despite everything Morgath had done to him.

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Chapter 193

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We continued in silence until the tunnel opened into a dead end. Smooth stone wall stretched before us, seemingly impenetrable.

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Evelyn immediately perked up, moving forward to examine the barrier. Her hands traced patterns in the air, feeling for magical signatures

invisible to werewolf senses.

“Wow!” Her mood shifted instantly from anxious to excited. “This ward is quality work. Really sophisticated layering. It reminds me of the

barrier-breaking competitions I used to do back in my old coven when I was young!”

She pressed her palms against the stone, eyes distant as she analyzed the magic. “We’d create wards and challenge each other to break

them. You make one, I try to crack it. I make one, you try to crack it. Such good times. The complexity here is actually quite impressive-”

“EVELYN!” Both Kaius and I shouted simultaneously.

She blinked at us. “What?”

“TIME!” I snapped. “We’re racing against time! Our people could be dying right now while you reminisce about your childhood!”

‘Oh! Right! Yes, of course!” She shook herself. “Okay, let’s call this a competition then. Me versus whatever witch made this ward. Her

grin turned slightly manic. “And I always win.”

She began chanting in a language that hurt my ears-old magic, older than any pack history I’d learned. Her hands moved in intricate

patterns, fingers weaving invisible threads of power.

The stone wall began to shimmer. Then crack. Not physically-the cracks were made of light, of concentrated magic being unmade.

A doorway appeared-no, not a doorway. A portal. A tear in reality itself, glowing with violet energy. Through the opening, I could see

something that shouldn’t exist.

The space beyond was vast-impossibly vast for something hidden inside a mountain. The sky, if it could be called that, hung in perpetual twilight. Not the natural purple-blue of dusk, but something more alien. Violet shot through with veins of sickly green, pulsing like a

living thing.

The ground wasn’t earth or stone. It was smooth, polished obsidian crystal that reflected the strange sky above. In the distance, I could make out structures-twisted towers and warped buildings that defied normal architecture.

“What the fuck,” I breathed.

“A pocket dimension,” Evelyn whispered, her voice filled with equal parts fear and fascination. “The Flesh-Weavers didn’t just build a lair.

They created an entire realm.”

Kaius’s hand went to his weapon. “Can we survive in there? Will the air be breathable? The gravity normal?”

“Only one way to find out,” Evelyn said, though she looked considerably less confident now.

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Alpha’s STOLEN Mate