The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Two Apex Predators Calling Dibs

Serena’s eyes shifted from black to pink, her body glowing with it.

The familiar crown, the one Aeron had identified as the Moon Goddess artifact, vibrated onto her head, the armband locking into place beside it.

Everyone bearing the Hidden Flame mark on their forearm surged pink in unison, glowing with her.

Somewhere on the west lawn, fifty warriors looked at each other, and collectively decided not to talk about it.

She stood up, Fin behind her, ready to catch her if she fell. He could feel her through their matebond, a focus radiating off her like heat from a forge, and knew not to get in her way.

She turned to Maelor and opened her mouth.

The language that came out was not one anyone in that chamber had ever heard outside of Maelor. The syllables rolled off her tongue like she’d spoken them her entire life.

The color drained from Maelor’s face. He spoke the language back to her, giving her a small nod.

Dex appeared at the top of the stairs. He looked like hell had chewed him up, spit him out, and sent him back shirtless with a bloody torso.

"Dexmon?" Tiberon and Alaric said in unison. Tiberon was already moving to his son, relief cracking through the iron mask.

At that moment, Serena held up one hand, a portal cracking open. The edges of it sizzled with pink energy, the air around it warping.

"Don’t let her go through," Dexmon called, his voice raw. He could feel her with clarity through their matebond. Every ounce of her intent. And it terrified him. He moved at Alpha speed towards her.

Fin reached for her arm, but his hand was stopped by an invisible force an inch away.

"What the hell—"

He had never been told ’no’ by anything, and had just been denied by a tiny girl who wasn’t even looking at him.

Dexmon had an identical experience. His hands stopped dead, as if the air around her had turned to glass. His fingers pressed against nothing, and nothing pressed back.

Both of their Alpha auras detonated simultaneously, two thunderstorms in an enclosed chamber for everyone else to feel. All non-Alphas in the room visibly winced.

"What is she saying?" Fin demanded, eyes snapping to Maelor.

"She thanked me for my help," Maelor answered, a bead of sweat forming on his temple.

"Then why is there a damn portal open?" Fin gritted out.

Dex said nothing because he’d been about to ask the same question, and agreeing with Fin out loud felt like losing something.

Instead, he tried a different approach, moving in front of the portal. "Serena, come back to me, baby."

Serena spoke.

Maelor translated. "She says not to worry and the girl will not be harmed. But she must retrieve something. You can see it from the portal door."

Dex and Fin processed this at the same speed. The answer was a unanimous: absolutely not.

Serena moved in a blur.

Both alphas lunged at the same time, in the same direction, with the same result.

Dex tried again. Fin did as well. As if they’d have a different result on the third try. They didn’t.

Both of their eyes flared molten gold, wolves surging in equal frustration.

It would have been funny. If Serena hadn’t almost died, and Dex hadn’t miraculously showed up when they all thought he was captured, it would have been. Two apex predators reduced to toddlers being told no. Hands out, grasping at air, with identical expressions of furious disbelief.

Elara pressed her lips together so hard they disappeared. Hale looked at the ceiling because eye contact with anyone would have ended him.

Elara made eye contact with Hale and shook her head once, very slowly, communicating an entire paragraph: Do. Not. Laugh.

He gave her a look, not missed by anyone. She nodded, in understanding. The meaning was unclear to the room, but Gav read it as a silent agreement: you don’t have to translate that now, but you will tell him.

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