The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Just A Platonic Hug

Serena stirred awake and immediately started coughing.

Alaric’s face swam into focus through the blur. He was smiling.

"Oh gods," she rasped. "What the hell. Again."

"It works too well," Alaric replied, entirely unapologetic.

Serena lurched upright, already moving. She barely made it to the bathing chamber before retching. The door slammed shut behind her and locked with a decisive click.

She threw it up violently, eyes watering, stomach heaving, every nerve in her body protesting the betrayal.

On the other side of the door, Alaric’s voice drifted in, infuriatingly calm.

"Side effects include nausea, temporary rage toward the person who saved your life, and a full recovery. You’re welcome."

She rinsed her mouth again, steadying herself, then pushed open the door.

Elara was standing in the infirmary room. "You look like shit."

Serena snorted weakly, shaking her head. "I feel like shit so that’s fitting."

Elara grinned. "Let me help you."

She moved in, fingers already in Serena’s hair. As she worked, Elara leaned close, covering her mouth, her voice dropping to a whisper threaded with urgency.

"Serena, you need to know a few things—"

At that moment, Hale strode in, not bothering to knock. "We don’t have time."

Elara and Serena locked eyes. He’d clearly heard that and cut it off. Elara’s hands moved faster, pulling Serena’s hair back, settling the crown into place.

The air split.

A portal bloomed open as Hyran stepped through. "We need her now. Serena, fabricate filters on everyone. Red Death."

Serena pushed gold into every member of the Draken Forces and every warrior she could reach. A tiny cube, no larger than a pearl, formed on each of them, rapidly filtering the air around them.

They broke into a run. It was dark and the camp was in chaos. Fires burned uncontrolled. Red Death drifted like a living thing, seeping into canvas.

"Can you fabricate as many of those as possible for the next minute?" Aeron asked when they reached him. "Shadowclaw is on his way."

He was wrapped in gold, as were Garrett, Bloodmoon, and Shadowclaw. Everyone Serena had been able to reach, she had shielded.

"Yes," Serena answered without hesitation.

She began fabricating.

"Serena," Hyran said, watching her closely, "multiple at the same time."

"Good thinking," Serena said with a nod.

Two formed cleanly in her hands. She looked up at Hyran and grinned.

Hyran blinked, unimpressed.

"If you can push these into three hundred people at the same time, then you can fabricate more than two." His voice was flat and irritated.

"Oh. Right," Serena said, face going red. She was tired. "It’s not the same thing..."

"Figure it out."

Her breath steadied as the rhythm locked in. Twenty at once. Fifty at once. One hundred. She kept going, it took concentration.

Aeron watched in open fascination.

Mages poured into the tent moments later, grabbing the small cubes by the handfuls and sprinting back out into the smoke and fire.

All of them eyed her, eyes wide in disbelief. None spoke. Mages had affinity to one another regardless of pack affiliation, more than wolves. It was an unspoken rule, they protected their own. And as of that moment, Serena joined that club.

Aeron and Hyran made eye contact, both smirking.

"The Red Sacred Oak enchantment worked. The traitors had Red Death already in the camp," Hyran commented. "We have Viremont in custody."

At the mention of Viremont, she randomly felt a flicker of anger toward Hyran. She understood he’d been following orders. She knew it was irrational. She could’ve ignored all of them and burned Viremont. They needed to flush out the five traitors. Holding position was the correct call.

But the silver around her neck had rattled her. She felt upset.

Fin entered the tent in a blur and pulled her into his arms without hesitation.

His scent hit her hard. When their skin touched, it felt like electricity, intense and grounding all at once.

Oh.

This is making sense... these aren’t my feelings, she thought to herself.

Oh shit. Wait.

Holy shit.

Was he her fated mate and she hadn’t known? Or had he marked her?

What the hell was happening?

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