The Alphas' Daughter (Alpha Eyes: Book 2)

Chapter 27

Liesel watched the alpha female's eyes flutter closed. She still could hardly believe that she was doing this, enforcing a boundary against the long-elusive guardian. She'd heard that a lycan and his mate were seeking a witch's help, and by a fluke she walked in on the meeting to decide who would go.

But this was it, the first step in assessing the threat. If the guardian truly meant no harm, then she would not object to the introduction.

"Elexce... intrado... sophisiacado."

A purple haze engulfed the female lying on the table, a surface level magic summoning the guardian. For a second, she feared that she'd missed something. Yet, a moment later, the young woman's eyes snapped opened. This time, her eyes were glazed over as proof that someone else was in control.

"Who are you?" Liesel asked the guardian.

"My name is Amy," the woman answered, her voice a few notes deeper than the alpha female's.

At the different voice, the lycan Lucas jerked back. He stared at his mate's body for a moment, obviously coming to terms with what he was seeing and hearing. He glanced up at Liesel and nodded for her to continue.

"All right, Amy. What do you want? You know that the last of your kind caused serious damage."

"I know," Amy replied. "And I have no intention of repeating that mistake. I only want to protect my alpha."

Liesel rubbed my hands together. "If that is true, then you won't object if I take some precautions."

"Precautions? No, I don't object."

Liesel didn't miss the slight tremble in the guardian's voice. The agreement was there, lined by uncertainty. She'd work with whatever she could.

"Great. This will be quick." She held her hands up, palms to the ceiling. The faster she got this done the better.

"Promada...firma...eterna..." Her purple hazy magic seemed to sink into the alpha female's body, effectively forming the barrier between mother and child.

"What are you doing?" the guardian squeaked, emitting a weak white glow that blended with Liesel's purple. She was starting to resist.

"Protexe eterna dua!" Liesel made a shoving motion with her hands, sending a new wave of magic into the werewolf's body.

The guardian cried out as the barrier solidified. She thrashed for a couple seconds before going limp, eyes closing as she was forced out of control of the alpha female's body.

Lucas gripped his mate's hand and glared at Liesel. "What was that? What happened?"

"The guardian started to resist the barrier, which means she was already starting to connect with your child," she explained. At seeing the lycan tense for a response, she held up her hands to calm him down.

"My barrier worked, alpha. Your child is safe, and I now have a tether on the guardian. If she tries to take over like the last guardian, I have the power to draw her out and put her down."

Lucas looked down at the unconscious female on the table. "And my mate? What happens to her if you have to kill the guardian?"

Liesel started at the pair for a minute, observing the silent display of devotion and concern. She'd been taught about werewolf mate bonds; breaking that bond had been one of her school lessons—but that was only for rare, extreme occasions. Werewolf mates were the equivalent of human marriages, yet there was a bond in their souls that tied them together to the death.

Living in an all-female coven, concepts like love, marriage, partnership and the like were dismissed or scoffed at. She had wondered what it would be like to have someone love her with all of their soul. Now that she was seeing an example, the depth of beauty of their connection made her wonder anew at what she might be missing.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," she murmured. "Until then, your mate is safe. I promise to do everything in my power to protect her."

#

I blinked against the light bombing my eyes. It flickered like a fluttering curtain. It was a peaceful feeling.

"There she is."

I squirmed and forced my eyes open. Lucas gazed down at me with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"There's my girl." He adjusted the blanket over my body and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

I took a quick mental scan of myself. Everything seemed to be in order. Just when I thought he was inquiring after my pregnancy symptoms, a little jolt of memory sent a shudder through me. I glanced up at Lucas. "Did it work?"

He propped his elbow on the pillow next to my head. With his fingers toying with my hair, he nodded. "Yeah. It worked."

"Good." I rolled onto my side towards him, curling into his chest. "Where's Liesel?"

He draped his arm over my waist. "I asked her to stay for a few days, just to be sure her barrier doesn't backfire or affect either of you. She's in one of the guest rooms."

"Did everything go okay?"

He chewed on his bottom lip and curled multiple strands of my hair around his fingers. When he failed to answer, I propped myself up on my elbow to be almost eye level with him.

"Lucas? What happened?"

"Your guardian started to resist... to fight back. Liesel said she must have already started connecting with the baby."

My heart pounded against my ribcage, pulse speeding to a probably unhealthy rate. "What? She... She promised me..."

"Karina, listen to me." He cupped the back of my head and held firm until I met his gaze. His eyes glowed with that protective possession I'd come to love so much. His jaw was hard set, one outward sign of his inner determination. I clamped my mouth shut to listen.

"You and this baby are my life. Our bond is stronger than anything Amy can offer. No matter what she tells you, we can't truly know where her loyalties lie. She may not know herself. But..." he leaned forward until our foreheads touched. "I promise that I will not let anything happen to you if I can help it. If that means I have to watch a witch cast loads of spells in order to protect you, I'll do it."

I flinched as something trickled down my cheek. Swiping it with my fingers, I blinked in surprise to see the tear on my skin. When had I started crying?

Lucas kissed my cheek, catching another tear. "I know you're scared. Heck, I am too. But we're in this together...to the end."

I nodded as a sob globbed up my throat. For the first time, I actually feared my guardian. Lucas was right; we knew virtually nothing about her. She could turn like the last guardian, and we'd all die.

"We'll figure this out," my mate whispered as he tucked me against his chest, his natural heat wrapping around me like a blanket. "And I think we should go see your parents. They should know what's going on. We'll take Liesel with us."

I sucked in a breath, letting his scent flood my senses and calm me. This is why I loved him so much: he knew when to take charge. He became my protector when I needed him most. He would do anything I asked of him.

"You're right," I mumbled into his shirt. "Of course you're right."

"Get some sleep, love. We'll tackle our problems tomorrow."

Tomorrow... if only it were that easy.