Triple Alpha's Threat

Ch. 45 - Trust No One

Kiera POV

Confusion etched my face as I turned to Drake, tears clouding my vision. "What is happening?"

"It's okay. Don't be afraid." Drake reassured me, his hand finding my waist, pulling me into the shelter of his chest. I felt Chase's reassuring hand on my back, a sigh of relief escaping me.

The familiar presence of the brothers offered a sense of security in the midst of the unknown. Their touch offered safety, once a sought-after comfort, but now felt like a double-edged sword, offering solace yet suffocating. I gently shrugged away from their embrace, but I made sure to stay close to them.

The creatures began speaking again, each taking a turn, and their voices echoed around us.

"Fools! All of you."

"She will be the end of us."

"Kill her!"

Their words lingered in the air, a scornful echo that danced between the darkened trees, as if mocking the choices that led us to this moment. The ominous atmosphere tightened around us, and I couldn't shake the feeling that our fate hung precariously in the balance.

"I'll be the end of each and every one of you if you dare to harm her." Drake threatened. I felt his power, and it fueled me with courage. I stepped from him, but his hand grabbed my waist tightly again to remain where I was.

"Why would you want me dead?" I asked the grotesque demons. The air hung heavy with tension as the sinister creatures revealed their ominous intentions.

"The forest wants you for themselves. Only you can bring forth their most powerful of children."

"Me? How?"

"You are born from the light of the South. They are born from the darkness of the North. The dark forest already claimed another soul. The evil trapped within our borders can't continue to merge into our world, or we will no longer own it." One of the creatures turned to Drake. "Kill this woman and kill the baby born under the last full moon, if not, then we will watch our world burn into a hell ruled by old demons once again."

The wind picked up, swirling the black leaves around the creatures, then swallowed them up. The ominous revelation left a chilling echo in the air as the fate of an unknown child and the balance between light and darkness hung in the balance.

"What the hell was that?" I turned to Drake.

"The oracles of the North. We need to get home and find this child they speak of," Chase answered, and Drake remained silent, caught in his thoughts for a moment.

"We aren't killing a child?" Athena came forward to show our seriousness.

"We need to talk to River and Elizabeth." Drake stepped closer to me. "We need to leave here. No one ever comes this close to the dark forest. You don't understand the power it has."

"I won't let it kill a child, or me."

Chase came to my other side. "No one will hurt you, Cherie. Trust us." His long fingers gently brushed away tears I hadn't realized were there.

"I don't trust either of you." I met their gazes, my emotions steeled away from feeling any desire or need for them. I knew Athena was the one locking away our vulnerability; she wanted these boys as playmates but would be reluctant to trust any again.

Chase seemed pained by my words, avoiding eye contact, while Drake stared me down, tension evident as he closed off his own emotions.

"Drake, you will not harm a child!" I ordered him.

"Kiera, let's get home first!" He grabbed my arm, attempting to pull me along. Athena, protective and fierce, shot forward, clawing deep into his arm.

"Don't ever force me!" Athena demanded, and I smiled at him. In that moment, we felt more powerful than ever, capable of confronting and, if needed, killing both these Alphas.