Alpha Paxton

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She would go through everything I went through at the beginning; the things I was still concealing from everyone. Embry wasn't the only person paying a price today. Adira would suffer from the strain put on her body, part of her would always live in the afterlife, walking the line of living and dead.

"Are you ready?"

Adira nodded her head yes. I wasn't exactly sure how to get back but I felt a pull, to walk into the darkness.

The smoke surrounded us again as we hand in hand walked, unknowingly into the black.

It almost felt like it had the first time. The pull, the feeling as if my body was being reconstructed, coming together piece by piece. I tried to be strong as I could hear Adira screaming beside me. I knew it was worse for her. Her body had been cremated and had to be built from scratch.

I pulled her hand along, forcing her to keep going. We couldn't stop now. I didn't know how I knew it but we were so close.

The smoke grew thicker and began to choke me as it had before.

I heard voices in the distance. I was almost supporting Adira on my shoulders, dragging her to the finish. It was Paxton's voice that kept me going as it grew louder.

"Theia! Theia!" He was clearly frantic, unable to feel his mate.

Adira and I coughed. My strength sputtering but then I felt it, his embrace around me. I let go, Adira knelt on the ground, her strength diminished from the journey.

The smoke began to clear and I saw Klayton, frozen, almost in a trance as he beheld his mate. It was like the first time all over again. He ran to her, clutching her; kissing her. I could see him inspecting her, making sure she was really real. That she was truly alive.

His affection was short-lived, once he knew she would be alright he turned his attention to my sister, who stood pointedly across the room. She watched the scene unfold around her, only briefly glancing at Embry, who lay unconscious on the ground from performing the spell. I knew she was dying inside, knowing that he was no longer immortal. Yet, in her stubborn ways, she would never show any sign of weakness in front of an enemy.

Klayton approached Destiny towering over her. He was still in human form but his nails had turned to claws and his teeth were razor sharp. Yet she sat there, picking at her already chipped nail polish like it was her biggest concern. She had expected this, and of course, she already knew the outcome.

"I wouldn't do that."

Her statement made him more furious. I could see his hands twitching, aligning his claws with her throat, letting them trace the delicate skin. I knew she was toying, trying to push his buttons but it was spiking my anxiety. He could kill her, she didn't have his brute force, his animalistic tendencies pushing forward.

I fought against Paxton's arms. Despite knowing that my sister could handle herself, the panic still set in, I wanted to fight for her. Protect her. Paxton easily held both me and Adira, who was still weak from adjusting to her newly beating heart.

Paxton was trying to calm me by whispering in my ear.

"You'll only get yourself hurt. I can't lose you. If you think Klayton's rampage is bad, it wouldn't compare to mine. He is old, wise —has patience. I do not." I could see where he was coming from; the sun would never shine a day again if I lost him. I barely knew the true Paxton but I was sure of that.

Except at this moment, I was furious. How could he not want to protect my family? Destiny was the only reason he even had a chance to meet me. And now he stood there, holding me back from returning the favour.