The Alpha’s Mate Who Cried Wolf

Chapter 140

Igaze up to see two very handsome faces smiling at me as I wake.

‘Ready to board the ship?’ Magnus says.

I sit up with a newfound excitement shooting through me.

‘Yes!’ I say with much enthusiasm. I stand up on the bed, pull Magnus and Alec in, and hug them.

Then, I peck them both on the cheek, jump off the bed, and sit at the dresser to comb my hair and

neaten myself up before leaving.

Maia, Damon and Sir Hugo are already there as we approach the dock. Mne load the ship with crates

of freshly gathered fruits and vegetables and mesh bags filled with flour, salt and rice.

‘We have loaded different seeds and seedlings to help you live off the Island. Oh, and I’ve had a few

trunks of dresses, tunics and other bits and pieces placed on board for you,’ she beams.

‘Thank you, Queen Maia. Your kindness and hospitality had been more than we could ask for,’ I smile.

May, Kadva and the witches are on board and wave to us from the upper deck, and Reaper flies

through the air and perched on the beam of the largest sail. The rest of our pack board the ship along

with the vampires, I’m relieved to see no one is afraid of the vampires and treats them the same as

everyone else.

Barrels of wine and rum are rolled onboard the ship as we hug people goodbye.

‘Stand by, make sail, the captain hollers. We quickly board the ship as the men release the dock lines

and raise the anchor. We stand on the upper deck near the middle mast and wave goodbye to

everyone waving us off. The seamen break into song, singing ballads about rum and women or sailing

the seas. Alec and Magnus take turns dancing with me along to the songs. My hair falls out from my

braid as I dance. I laugh with joy and happiness as my hair blows strongly in the wind. Alec twirls me

around and lifts me into the air. Kadva and Lilac join us and dance as the others clap along and tap

their feet. Two hours of sailing goes by quickly.

‘Land Ho! Anchor Aweigh, The captain shouts.

We all stop dancing and look out from the ship’s edge. The Island is vast. Big enough for a few villages

and fields. Alec and Magnus both hold a hand of mine each. They gently squeeze my hand and look

down at me with endearing gazes.

‘We’re home,’ they both say in unison.

I squeeze their hands back and smile between them as my eyes glisten from tears of joy.

The crew load the small boats with the trunks and crates filled with goods and begin rowing them to

shore. The captain escorts us to a small boat with no items on board. We step in, sit wherever we can,

and make room for May, Kadva and others. The crew on board lower our boat down into the water with

ropes, and two other men begin rowing us to More boats with our pack members are lowered onto the

water and rowed to shore. Unable to help ourselves, all the witches and me give each other look and

nod, ‘Skedaddle Dash, we all say and immediately blink, ending up on the sandy banks of the Island.

We turn and wave to Magnus, Alec and Kadva, who don’t look impressed with us as they are still being

rowed to shore. We chase each other through the sandy beach, kicking sand with our feet and rolling

around, making sand angels. We see Alec, Magnus and Kadva are now on shore and stand there in

line with arms crossed and smirks on their faces, watching us. Reaper flies around in large circles,

scoping out the island.

Alec holds his hand out. I approach and take his hand.

‘Let’s find somewhere to summon our castle, he hums. We spend an hour walking through trees until

we find an area of mostly flat land. On the outskirts to the North is a huge cliff with a waterfall. The

water flows along a river in a curved line that leads to a lake.

‘We could place it in front of the river by the waterfall. This way we will always have fresh water

available and a lake to

swim in. Alec and Magnus nod in agreement.

‘This is going to take all my energy to summon. I will need to rest afterwards, Alec cautions. Magnus

and I nod.

Alec closes his eyes and holds his hands out as dark matter begins to sphere in the palm of his hands.

The ground shakes and trembles with ferocity. Magnus grabs hold of me, breaking my fall. The ground

breaks open, and a dark, gothic but beautiful castle slowly rises from the ground.

Four corner towers appear a distance away from the castle. They link together with large stone curtain

walls, creating a wall of protection around the castle. The castle is complete with sleeping quarters, a

great hall, kitchen, stables, storage cellar, crypt, a library and more. A large pebble stone courtyard

appears outside the grand stairs of the castle. Workshops for blacksmithing, candle making, baking,

tailoring and more appear along the courtyard’s edges. A garden so large appears with a pond and

seats of stone. Statues adorn the garden full of roses, violets and tulips. Trees made from crystals of

gemstones in shades of purple, pink and green appear. They are just like the trees from Silverfay

Forest. Green hedges form together, making an intricate maze. The beautiful garden has dazzled me,

and Alec knows it.

Another large curtained wall forms outside the first set, complete with flanking towers and battlements. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

There is a drawbridge connected between two watch towers. The battlement between the two towers is

covered. All archways are pointed. Gargoyles sit upon walls and the vaulted roofs. The large windows

are stained glass depicting stories of events. Whether the images are based on true events or fiction, I

was unsure, but they are fascinating all the same. The detail on the flying buttresses adds to the

grandness of the castle. Although the castle is and has an eeriness to it, at the same time, it’s

hauntingly beautiful. The dark swirls upon Alec’s palm dissipate, and he falls backwards, weak from

using all his power.

Even though I hold his arm, I’m not physically strong enough to hold his weight. Suddenly he doesn’t

seem so heavy. I look up to see Magnus has gripped his other arm. ‘Let me help bring him inside the

castle. Relieved, I smile at Magnus and nod. Although Magnus and Alec have had a physical

altercation over me. They have also bonded, treating each other as brothers and equals. I’m glad they

have become respectful and mutual toward each other. I’m proud they put their differences aside back

in the human world and worked together to save me. They know how much I love them and how I

would die for either of them if it ever came down to it. I shake my head at the thought. I’m about to

drape Alec’s arm over my shoulder, but one of the vampires comes forth and insists he help. I lead

them into the castle and walk up many stairs. We find a dark chamber with an open coffin.

‘Inferno Flamo,’ I say, waving my wand at the candles. The room is now dimly lit up with small flickering

flames. The coffin is black with carvings and details in silver.

‘This is where King Alec would rest when needing to regain his power,’ The vampire says.

‘What’s your name?’ I ask him.

‘Darcy, my Queen,’ he says, bowing his head.

‘Nina’ Alec says. I gaze up at him and see the sweat across his forehead. I gently wipe it away and

remember he will need my blood.

‘Darcy, is there a chamber with a bed rather than a coffin?’ | ask.

‘Of course, he bows. He helps Magnus to carry him down two doors.

We enter a large chamber with a bed covered in silk and lush pillows.

‘Please, place him on the bed, I tell them.

We walk past the fireplace and mahogany furnishings to the other side of the chamber where the bed

is. Magnus and Darcy place him on the bed. I climb up and sit beside him.

‘Thank you, Darcy. Perhaps you could give Magnus and our pack a tour to help settle in?’

‘Of course, my Queen,’ he says and bows his head again.

Magnus follows him out, leaving me alone with Alec.