Alpha Queen: Reborn From Ash

Chapter 4:

"Wake up, Mara! Please, wake up!"

Cole's voice ripped through the darkness of her mind. He was running, his heavy boots pounding against the icy stone.

Mara's head lolled against his shoulder. Her body felt like it was made of lead. The golden light had faded from her chest, leaving behind a dull, throbbing ache.

"Where... where am I?" she whimpered, her voice barely a whisper.

Cole ducked under a low-hanging rock, pulling her tighter against his chest. "We are deep in the old wolf tunnels. The army is right behind us. I can hear them tearing through the entrance."

Mara's eyes fluttered open. She saw the dark, narrow tunnel walls, the dripping water, and the terror in Cole's eyes.

"Kane," she rasped, her throat dry. "Kane is coming."

"Yes, he is," Cole growled, stopping abruptly. He slid her gently to the ground, his hands cupping her face. "But you are not just Mara Stone anymore. You carry the Warlord's power. You can fight him."

Mara shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I can't. I can't control it. I feel like I am drowning inside."

Cole pressed his forehead against hers, his voice low and desperate. "Then drown, Mara. Drown in it. Let it break you apart. Let it rebuild you. I will be right here."

She grabbed his shirt, her fingers trembling. "I am so scared, Cole. I am so scared of losing myself."

He held her tighter. "You won't lose yourself. You are a mother. A mother's love is the strongest magic in the world. Use it."

A massive, booming crash echoed behind them. The tunnel entrance had collapsed.

Mara's eyes snapped open. The golden light flickered back to life in her chest.

"He is here," she whispered.

Cole stood up, pulling his bone-carved blade from his belt. "Stay behind me. No matter what happens, you do not move."

Mara scrambled to her feet, her legs shaking violently. "No. I am not hiding anymore, Cole."

She stepped in front of him, her hands glowing with a faint, golden aura.

The dust settled, and a massive black wolf stepped out of the rubble.

Kane shifted into his human form, his eyes blazing with rage. "You really thought you could hide from me, Mara? You really thought you could steal the Warlord's power and walk away?"

Mara's chest heaved. Her body trembled, but she held her ground. "I did not steal anything, Kane. I earned it through pain."

Kane laughed, a dark, chilling sound. "You earned it? You are a pathetic, broken little wolf. You have no pack. You have no mate. You have nothing but a dead man's magic."

Mara's breath caught in her throat. She felt the words hit her like a physical blow.

"She has me," Cole snarled, stepping up beside her.

Kane sneered. "You? A rogue wolf with no pack? You are not a mate, Cole. You are a coward who ran away from his own child."

Cole's face went pale. He gripped his blade, his knuckles white. "Do not speak of my daughter."

Kane smiled, stepping closer. "I saw her, you know. Your little girl. She died screaming in the fire, calling out for her daddy."

Cole let out a guttural roar, launching himself at Kane.

"COLE, NO!" Mara screamed.

Kane was faster. He grabbed Cole's wrist, twisting it until the blade clattered to the ground. He threw Cole against the tunnel wall, knocking him unconscious.

Mara watched Cole fall, her heart shattering.

"You see?" Kane whispered, walking toward her. "Everyone you love dies, Mara. Your pack. Your child. Your new protector. It is your curse."

Mara's knees buckled. She fell to her knees, clutching her chest.

"No," she sobbed, her voice cracking. "Please, no. Not him. Not Cole. He is the only one who believed in me."

Kane crouched in front of her, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back. "You are weak, Mara. You will always be weak. And I am going to take Ella's head and place it in your hands, and then I am going to watch you die alone."

Mara's tears fell freely. She looked at Cole's lifeless body, then at the tiny pink shoe still clutched in her hand.

She thought of Ella's voice. She thought of Cole's words: "A mother's love is the strongest magic in the world."

A fierce, blinding golden light erupted from her chest. Kane screamed, releasing her hair and staggering backward. His hands were burning.

Mara got to her feet and her eyes were pure white, glowing with ancient power.

"Touch him again," she whispered, her voice echoing with a terrifying depth. "And I will tear your wolf from your body while you are still breathing."

Kane stared at her, his face twisted in shock. "How? How are you doing this?!"

Mara took a step forward, the golden light radiating around her like a storm. "Because I am not just a mother anymore, Kane. I am a queen. And you took my heart. You took my child. You took my pack. Now, you will give it all back."

She lunged, her claws extending into glowing golden blades.

Kane shifted into his wolf form, charging at her.

They collided in a blinding explosion of light and shadow.

Mara felt her claws rip through Kane's skin. She heard him howl in pain. She felt the old wolf magic burning inside her, consuming her, transforming her.

But then, a sharp, familiar pain pierced her chest. She looked down just to see that Kane had driven his silver dagger straight into her mechanical heart.

Mara's eyes widened. The golden light dimmed. She stumbled backward, clutching the blade protruding from her chest.

Kane grinned, blood dripping from his muzzle. "I told you, Mara. You will always be weak."

Mara dropped to her knees. She looked at Cole, still unconscious against the wall. She looked at the tiny shoe in her hand.

She couldn't die. Not here. Not now.

She tore the dagger out of her chest with a guttural scream. Blood sprayed across the stone floor.

Kane's eyes went wide in disbelief. "You... you should be dead!"

Mara stood up, wobbling, her face pale and lifeless. She held the bloody dagger in her shaking hand.

"Death is a gift I do not deserve," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I deserve a life where Ella is safe. And I will fight until I have it."

She raised the dagger, her body swaying. But before she could strike, a massive, terrifying howl echoed from the tunnel entrance.

Dozens of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Kane's army had arrived and they had someone with them.

A small, thin girl with golden hair, bound in silver chains, stood in front of the army.

"Mommy?" Ella whispered, her voice broken and terrified.

Mara froze. Her eyes locked onto her daughter.

"Ella," she breathed, her voice barely audible.

Kane laughed, shifting back to human form. "I told you, Mara. I always keep my promises. Did you really think I would leave her unguarded?"

He walked over to Ella, grabbing her small shoulder.

"Surrender, Mara. Or I will slit her throat right here in front of you."

Mara looked at the blade in her hand. She looked at the army. She looked at Cole, unconscious and bleeding and she looked at her daughter, crying and terrified. She had no army, no strength and had no plan.

She dropped the dagger into the snow. "I surrender," she whispered, her voice shattering. "Just please, don't hurt her."

Kane smiled, pulling a new, heavy silver collar from his belt. "Good girl. Now, kneel."

Mara fell to her knees in the freezing snow. Her shattered heart beat its last painful beat. She had lost but just as Kane reached for her neck, a massive, flaming arrow shot through the air, striking him square in the shoulder.

Kane howled, stumbling backward.

Mara looked up, her eyes wide. Standing on the cliff above them, surrounded by hundreds of armored wolves, was Cole.

He was bleeding, but he was standing. He held a glowing bow in his hand.

"I told you, Mara," he said, his voice echoing through the mountain. "I will never leave you."