Betrayed By The Alpha, Desired By The Hybrid

Chapter 18

Emma's POV

“Master? What are you doing here?” I gasped, my hand rubbing my neck where Tiffany had bitten me earlier. It still stung like hell, and rubbing it wasn’t helping.

The witches around him turned their furious eyes on me. Their anger felt like a punch to the gut.

“You know him, don’t you?” Stacy asked, her voice full of disappointment. Her hands were still stretched out toward Master.

“Yes—I mean, no!” I stammered. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, completely lost for words. Fear gripped me. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, the truth was there, plain as day—those witches lying dead on the ground? That was on me. All of it.

“It’s all my fault,” Stacy said, her voice cracking as she wiped tears from her face. “I never should’ve brought you here.”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. How could I have known this nightmare was going to happen? I had nowhere else to go. Everyone hated me. How was I supposed to know this would happen?

“Leo wants you back at the mansion,” Master said, his voice trembling. He was on his knees, the witches’ spells keeping him down. “Please, Emma, come back to the estate.”

“Why? So I can go back to being a slave?” Tears spilled from my eyes as I glared at him. “I’m not going back. Never.” My jaw clenched tight.

Did he really think I’d just forget everything they did to me and walk back in there? Not a chance.

I turned to Stacy, desperate. “Please, just let him go. He’s not worth it.”

But my plea only made her angrier. Her eyes turned red with fury, and I instantly regretted speaking.

“How dare you,” she hissed. “How dare you tell me to let him go after what he’s done.” She pointed at the lifeless witches on the ground. “These were my sisters! They’re dead because of him.” Then her finger shifted toward me. “No—they’re dead because of you.”

Her accusation hit me like a slap, and I couldn’t even argue. She was right. I was nothing but a curse.

“Take him,” she barked. Two witches grabbed Master and started dragging him inside.

Stacy stormed off toward the coven, and I just stood there for a second before deciding to follow her. I didn’t say a word, just trailed behind her silently until we reached a hall with doors leading to different rooms.

Finally, I worked up the nerve to speak, my voice shaky.

“What are you gonna do to him?”

She didn’t answer. Her face was twisted with rage. “Just go, Emma. You have no idea what you’ve done to us today.”

Her words crushed me. “Go and don’t come back. If you do, it’ll be the last thing you ever do,” she spat before walking away.

I collapsed to the floor. This was exactly what Master had warned me about. Was Stacy right? Was I cursed? She glanced back at me once before turning again, but then—

The sound of glass shattering broke through the tense silence. Screams and chaos erupted outside, like a war had just broken out.

“It can’t be another attack,” I whispered, shaking off the thought. But then I heard it. His voice. Leo.

“It can’t be another attack,” I whispered, trying to shake off the awful thought that maybe, just maybe, Leo was here. And if he was, that was the last thing we needed right now. But then I heard it. His voice. It was Leo. My heart sank.

“If you don’t bring him out,” he bellowed, “I’ll burn this place to the ground.”

A chill ran down my spine. Oh no. We’re screwed. I just know he’s here for Master—and probably me too.

“Please, where did they take him?” I begged, running after Stacy and grabbing her arm. She shoved me off like I was nothing. “You have to tell me where they took Master! You don’t understand what Leo can do!”

I was still begging her when I noticed a group of witches pass by. I figured they were headed outside to face Leo. They probably thought they had a shot at taking him down.

"Don’t worry, he won’t leave here alive," she smirked. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of worry and fear. Do those witches really stand a chance?

Then I heard it—screams. Loud, blood-curdling screams. I could picture it in my head—what he was doing to them right now. It made my stomach twist.

The minute they started screaming—loud, gut-wrenching screams—I felt like someone ripped my heart open. I could picture it in my head, what he was doing to them right now. It made my stomach turn.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Just give him what he wants.” My knees felt weak.

“I’m not doing that,” Stacy snapped, glaring at me. Then she clapped her hands together, and her eyes... they changed. A mix of black and red, like she wasn’t even human anymore. It was freaky, like she’d gone into some kind of trance.

Suddenly, witches started pouring out of a room to our right—at least 30 of them.

“Let’s go get that bastard,” she barked, leading the charge. The rest followed her without hesitation.

It didn’t take long. Not even two minutes after they were gone, I heard it—fresh screams, louder than before. Crying, chanting, chaos.

I froze, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The sounds were unbearable. Finally, I forced myself to take a step. Then another. The closer I got, the worse it got.

And when I finally reached the scene, I wished I hadn’t.

It was like something out of a horror movie. A bloodbath. Bodies of witches were scattered everywhere, torn apart. Blood pooled on the ground, staining everything. Leo had ripped some of their hearts out, others had their eyes gouged out. It was too much. I turned and vomited.

When I looked up, Stacy was staring at me.

Her eyes broke me.

There was so much regret in them. Her face, her body, her hands—they were covered in blood. I didn’t even know if it was hers or someone else’s. Maybe one of her sisters.

But that look. That look told me everything. She hated me.

She’d tried to help me, and now her family was dead because of me. I could see it in her eyes—she blamed me for all of this.

And honestly? She was right.

If we survived Leo today, I knew she’d never forgive me. And I wouldn’t blame her.

It’s all the Moon Goddess’s fault. She hates me.