Share
173
Related chapters
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 174
MAXINEWe moved carefully through the lodge. Mr. Grayson kept leading the way. We left the basement and climbed up the broad staircase to the second floor. Zel walked beside me, her magic still glowing faintly. She was ready to fight.Peter and Regina were behind us, their eyes scanning every corner. Peter's fingers glowed just a bit. He was also at the ready.We reached the top of the stairs. Mr. Grayson paused, turning to face us. “The piece has to be somewhere in this part of the lodge,” he said keeping his voice down. “We’ll search every room at the edge of this floor. It can’t be that far.”I nodded, swallowing hard. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The curse was aware of us now. It was only a matter of time before it came to fight back."We need to stick together," I reminded everyone. "No one goes off alone, no matter what." I need to resound it now, more than ever. They nodded agreeing with me.We began our search, moving from room to room. We checked every nook
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 175
MAXINEWe made our way to the old oak tree near the lake. The moon was hanging low in the sky. It cast a pale glow on the water. I could see the massive oak tree in the distance, its branches twisting like fingers.This was where it was all going to end.We reached the base of the tree. The ground beneath our feet is uneven and covered in fallen leaves. Mr. Grayson pulled out the scroll from the small box containing the last piece. He brought the other pieces from his bag one after the other.“Here,” Mr. Grayson said, kneeling on the ground and spreading the pieces out like a puzzle. "This is where we put it all together."I knelt beside him, helping to arrange the pieces. They were fragile, the edges folding and crumbling. We managed to fit them together. Zel stood to the side, her magic ready.Peter stood nearby, his eyes closed. He was humming and I suspected he was connecting with the spirits. He was the connection that the old journal spoke about.“We have to be quick,” Zel said,
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 176
MAXINE"Not yet," I yelled, running back to them. I felt the artifact's energy in me. "Hold hands!"Together, we formed a circle around the curse. Mr. Grayson activated his amulet and formed a protection around us from the attacking shadows. Zel continued the chant along with Peter as the curse tried to push through us.“Hold on tight, we can’t let it break!” I yelled. "This is our last chance."Zel’s chanting became faster and the symbols on the puzzle pieces glowed so brightly, that they were almost blinding me.The curse exploded outward and I was thrown back. My breath was knocked from my lungs as I hit the ground. Everything seemed to slow down. For a moment, I was sure we had failed, that the curse had won.But then, I heard Zel’s voice. “Get up. We’re not done yet!”I pushed myself to my feet, my legs shaking under me. I hurried towards Zel and held her hand, squinting as the curse continued to twirl like the wind.Regina and Peter were already up, helping Mr. Grayson to his fe
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 177
MAXINEThe next day, the sun was shining high in the sky, bathing the Gray Lodge in its golden light. I exhaled loudly, lifting my chin towards the sun and smiling. Peace, this was what true peace was. No one tells you that you can only know what peace is until you know what real trouble is.This was the kind of day that would make me just want to stretch out and soak up the sun, feeling the gentle breeze. The wind carried with it the scent of pine and water. The lodge seemed almost like a different place. The atmosphere was lighter and more welcoming. The feeling of that oppressive curse was gone.I wonder if I could find a way to get rid of the old rumor of it being haunted. For the first time in a while, we were all able to relax. Mr. Grayson gave us the rest of the week off and this was only Thursday.I found Zel and Peter in the garden. Zel was working to plant some new flowers and she was showing something to Peter. They were laughing so close together that their heads almost to
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 178
MAXINE"You’ve earned it, Anna. You both have. This place wouldn’t be what it is now without your help." Peter replied.His words made my heart swell. “Thank you, Peter. That means a lot.”After a while, I decided to leave them alone. I found myself walking towards the pool. I hadn't gotten a glimpse of Conrad since our last kiss. I figured that since it was still afternoon, he would be there.I was wrong, of course. He wasn't there so I sat on one of the lounge chairs, basking in the warmth of the sun. A while later, I couldn't feel the warmth anymore. I opened my eyes, confused, and saw Conrad standing and leaning over to stare at me. He was blocking the sun from my face."Hey," he said. The sun caught in his hair and made it look more golden than blond and goddess, was he beautiful."Hey," I replied, suddenly feeling breathless."Mind if I join you?" he asked. I nodded. He took the next lounge chair and sat down. I didn't know if I should mirror him and sit up. Instead, I stayed ly
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 179
MAXINE"But I’ve always seen it as a kind of hidden gem. It's like a home away from home," he said to me.I chuckled, relieved. The less people that knew what happened here, the better. “Yeah, you could say that.”"Anna, there’s something special about this place. But I think what makes it special is the people here. People like you.” he bumped shoulders with me lightly."Conrad…”“I mean it,” he said, stepping even closer that our bodies were almost literally pressed together. "Ever since I came here, I’ve felt like I’ve been searching for something without knowing what it was. Then I met you. And I think it might be fate that brought me and you here."I opened my mouth to reply, but I couldn't find any words. The sincerity in his voice and the way his gaze held mine left me trapped in this moment. But in the best possible way.He reached up, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Anna, you’ve made me look forward to working in this place. I don't have family and this work i
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 180
LIAMBut this, this was something entirely different. I didn't even know the girl.I walked towards the exit of the building pushing open the heavy wooden doors. It was biting cold when I stepped outside and cold bit into my skin. I needed to clear my head and think about the next move. The pack leaders of the northern pack were giving me a tough choice.As I approached my car, Kris pushed off the pillar where he was leaning on. He had a coat on and he stuck his hands into it."A second later and I would have frozen my ass off in this place," he muttered as I unlocked the car and started the engine, the heater turning on.I said nothing even though I was wrong for forgetting to drop the keys with him. I didn't drive. I left the car in park, listening to the thrum of the engine.Kris turned to look at me, his brow lifted. "What happened in there?" He asked, noticing my mood.I hit my hand against the steering wheel, the horn blowing loudly. "The fcking turned this on me." I snapped, gr
Sold To The Stongest Alpha 181
LIAMAfter thanking Benson for the information, we continued the drive back to the pack. Although the heater blasted warmth in the car, it did nothing to heat the cold storm in my chestMy mind was split between finding Maxine and the marriage alliance to a woman whose face I hadn't ever seen. They’d sprung this up on me like a trap and I had fallen from it. If I had known, I would have found a way not to meet them.But, who was I kidding? If I had not gone to them, they would have come to me. Kris sat quietly in the passenger seat. His eyes were fixed on the road in front of us.He hadn’t said much since our conversation with Benson. He was probably thinking about the same thing I was: Maxine.Or, should I say: Annalise. That was the new name she was using now. It was a name she was most likely using to hide from me and the rest of the world. She was out there somewhere, starting a new life because I had hurt her.I hadn't even gotten to find out how everything had gone with the arti
Latest chapter
