Chapter 0264
"He's busy, but he'll return shortly." Alexander grins at her and snatches a piece of her popcorn.
"Is it because he's a very important man?" Charlotte asks, pouting.
"He is. When you're older, you'll understand why."
"Okay." She scrambles up onto the window seat and presses her face against the glass, searching for Zachary.
She frowns when she can't spot him.
"Brianna, can you stay with the children while I speak with my mate?" Alexander requests.
"Of course. I adore kids."
I wince when she refers to herself as Auntie Brianna and informs them she'll be staying longer. But I don't have time to correct her because Alexander is already pulling me out of the room.
"I know you hate this idea, but I believe she's onto something. I also understand it's triggering awful memories. However, it will be the fastest method to eliminate the threats. To identify who is truly loyal to you."
"I can't do it." Even discussing killing so many people made me restless. I needed to find a way to purge this darkness. I couldn't continue living like this, constantly fearing its resurgence.
"You can't cultivate it anyway. At least, I don't believe you can. It requires wolf blood."
He begins outlining a plan. Talking about growing it in a secure location inaccessible to children.
Part of me despised the idea, but something deep within me stirred with pleasure at the thought of more deaths. I loathed this encroaching darkness.
While Alexander checks on Julian, Brianna sits on the floor across from me. We had been communicating through mind link, each connection growing clearer and stronger.
'Explain how you linked everyone before?' Her high-pitched voice echoes inside my head.
'I'm uncertain. I was hiding with Sophia. She made me feel capable, and it just occurred.'
'No, there's more to it. Linking that many simultaneously requires immense power and strength. Qualities you already possess. But something is currently blocking you.'
'I suppose I wanted to protect those I care about. Sophia was like a younger sister. We were navigating our new realities together. She was newly bitten, I was newly unbound. But I didn't harbor this darkness then. And the twins help maintain my mental clarity."
"I'm not suggesting you need to shift. You've accepted your position, correct? Now it's time to truly believe in it. Believe that you are an exceptionally powerful female Alpha. You've survived being bound four times. That alone proves you're more than just any Alpha. So tap into that strength!"
"Stop commanding me! Stop talking. I need to think!" The words emerge in a strange, distorted tone. A voice that doesn't belong to Nyx.
Brianna stares at me with wide brown eyes, frantically patting her throat. "What's wrong? Are you having breathing difficulties?" I panic as she continues pointing at me, then at her own throat. Her mouth moves but produces no sound.
Footsteps approach rapidly. The last person I expected to see was Sebastian. "You've ordered her to remain silent." He informs me.
"What? No, I didn't. How would you know that? You weren't even present."
"She linked me."
"I don't understand how I did it. How did she link you? She's a Lycan. Wait, you're her mate?"
"Yes," he turns his head toward Brianna, then back to me. Frowning, he adds, "Mal mentioned it happens when you're agitated."
"You were agitated about ensuring Sophia's safety." I know he's merely repeating her words, but it feels peculiar.
"You were agitated because she was analyzing you. You're agitated about making decisions."
"So how do I reverse it?" Alexander needed to provide more explanation about the Alpha command.
"Simply tell her she can speak again."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." He winks at me. I had missed Sebastian; he wasๅฎๅ จไธๅ when he drank.
"You can speak." I mutter to Brianna.
"And I've just solved your problem." She smiles at me.