The Alpha King’s Ultimate Sacrifice
Part 1
I stared at the empty space on the wall where my husband’s portrait used to hang.
Tyler tugged at the hem of my dress.
His small fingers dug into the fabric.
“Why hasn’t Papa come back?”
My eight-year-old son looked up at me with tears welling in his eyes.
“If he loved us so much, why hasn’t he found a way home?”
The accusation in his tone pierced my chest like a physical blade.
I sank to the stone floor to meet his gaze.
My fingers dug into the fabric of his tunic.
“Your father offered himself to the fae Queen to save your life.”
Tyler dragged the rough fabric of his sleeve across his running nose.
“But he should have come home by now.”
He bit his lower lip hard enough to draw a pale line.
“Maybe he is happy there.”
His gaze dropped to his scuffed boots.
“Maybe he stopped trying to escape.”
I dragged him against my chest.
My chin rested in his soft hair.
“He could never be happy without us.”
My throat burned.
The memory of Craig leaving us behind flashed behind my eyelids.
Heather had come to collect her due.
Craig had thrown his body in front of the queen’s path.
The fae Realm had swallowed him whole in exchange for our son.
“I have been searching for a way to bring him home every single day.”
I tilted Tyler’s chin up.
“Megan has been helping me.”
Tyler’s expression shifted.
He rubbed his puffy eyes.
“You promise?”
My lips brushed against his warm forehead.
“Always.”
I stood up to smooth the wrinkles from my skirt.
The heavy oak door to Tyler’s room clicked shut behind me.
The heels of my boots struck the floorboards with sharp echoes.
I forced open the heavy door to Megan’s workroom.
My sister sat hunched over a pile of ancient, dust-covered texts.
Dark circles ringed her eyes.
“He asked about Craig again.”
I slumped into the wooden chair.
The rough grain of the table pressed against my forearms.
“He thinks Craig chose to stay with Heather.”
Megan pushed a leather-bound journal across the desk.
She pointed a stained finger at a diagram.
“I found something.”
My pulse jumped.
I hovered over the dusty parchment.
“What is this?”
Megan traced the spirals with her index finger.
“A gateway.”
She offered a slow, grim nod.
“The Whispering Woods at the eastern border.”
Her finger traced a constellation drawn on the parchment.
“Under tomorrow night’s full moon, the fabric between realms thins.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
My fingers gripped the edge of the desk so hard my knuckles turned white.
“I can cross over.”
Megan frowned.
She crossed her arms to block my enthusiasm.
“It requires a sacrifice.”
Her gaze drifted to the floor.
“Something precious, given freely.”
My fingers found the silver chain around my neck.
The metal of Craig’s wedding ring felt heavy against my palm.
Its smooth surface absorbed the heat of my skin.
“I will give this.”
Megan sighed.
She massaged her temples.
“You might not be able to come back.”
I snatched my cloak from the chair.
My boots carried me swiftly toward the exit.
“I am going.”
The next night, the Whispering Woods stood silent and foreboding.
The silver light of the full moon sliced through the canopy.
We stood before a massive oak tree.
Its trunk stretched wider than three men.
“Here.”
Megan pressed her hand against the rough bark.
I moved closer to the ancient bark.
The clasp of the chain gave way.
Moonlight caught the edge of the silver ring.
“I offer this freely.”
The bark felt rough under my knuckles as I pressed the metal into the tree.
The ring glowed with a blinding white heat.
It melted into the wood.
The trunk split down the middle.
Shimmering, distorted air rippled in the gap.
I forced a smile for Megan’s sake.
I crushed her in a desperate hug.
“Watch over Tyler.”
Her nails dug lightly into my wrist.
“Bring him home.”
The shimmering portal swallowed my shadow.
I filled my lungs with the damp forest air.
The magic tore at my senses as I crossed over.
The world flipped upside down.
Colors exploded behind my eyes.
My boots hit soft, blue-violet grass.
My knees nearly buckled upon landing.
The trees here gleamed like smooth glass.
I spun slowly to survey the twisted forest.
The alien landscape stretched out endlessly.
“Lost, little mortal?”
I whipped my head around.
A man stood at the edge of the clearing.
Sunlight seemed woven into his hair.
His ice-blue eyes fixed on me.
I squared my shoulders.
“I am looking for Queen Heather’s palace.”
A harsh laugh erupted from his throat.
The sound grated on my nerves.
“I am Brian.”
He circled me with predatory grace.
“You came for the shifter, didn’t you?”
My fingernails bit into my palms.
“Take me to him.”
Brian stopped just inches away.
He examined me like a curious specimen.
“I can help you gain an audience.”
A knowing smirk spread across his face.
“But you must convince Heather to let him go.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Why do you care?”
Brian dismissed my concern with a wave.
“Her obsession with your king is incredibly boring.”
He held out a long, elegant hand.
“Do we have a deal?”
I stared at his outstretched palm.
The thought of Craig trapped in this nightmare pushed my fear aside.
I slapped my hand into his grip.
“Deal.”
