Figure out
Alice reached the house and stepped inside. "Alisha, where are you?" he called, glancing around. Silence greeted him.
Maya, Jackson, Rish, Levi—no one was there.
His chest tightened as he moved from room to room. Everything looked normal, except for the stillness.
It didn't make sense.
Frowning, he pulled out his phone and dialed Maya.
Tring… ring…
After a few rings, someone picked up.
"Maya, where are you? Where’s Alisha? Why is no one home?"
A voice answered—but not Maya’s.
"Because they’re with me."
His blood ran cold. The voice was unfamiliar, nothing like hers.
"Who is this?"
"Aman here. I gave you plenty of time to handle your bullshit, but you didn’t. So now, it’s my turn to do what I promised."
Alice’s eyes widened. No. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen.
Alisha can’t find out the truth—not like this. Not when he won’t even get to tell his side.
He couldn’t even imagine how this would end.
"You son of a bitch," he snarled, gripping the phone tighter. "Tell me where you are. I’m going to kill you."
"Calm down," Aman said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Is that how you speak to your elders? That’s not very respectful. I told you—I wanted her virgin blood and the key. You didn’t listen. So now, this isn’t my fault."
Alice could hear the smugness in every word.
"If you dare to touch her—"
Aman cut him off with a mocking laugh. "Touch her? She’s already in my hands. I can’t talk about *just* touching." His tone darkened, dripping with sadistic amusement. "Her heart’s blood will do just fine for me. Or maybe…" He paused, letting the words hang. "Maybe, I’ll fuck her instead—if you don’t want her to die."
Alice’s vision blurred with rage. His grip tightened around the phone, knuckles aching.
"You fucking bastard!" His voice was raw, shaking with fury. "If you lay a finger on her, I swear—"
"Swear what?" Aman taunted. "That you’ll kill me? You had your chance, Alice, but you played it wrong. Now, I make the rules."
A cold sweat broke over Alice’s skin. He needed to think, needed to act. But his mind raced between rage and terror.
Where the hell is she?
"What do you want?" he ground out, forcing control back into his voice. He had to keep Aman talking, and had to buy time.
"You already know what I want," Aman said, amused. "The key. And her blood. But since you refused, I’ve decided on an alternative."
A muffled sound filtered through the call—someone struggling. A choked whimper.
Alisha.
His pulse pounded.
"Let her go!"
Aman chuckled. "Convince me."
In his entire life, Alice had never known true terror. But now? Now, it clawed at his chest, his heart hammering so hard it felt like it might explode. If this continued, he wouldn’t survive it.
And neither would Alisha.
"What do you want?" His voice was tight, controlled—barely.
Aman’s response was immediate, almost bored. "Her. And the key. Bring me the witch who has it, or…" He trailed off, letting the silence speak for him.
Alice’s grip on the phone tightened.
"You already know the alternative," Aman continued, amusement lacing his voice. "I’ll message you the address."
The line went dead.
Alice stood frozen, his breath shallow. His fingers twitched against the phone before he forced himself to move. He checked his messages.
A location pinged onto his screen.
Jaw clenched, he grabbed his car keys and stormed out the door.
There was no way in hell he was handing Alisha over.
But the key? That was another story.
And the witch?
She was his only chance.
Alice drove to Lima’s house as fast as his car would take him. The moment he reached, he jumped out and pounded on the door.
"Open up!" His voice was raw with urgency. "Lima, please!"
A few seconds later, the door swung open. Lima stood there, scowling. "Who the hell is banging like—" She froze the moment she saw him. Her irritation melted into confusion. "Alice? What the hell are you doing?"
"I need the key. And you," he said, breathless.
Lima’s frown deepened. "I still don’t fully understand the key’s history. Why do *you* need it? And what’s with the panic?"
He ran a hand through his hair, his pulse hammering. "Aman took Alisha. He took everyone."
Lima went rigid. For a moment, she just stared at him, as if the words weren’t registering. Then—
"Jackson too?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Alice’s silence was enough of an answer.
Her stomach clenched. No. Things had finally been getting good between her and Jackson. She *couldn’t* lose him. Not now. Not at this age—*not like this.*
Her hands curled into fists. "Tell me everything. Now."
Alice told her everything—about Aman, his dead father, the key, and what Aman wanted from both it and Alisha. Every detail he knew spilled out in a frantic rush.
Lima listened, her face hardening with every word. When he finally stopped, the silence between them was thick, suffocating.
She exhaled sharply. "So, let me get this straight—you want me to hand over a key I barely understand and walk straight into Aman’s trap?"
Alice clenched his jaw. "I don’t have a choice."
Lima’s eyes flashed. "Neither do I."
She turned on her heel, disappearing inside the house. A few seconds later, she returned, a small, ornate box clutched tightly in her hands.
"If we do this, we do it *my* way," she said, shoving it against his chest. "No reckless hero shit. No dying. And definitely no *giving* him what he wants."
Alice met her gaze, determination burning in his eyes. "Then let’s go."
"I'm trusting you, so get this straight," Lima said firmly. "I don’t have much power—I won’t be able to do much. And handing this key over to Aman will only bring harm. But you…" She held his gaze. "You’re the only one who can save Alisha. So think this through. You may be human, but you’re also her mate."
Alice’s jaw tightened. "I understand."
Without another word, they rushed to the car, the weight of what was coming pressing down on them both.
Time was running out.
Alice started the car, his grip firm on the wheel as he sped down the darkened road. The engine roared, but his mind was louder, filled with a storm of possibilities—none of them good.
Lima sat beside him, silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "What’s the plan?"
"We get there, we find a way to get Alisha and the others out. No matter what it takes," Alice said, his voice like steel.
Lima scoffed. "That’s not a plan. That’s a *death wish.* Aman isn’t stupid. He won’t just hand them over."
Alice’s jaw clenched. "I’ll figure it out."
"You’d better," she muttered.
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