Fated To The Alpha (Ezra, Katya)

"This is what will give me peace, give Kyan back his father and Dominic back his life. A

small price to pay. It started with the moon goddess, and now it ends with her," Kat says,

and Marabella tries to get to her feet. Her mother's magic slips out and I pull her against

me.

One of Kat’s eyes turned black, the other gold, black, and gold tendrils slivered across her

arms and face as she opened her arms, and I was blinded with light.

The noise echoed through the sky louder then a crack of lightening, louder than a bomb

when she smashed the stones against one another. An explosion of power erupted out of

her, and the ground shook violently. Marabella screamed, and Eziah fell to his knees when

the ruins began to crack, the ground shaking.

I blink, shielding my eyes around the light to find the shadows standing around Kat,

flickering. All the ghosts from the Octavian bloodline stood around her, and she opened

her fingers, the stones turneding to dust, falling to the ground as they slipped through her

fingers only to be swept away by the wind.

Kat closes her eyes and sighs before turning to the coffin and holding thesides. Marabella

crawled forward on  her hands and knees, as the last gigantic rock crumpled to the ground

and turned to dust. It was carried away with the breeze, along with the Octavian's ghosts,

their whispers carried on the breeze around us. Finally set free, the curse was broken. I

could feel it in every cell my body. Marabella gets to her feet just as Kat leans over the

coffin peering in. "Thank you," she whispers to Dominic.

"No, Kat. Thank you," says a deep velvety voice, so clear and so smooth. A voice I hadn't

heard since the last time I saw the man alive. Kat flickers, her body shuddering. -

"The realm is calling me back to clean up, but I suspect you guys can handle the rest," Kat

says, facing us. She smiles just as the man himself sits up behind her. Kat vanished, and

Dominic groaned. We all just blinked and stared at the man. He blinks and cracks his neck.

°

"You... Kyan..."" Marabella murmurs, yet I could feel her urge to touch him. Like she

couldn't believe it what she was seeing was real. Mara was afraid this was one of her

dreams. When she throws herself in his arms, hugging him tightly and nearly falling in the

coffin with him.

"You have no idea how long I have waited to hold you, my girl," Dominic says, his arms

wrapping around her as he hug her. His movements were slow and sluggish, but his mind

was sharp as a tack and his speech clear as a bell. Marabella steps back, wiping her tears,

and Dominic looks around for Kyan. ©

"Where is he?" Dominic asks. He tries to get out of the coffin, yet his legs don't want to

cooperate as he tumbles out. I step forward, gripping his arm before he hits the ground. I

help set him on the ground. Dominic sucks in a breath looking around with a sigh. "Just

gotta give me a minute. The body doesn't want to work just yet," Dominic says, and

Marabella and I look at Eziah. Eziah stared at Dominic like he was seeing a ghost before

feeling our eyes watching him. He looks at us, and Mara stares at her brother expectantly.

"What?" he says, looking between us before looking down at Dominic. "Nope, no way,

man, I am not making out with Kyan's father," Eziah says, and Mara bats her lashes at

him. "Nope, sorry, Daddy Dom, I don't swing that way," Eziah says, shaking his head.

"Please? You can't expect him to walk back like that?" Mara pleads with her twin.

"I'm good, Mara. I just need a few minutes," Dominic says, his voice stunning me again.

However, Mara folded her arms across her chest, popped her hip and pursed her lips.

Eziah growls and rolls his eyes before he sighs giving into his sister.

"Fine, and don’t even think about slipping in the tongue," Eziah says, grabbing Dominic's

head between his hands. Eziah scrunched his face up before pecking Dominic’s lips so

quickly that I almost missed it. :

"Ah yuck," he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Dominic 

chuckles but gets more color about himself and shakes his head. "That wasn't necessary,

but thanks. I think, because you're a lousy kisser," Dominic says before holding his hand

out. »

“T wasn’t even trying,” Eziah snapped at him. Mara grabs Dominic’s hand and I step

forward, gripping his elbow and helping him stand on his feet.

"Now, where is that son of mine?" Dominic says, putting an arm over Mara's shoulder. We

turn around to head toward the trail, only to stop when we spot Kyan standing at the edge

of the clearing.

"Dad?" he says, his voice breaking. Tears streamed down his face as he stumbled forward

and Dominic staggers back as the shadows of his magic suddenly hit him.

"Kye,"' Dominic murmurs.

Kyan POV

I was halfway back to the manor when I heard the crack, the sound so loud it hurt my

ears, and I jumped. The wind rushed toward me like a wall from the forest behind me,

making me stop when I felt my father's magic erupt in me. His power burst from my

fingertips, twisting and escaping through the air. I watched his magic float on the breeze

back toward the forest, as light engulfed the sky.

Consuming the night and turning it to light. I watched as my father's shadows moved

toward the ruins, slivering across the grass. "Kaif?" I asked because he was so quiet I

wondered if he was still with me.

"She broke the curse," Kaif whispers to me and I could feel shock wash through him.

"Marabella?" I worried.

"No, Katya," he murmurs. The shadows move across the ground, disappearing into the

forest, and I run toward the treeline. The oppressive forest felt light, like the shadows and

ghosts of my ancestors were no longer shackled by the errors of a past that held them,

the torment and anguish no longer suffocating.

The forest almost seemed calm, like a weight had lifted allowing it to breath. Now it was

blooming and rejuvenating as life returned. The ashes and blood that tainted its soil now

bleeding back into the earth, the spirits were no longer repressed, instead they are free. I

followed my father's shadows as they slid across the forest floor like a serpent, finding

their way home. Stepping through the treeline and emerging at the burial grounds, the

ruins were gone and the stars twinkled above along with the moon. I stood stunned, and

my heart raced in my chest as I stared ahead.

My eyes deceived me as I watched the man stand. His magic moved across the ground,

wanting to go home, and he turned to face me.

The lump in my throat threatened to choke me as I saw his face, exactly as I remembered

him. "Dad?" I choked out, taking a step toward him in disbelief. He staggers backa step

ash e sucks in a breath as the shadows touch him, bleeding his power and life back into

him.

His lips quivered, and his lips parted. " Kye," he stammered. His voice made my heart jolt,

and I stumbled forward. How I longed for his soothing voice, the voice that would read to

me each night as he tucked me in bed, the voice that would soothe me when the darkness

came for me. My father's voice, a voice I thought I would never hear beyond my dreams,

yet prayed I one day would.

He moved his arm off Ella's shoulder and staggered forward, and I choked, my body

moving before I processed the thought too. My body crashed against the man whose

touch I would have given my last breath to feel again. His arms strong as they embraced

me, the same as I remembered, warm and promising to make everything better. If time

stood still, I could stand in this moment forever. His arms wrapped tightly around me like

they did that morning when he loaded me in the car to take me to Jonah's.

Clutching me like I was his lifeline, only after his death did I realize he was saying

goodbye. I had stared at him strangely, wondering why he didn't seem to want to let go.

And now I understood why, because I couldn't bear to let him go either now.

"I missed you; I never stopped missing you, son," he breathed against my neck his fingers

in myhair as he held tight while my arms clutched his neck not wanting to let go in case I

woke from this dream.

 "I love you, I have always loved you, and Iam sorry I left you, but I'm here now, " he

whispered, and all I could do was nod, praying he would just keep speaking so I could

listen to his voice.

"I'm right here, right here, son" he says soothingly. Hearing a sniffle, I open my eyes to see

my mates. Both were crying along with Eziah, and I wondered what they sacrificed. What

Kat sacrificed for us. Dad lets me go, and we turn to face them.

"Come on, kids, let's go home," Dad tells them, holding his hand out to Marabella. She

takes it, and he tugs her closer, kissing her hair and reaching his hand pased her toward

Jonah, who steps forward. He rest his head on dad’s and I let out a breath seeing dad so

accepting of Jonah like he always knew it would come to this, and Jonah was just

another of his children like I was Andrei’s and Sages. °

"I hear. I'm going to be grandpa," he chuckles tapping Jonah’s face dotingly before he

turns to me and chucks his arm over my shoulder, he kisses my temple and we make our

way back toward the trail leading to the manor.

I glance back over my shoulder at Eziah; he nods to me, wiping a stray tear. "By setting

him free, he set her free. He is one less skeleton she has to live with," Eziah says, no

animosity in his voice and I swallow.

I peer over at Mara tucked under my father's arm her arm behind his back as he fingertip

brushed against me, he other hand holding Jonah’s. "Did either of your fathers claim Pops

yet? I feel too young to be called grandpa, maybe Papa or pappy?" He muses.

"Oh and names, can I help I like picking names," "As long as it isn't Daddy Dom," Mara

says, shooting her brother a look. I look at him and raise an eyebrow. "Dude, don't look at

me like that; I kissed your father. I'm his Daddy Dom now," Eziah laughs. °

"And I must say he is a terrible kisser, have you heard of lip palm? I have been dead 18

years, and my lips weren't even that dry," Dad says and I laugh at their banter. How

everthing seemed so normal.

When we emerged into the fields around the manor, my father stopped in his tracks and

gazed ahead. He peered up at the manor. "Home Sweet Home!" He whispers giving my

shoulder a squeeze.

I looked at the manor for the first time since he left, and I felt it actually was. This place

hadn't been home in so long, but looking at it now, I knew it would be home again. My

family was complete, Kaif was free, the curse was lifted, and the one person that made

this place home had finally returned. Yes, home, I thought. Let's go Home.