Finding Her True Alpha
Chapter 128: More Hybrids

Ashlyn

Exiting the hallway, I stopped in my tracks. This place was a valley, surrounded by never-ending mountains. What is this place? I wondered as I looked around. Everything looked like it was dying. The trees were all brown with the needles falling off. The grass was yellow and crunching under my feet as I walked. I shivered, my body temperature dropped.

Sh!t, I have to hurry. I only have ten minutes to figure out what this place is and get back to my mates. I promised them and I can’t break that promise. Rushing around, I tried to take in as much as I could before I had to head back.

I came upon a lake, with a broken dock leading out to the middle. There seemed to be a young child sitting at the end of the dock, with their feet splashing in the water. I made my way down the dock, slowly, trying not to fall through the broken and cracked boards. When I got close, I noticed the child was a girl about ten in age.

“Are you here to kill me?” She asked, not turning to look at me.

“Why would you think that?” l asked her, moving closer to her. She had dirty blonde hair and her clothes had seen better days. She must have been cold with what she was wearing.

“My mom said that someone was going to be coming to either help us or kill us. I just assumed kill.” She shrugged.

“Do you mind if I come and sit with you?” I asked her and she moved over for me to sit beside her. Taking off my backpack, I sat down beside her, crossing my legs so I wouldn’t get my boots wet.

“My name’s Ashlyn. Are you hungry?” I asked her.

“I’m Gabby. And I am, but I shouldn’t take anything from you. I have nothing to give,” She answered. My heart broke for her as I watched her looking at the water.

I dug through my backpack until l found the granola bars I packed. I pulled two out and handed one of them to Gabby.

“It’s my treat.” I told her. She looked at me and then at the bar. She hesitated, but finally took the bar.

Gabby ripped the package open and took a bite before inhaling the rest of the bar. I could tell that she had eaten much in the last bit. She was sickly skinny.

“Thank you.” She said, handing back the empty wrapper. I handed her the other one l had pulled out.

“I can’t take that. You need to eat.” She said, shaking her head.

“I’ll be okay. But you should eat.” I told her, handing her the bar. She opened the bar but ate it much slower this time, savoring it.

“Gabby, are there others here?” l asked her. And she nodded.

“There’s only about 10 of us left.” She answered.

“And where are they? Where is your family?” I asked her.

“Both my parents died.” She shrugged.

“So, who is taking care of you?”

“It’s just the 10 of us. We all take care of each other, I guess.” She answered.

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents. What happened? Did others come in here, like me?” I asked her.

“No, they got sick. My mother said it’s because that magic is fading and then the food stopped growing. We barely have enough to feed the 10 people that are left,” Gabby explained.

“Gabby, if I could get you out of here, would you go get the others?” Il asked her and her face lit up.

“Would you really help us?” She asked me, hopefully.

“Of course, now go get the others and meet me here. I need to get back to my mates before they worry.” I told her. She jumped into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Thank you, Ashlyn.” She whispered softly. I hugged her back tighter than she hugged me. I knew she needed it.

“No need to thank me, Gabby. Now go get the others.

“I told her. She pulled away and nodded before running down the dock to go get the others.

Standing up, I was just about to make my way off this death trap of a dock when l heard the voice again.

“In the water,” they called out. I turned to look out at the lake. The water was shimmering like an opal, which differed from the dull blue-green color it was just moments ago.

“f**k, my mates are going to fucken kill me. Well, if whatever is in the lake doesn’t,” I mumbled to myself.

Hopefully, curiosity doesn’t kill the witch, I thought as I pulled off my hoody. Kicking off my boots, I stood at the end of the dock. Hesitating, looking down into the water, doubting my decision. Before I could step back, something hit the dock. I fell into the water with a scream.

I tried to swim to the surface, but I found I couldn’t move my body. There was nothing I could do as I was sinking. I opened my still closed eyes to find a pair of bright pink ones staring back at me.

Screaming, I tried to move away, but I couldn’t move.

Great, this is where I drown or I get eaten.

“It’s okay, Ashlyn,” the familiar voice said.

“it’s you.” I whispered, staring at the opal white dragon swimming in front of me.

“We need your help,” she said. I noticed I could hear her in my mind. Her mouth wasn’t moving. She also wasn’t huge, maybe a quarter of the size of Magnus.

“What’s your name? And do you have a human?” I asked her.

“My name is Freya and I don’t have a human side,” she said. I immediately thought of the girl in the depiction.

“You were with a witch?” I asked her, and she nodded.

“She betrayed us.”

“That’s why the hybrids ran?” I asked her, and she nodded.

“What happened?” l asked Freya. I was no longer worried about being in the water. Finding I could breathe underwater. It must be Freya’s magic.

“This is the trap that she tricked us into. I killed her before she could escape.” She explained.

“Wait, you’ve been here for the last 300 years?” asked her, stunned.

“At first, we lived in peace. Others found their mates or took a chosen one. Babies were born, and it was our own little hybrid world. But now the magic is dying. And without new bloodlines, the mates stopped. We are on the brink of extinction.” She explained.

“How did you live without your other half for so long?” I asked her.

“The same way you live without Tundra. Dragons naturally live long lives.” She told me.

“How do you know about Tundra?”

“She was also a part of the Great War. She, too, belonged to a witch wolf. But she was always white until you.”

“She ended up being gold. Why?” I asked.

“Gold is a sign of the goddess. She and her witch sacrificed themselves for us.” she told me as the water shocked around us.

“ls that you?” l asked her, my anxiety rising.

“The magic is unstable. We have been feeling these tremors for a long time now,” Freya answered.

“Then let’s get out of here. I have Gabby getting the others. I can get you all out of here.”

“None of them will be accepted.”

“They will because l will protect all of you. I know you know I’m a witch wolf hybrid and I will let nothing happen to any of you. But we need to leave. My mates are waiting for me and I know it’s been longer than ten minutes,” I told her.

Without another word, she swam away from me. I still couldn’t move. Trapped in her magic.

“Wait, where are you going?” l yelled out. Before I knew what was happening, she swam at full speed at me. Screaming out, I was stunned until I noticed I was sinking again. Finding I could finally move my body, I swam to the surface with more power than I ever had before.

Breaking the surface, I took a deep breath before looking around. Gabby was standing on the edge of the dock, and I could see the others standing on the shore behind her.

“Freya, where are you?” I called out.

“I’m here.” She answered in my mind.

“Where?” I called out, looking around, frantic. My body burned and my head felt like it was about to explode. When the pain became too much, I let out a scream. My bones cracked and broke in ways I never knew were possible. Shifting into Tundra never hurt like this.

“Just relax. Your body is reforming to mine.” Freya said in my mind.

“I don’t understand, how?” screamed out. She didn’t answer as my head fell below the surface of the water. I sank as my limbs felt foreign to me.

I felt like l was dying as my body hit the bottom of the lake. Closing my eyes, I thought about my mate and our son. How the hell could I have let this happen again?

“Ashlyn, you’re not dying. Open your eyes.” Freya said. Doing as she asked, I opened my eyes to find I could now see clearly under the water. I was moving through the water, but I wasn’t moving my body.

My body broke the surface of the lake. It wasn’t until I looked into my reflection in the water did I see I was no longer in my human body but in Freya’s body. She was now a massive Opal white dragon, hovering above the lake.

“How?” I asked her.

“You have dragon b***d running through you from your mate. There’s no one here left with dragon b***d.

I hope you don’t mind? Not just anyone can handle being paired with a white dragon.” She explained.

“I’m just stunned. This is amazing.” I told her in awe, looking through her eyes. It was like looking through.

Tundra’s eyes again. Everything was sharper, brighter. I felt complete again.

Freya flew over to the shore where the others were and, before she landed on the ground, she shifted back.

So I was now standing in front of 9 strangers. Gabby was running down the dock with my backpack.

“Ashlyn.” She screamed out. I probably should have brought clothes, I thought as I stood there awkwardly.

“I can help with that,” Freya said. Before I could ask her what she meant, a blue light consumed me. Once it faded, I was standing in a crystal white floor-length dress. The sleeves were transparent lace, creating a swooping neck collar. The dress shimmered like an Opal, changing colors as I moved.

Everyone gasped and Gabby stopped in her tracks.

They were all staring at me while the ground shook again, but this time it was stronger than before, almost knocking me over.

“I will explain, but first we need to leave.” I rushed out. Gabby walked over to me and grabbed one of my hands with hers.

“I trust you.” She said, and I squeezed her hand, holding mine.

“Where do we go?” One man asked.

“Follow me. I know you’re scared, but I will let nothing happen to any of you. I’m also a hybrid. The Alpha Prince and Dragon Prince are my mates, and we have a son.” I told them quickly.

“We trust you, my Queen.” The same man spoke.

“It’s Ashlyn. Stay close, we have little time.” I told them, before turning on my heels and moving quickly back towards the hallway that led me here.

It didn’t take us long to make it to the exit. I felt so much stronger now than having Freya. Instantly I felt guilty. I missed Tundra, and I felt like I was cheating on my wolf. Pushing my guilt aside, I focused on what needed to be done.

“My queen, we can’t go in there.” Gabby told me, scared. She moved to stand behind me.

“Gabby, I will protect you. This is the way I came in, and we have to leave.” I told her, kneeling down. She stared at me with tears in her eyes until she finally nodded.

“I’ll go first. Everyone follow and stay close,” I told them. Turning, still holding Gabby’s hand, I entered the hallway.

I ran my fingers down the wall, illuminating the hallway. I could hear gasps coming from behind me as I made my way further down the hallway. It didn’t take us long before I could see my mates waiting by the blocked exit.

“Mason, Derek.” I called to them.

“Ashlyn. That was longer than 10 minutes.” Mason breathed out. I could feel their relief through the bond.

“Are you okay, Babygirl?” Derek asked me. I reached my hand out to walk through the magic, to find that I couldn’t walk back through.

“I’m okay, but now I need to get through this magic. I need both of you to step back,” I told them. The hallway shook violently, and it threw me into the wall beside me.

The walls crumbled further down the hallway where we had just come from.

“Baby, what the hell is happening?” Mason yelled to me.

“The magic is failing. I need to get everyone out. Get to safety.” I screamed over the noise of the stones crashing down behind us.

“Ashlyn, I’m scared.” Gabby whispered beside me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

“it will be okay.” I told her. Placing my hands over the magical force, I forced my own magic out.

“Freya, can you help?” I asked my new dragon.

“l don’t have this kind of magic,” She answered. f**k, I thought as I forced more magic out.

I noticed a tear in the magic. I wiggled my fingers through until l could start pulling it open like you do with an elevator door Derek and Mason were still standing on the other side.

“Help get the others through.” l said through gritted teeth. This was much harder than it looked.

“Gabby, go to Mason. He won’t hurt you. He’s my mate.” I told her, breathing like I’m running a marathon.

“Come on, sweetheart, its okay.” Mason told her. She hesitated, but she took his hand and he pulled her through the hole I was making.

“Everyone move.” I called out. One by one, the others started going through the hole. Mason and Derek helped pull them through as I held on for dear life.

My body glowed purple and my chest burned as the last person was about to walk through.

“Babygirl, it’s your turn.” Derek said, holding his hand out.

“Everyone move back.” I screamed. The hallway was quickly collapsing behind me. I threw my magic out and jumped through just as the whole hallway collapsed.

Derek caught me and he landed on the ground with a thud, holding me to his chest. He sniffed the air before his eyes went wide.

“Babygirl, you’re a dragon.” He breathed out.

“I know.” I panted out.

“And you have a new dress,” Mason said, kneeling beside us.

“Are you okay, baby?” He asked me.

“I’m okay. I’m sorry I took longer than ten minutes.”

“We are just happy you came home.” Derek said, squeezing me tight.

“Ashlyn, touch your hand on the handprint.” Freya told me. l immediately sat up, looking around the room for the handprint. I spotted it across the room. Mason helped us up, and started walking towards the hand print.

“Baby, what are you doing?” Mason called out from behind me.

“I have no idea.”