Finding Her True Alpha
Chapter 136: Leaving the Dragon Kingdom

Ashlyn

I spotted Derek holding James from the air. He was standing by an ambulance with Victor. “Down!” l yelled at Freya. She landed as close as she could to the ambulance. I jumped off of her back before she hit the ground and took off running towards the ambulance.

“Where’s Mason?” I screamed.

“Take James and I’ll find him, babygirl.” Derek rushed out, and I knew he was also panicking.

As soon as I took James, my body glowed white. I instantly healed him. He didn’t look like he had been burnt, but he could have had lung damage from the smoke.

“Derek, l need you to find him.” I rushed out, tears filling my eyes as l looked up at my mate.

“I’ll find him, I promise. Stay with my father.” He said, k!ssing my cheek before he ran off.

“Freya, go with him.” l yelled at her. She nodded and took to the sky again.

“Victor, are you okay?” l asked him, turning my attention to my father-in-law.

“Just a few burns, nothing I can’t handle.” He shrugged it off.

James snuggled into my chest, gripping him. I should never have left them alone. I thought they would be safe here.

Taking Victor’s hand, the bright white light returned to heal him. I should never have put him at risk. Guilt and worry churn violently in my stomach as I wait for Derek.

“Victor, can you tell me what happened?” I asked him, sitting beside him on the ambulance steps.

“I was sitting with James. Mason had gone to make a bottle, and then the room exploded. I protected James with my body, but I don’t know what happened to Mason.” He told me.

“Derek and Freya will find him. I can feel he’s alive.” I told him.

“I’m so Sorry, my dear. I should have been able to protect them. This is my kingdom,” Victor said.

“It’s not your fault. Was anyone else hurt?” I asked him. I needed to do something. The wait was going to kill me.

“A few of the warriors. No casualties. That side of the castle had been cleared out to ensure your safety when you were here,” he said.

“F**k. Who the hell could have done this?” I breathed out, frustrated by this whole mess.

“I don’t think it’s just vampires,” Victor answered.

“This is becoming exhausting,” I said, on the verge of tears.

“It will be okay, my dear.” Victor said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“If anything happened to Mason, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” l cried.

“He will be okay. He’s strong for a wolf and his love for his family is even stronger. Whatever happens, he will pull through. He’s too stubborn to die” Victor said.

Freya landed nearby and my anxiety picked up.

“Freya, where are they?” I yelled at her. She motioned with her head, pointing behind me. I rushed around the ambulance to see Derek helping Mason to walk. I rushed over to them and wrapped my arm around the other side of Mason.

My body glowed brightly again as I healed him. It burned most of his clothes and I could see it charred his chest from the blast.

“Baby” Mason breathed out as soon as the light faded.

“Mason, I’m so sorry.” I cried, holding on to him the best I could while holding James. I never wanted to let any of them go ever again.

“Baby, I’m okay. I was just unconscious. Derek and Freya found me covered in snow.” Mason mumbled into my neck.

“Good thing for the snow. It helped stop the burning,” Derek said.

“We are going home now.” I told them, firmly. I was never leaving home again.

“I need to stay to help my father clean up this mess” Derek said. Mason and I both pulled away from each other to look at him.

“You are coming home. I’m not losing you.” I told him.

“Babygirl, I have to. This is my kingdom and whoever did this threatened my family.” Derek answered, wrapping his arms around me.

“I need you three safe right now. This happened in my kingdom, and I won’t stand for it. Someone almost killed my mate and the heir to the dragon kingdom. Whoever did this just started a war.” Derek told us.

“Baby, Derek is right. He needs to take a stand,” Mason said.

“I can’t lose you.” I told him, on the verge of sobbing.

“Babygirl, I’ll be okay. I’ll be home soon. I just need to clean up this mess.” He said before k!ssing my forehead.

“l got them,” Mason told him.

“I know you do.” Derek said, before k!ssing him.

“I’m glad that you’re okay.” He told Mason, resting his forehead against his.

“Thanks for coming to my rescue,” Mason told him with a chuckle.

“Anytime.” Derek told him with a smirk.

“Derek, I don’t like this.” I told him, snuggling my face into his chest. James and Mason occupied all my arms.

“I know, babygirl. But I promise I’ll be careful. Now open up a portal and get to safety. I’ll call when I have news.” He said, k!ssing the top of my head.

I hesitated before I opened a portal; I did not want to leave Derek.

“Go, I’ll be home soon.” He said before pecking my l!ps.

“I love you.” He mumbled against my l!ps.

“I love you. Please be careful.” I told him.

“Come on baby, we need to get James home,” Mason said.

I opened a portal to the council building, Freya stepped back into me before Mason and Il stepped through. Before the portal closed, I looked back at Derek.

I blew him a k!ss before the portal closed up. My stomach was in knots, knowing that I had just left my mate there.

Mason and I were standing in the garden out front of the building. He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and snuggled his face into my neck.

“He’ll be okay, baby.” He mumbled.

“You don’t know that. I almost lost you and James today.” I told him, trying to hold back my sobs. Sage ran out of the castle with everyone else on her heels. She stopped right in front of me, worry etched into her face.

“Ashlyn, what happened? Where’s Derek?” She asked, and I let out a whimper.

“There was an explosion at the dragon castle. James and I were there with Victor. Derek took Ashlyn into the city. Derek had to stay to clean up the mess.” Mason answered her, as I was unable to find my voice.

“Is James okay?” Sage rushed out, looking at James.

“I healed them both.” l breathed out.

“Come, let’s get you three inside. I’ll show you to your wing of the castle.” Sage said, and I nodded. Walking up to the door, I hesitated to enter the castle.

“Sage, can you take James?” I asked her.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Mason asked me while I passed James to Sage.

“l just need to do something,” I told them. l turned around and started walking down the driveway.

As soon as I made it to the gate, I knelt down and cut open my finger. I drew the protection symbol on the asphalt driveway. I had to reopen my finger a few times to get enough b***d. When I had finished, the symbol lit up. Stepping into the center, I forced that magic out to run along the fence that surrounded the castle.

No one was ever going to hurt my family again. I was done with all these games. If they wanted a war, they were about to get one. After the light from the magic faded, I raised my hand up, feeling the hum of the magic.

Thad just placed around the fence.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way back to the castle. Everyone was waiting by the door for me. Even after using that amount of magic, I still felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened today.

“impressive,” Sage said to me, once I made it back to the door.

“What is?” I asked her.

“Ashlyn, you just placed a protection spell over the entire council building grounds. That’s not a simple spell,” she exclaimed.

“As long as you are all protected, I’ll do it every day if I have to.” I said.

“Baby, I know you’re worried and scared, but Derek will be okay” Mason said, wrapping his arms around me.

“l almost lost you today. You and James. I won’t be making that mistake again. If they want a war, they have one.” I told them.

“Ashlyn, you can’t be serious?” Liam asked me, stunned.

“Matt, I’d like you to go help Derek back in the kingdom. And yes, Liam, I am serious. I’m not asking any of you to fight. But I’m done living in fear. I can’t do this anymore.” I told them.

“I’ll go help, Derek,” Matt said, and I nodded. I’m also met your grandmother” I told him, walking with him away from the house.

“Derek took you?” He asked me, and I nodded.

“l hope she behaved. She can be a handful.” He chuckled.

“She was wonderful,” I told him. I opened a portal, and before Matt could walk through, I thanked him for helping Derek. He nodded and walked through, the portal closing behind him.

“Ashlyn, did you mean what you said?” Sage asked me and I noticed she didn’t have James and the others had gone inside.

“Mason has him.” She said before I could ask her.

“I do. I can’t live like this anymore. I could have lost both of them. How am I supposed to live without them?” I cried out.

“Ashlyn, I know you are upset. But you can’t do this alone. You also can’t run in there without having all the facts. Get some sleep and we will come up with a plan, okay?” She said before wrapping me in a hug. I broke down, sobbing on her shoulder.

“I know, Ashlyn. I know you’re tired. But we will get through this together. I’ll call Nathan and get some magic warriors there to help.” She told me, rubbing my back.

“Okay” I mumbled against her shoulder.

“Come, let’s get you something to eat, then I’ll show you to your wing.” She said, leading me into the castle.

“Sage, I need to speak to the former vampire, king.”