Finding Her True Alpha
Chapter 87: Former Witch Queen

Ashlyn

The woman’s hair and eyes stayed the same, but her face and body changed into someone who looked familiar.

“Mom?” Nathan gasped, and the familiarity hit me like a ton of bricks.

“But you died, we watched you die.” Nathan gasped out, and l grabbed his arm. I didn’t want him to rush over to her. We still didn’t know why she was here. She looked down at my hand touching her son and then looked over at me.

“I would never hurt my children.” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I never said that you would. I’m here for my brother. She huffed after l told her.

“You are no sister to my children. You’re my mate’s bastard.” She growled out. Immediately, my mates and all our warriors let out a growl.

“Mom, that’s not fair. She has nothing to do with father’s choices.” Nathan defended me.

“You didn’t know?” I asked her, confused. Gregory said that she knew she was there to protect him.

“Of course I didn’t know. I never would have been friends with your w***e of a mother if I knew she was the one sleeping with my mate.” She yelled out.

“You placed the spell on Mason?” I asked her and she smirked.

“I did. I just never expected you to break it. That’s when I knew you were a hybrid. Your mother could never break a spell.” She said. Mason let out a growl beside me.

“You killed our child.” He growled out and her face fell. I let go of Nathan and placed a hand on Mason’s chest. I could tell that he was close to shifting to rip her apart.

“I didn’t know that you were pregnant. I was watching you and you never entered a heat. I didn’t know that you were half witch.” She said sorrowfully.

“Have you been working with Susan?” I changed the subject. Talking about our loss wouldn’t help in this situation. Regardless, if she was remorseful, it would never bring back what could have been.

“I was working with her, yes.” She answered honestly.

“Mom, why? Why would you do any of this?” Nathan pleaded with her.

“Because, my son, your father is a wicked man, and I have had enough being controlled by him. I was his mate before he met his fated mate. He made me believe she was special and that we needed to protect her and her daughter. I just didn’t know why. I didn’t know that she was his daughter and that my best friend had slept with my mate.” She explained.

“l understand that you’d be mad at father, but why would you go after Ashlyn? She didn’t ask for any of this?” Nathan asked his mother, and I was even curious about why I was her target.

“Her mother was dead and I couldn’t go after her father, so she was the next best thing for my revenge.”

She told us and I was even surprised.

“But you didn’t know I was his child before | broke the spell you placed on Mason. So why would you go after me?” I asked her.

“Because of Susan. She told me all about your family’s history and who you are to the moon goddess. I knew your mother was powerful, but she wasn’t a witch.

As soon as you broke that spell, I knew you were his daughter. You are one of the most powerful witches I’ve even seen, and you are only half witch.” She answered.

“So why are you here?” Derek asked her, and she smirked.

“I want Gregory. Susan’s plan no longer interests me, so I will help you with taking her down as long as you hand over my mate.” She answered.

“Mom, what are you planning to do with father?” Nathan asked his mother, sounding worried.

“I’m going to kill him, of course. I love you and your sister more than anything, and I’ll forever be thankful that he gave me the two of you. But he hurt me for the last time when I found out he had a child with someone else.” She explained.

“Why would you fake your death?” I asked her, confused. If she just found all of this out recently, then why would she fake her death years before this all started?

“To get away from him. After your mother’s death, he became even more unbearable. He blamed me for her death. I stayed for my children, but as soon as they were of age, I faked my death to get away from him.” She told us and I felt bad for her. I couldn’t even imagine loving someone who was in love with someone else.

“I’m sorry.” I told her and she looked at me, confused.

“Why would you be sorry?” She asked me.

“I couldn’t imagine loving someone who was in love with someone else. You didn’t deserve to live your life thinking that you were never good enough for the person who you loved so deeply.” I told her and her eyes swelled up with tears.

“How would you even know a fraction of what I’m feeling?” She asked me, frustrated.

“Mason expressed his love for someone else. Remember, you did that. I also thought another woman was having Derek’s baby. Was that you as well?” I asked her, and she nodded.

“Then I understand the pain. I just don’t understand how you lived with it for so long?” I asked her. I moved closer to her. Mason grabbed my arm, but I shook it off.

If she was going to kill me, she would have tried it already.

I walked right up to her, and we were both staring at each other before I reached out for her hand. A bright white light engulfed my body and soon it traveled from me and into her. She let out a gasp when the light vanished.

“What did you do?” She whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

“I gifted you with the gift of peace. You’ve been in pain for so long you forgot how it felt to be happy. To feel the joy that your life brings to others. You’ve been so blinded by his lack of love for you that you haven’t been able to see that others have loved you, have missed you dearly.” I told her. She was crying now, and I could see all her regrets.

“I am so sorry, Ashlyn.” She cried, wrapping me in a hug.

“I know you are.” I whispered to her.

I heard a commotion behind me and I pulled away from Liz to see that Sage and Brandon running up to the group.

Sage stopped in her tracks when I pulled away from her mother and she could finally see who I was hugging.

Sage let out a gasp and Nathan walked over to his sister.

“Mom?” Sage whispered.

“Oh my Sage,” her mother cried out. I moved away from Liz to give her children space to embrace their mother. I moved back closer to Mason and Derek, and both of them took one of my hands. My knees buckled, but my mates both helped me to stand.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Mason rushed out, worried.

“I’m okay. I just used magic to tell if she was lying. It took a lot more out of me than I thought it would.” I told them, patting Mason’s shoulder to comfort him.

“The exhaustion should pass in a few weeks.” Liz said as she and her children walked closer to us.

“It’s just when I use magic,” I told her, and she nodded.

“It usually only lasts for the first ten weeks. Have you had any cravings?” She asked me, and I nodded.

“Cookies.” I told her and she laughed.

“You are having a baby boy.” And I looked at her, shocked. How the hell would she know that?

“For witches, boys crave sweets and girls crave salty things.” She told me with a smile.

“Being pregnant with both must have been a fun ride.” I told her and she laughed.

“Yeah, it was definitely interesting.” She told me. And l gave her a smile.

“We should head back. The warriors still need to finish their patrol,” Derek said, and I nodded. I tried to move away from them, but Mason scooped me up bridal style.

“Mason, I can walk.” I huffed out.

“I know. I just wanted to carry you.” He whispered, k!ssing my nose.

“I’ll allow it, because that was adorable.” I told him and he laughed. Nathan opened a portal, and I looked up at Mason.

“Put me down. I really don’t want to throw up all over you.” I told him.

Mason put me down just before he stepped through the portal. When I stepped through, I threw up whatever was left after my last throw up. Mason rubbed my back as I spit out the nasty taste in my mouth.

“I can make up some herbs that will help with the nausea.” Liz offered, and I nodded.

“It’s only when I portal. I feel okay other than that. Just tired and hungry.” I told her and she nodded.

“Portalling shakes up your stomach. You may not notice it, but when you are pregnant, it can cause you to throw up or gag. I’m not sure if it will go away until after you give birth, but I’ll make something up for you.” She told me and I thanked her.

“Let’s go to our office. We can discuss everything.” Derek said, scooping me up like Mason just did.

“Derek, I can still walk.” I told him.

“I’ll give you a cookie.” He smiled.

“It better be a big cookie.” I huffed while they led the group to where their office tent was located. tent.

“The biggest.” He said, k!ssing my nose. We walked into the tent and I noticed that there wouldn’t be enough places for all of us to sit. I closed my eyes and pictured a large picnic table. When I opened my eyes, the table had manifested in the middle.

“What the hell was that?” Mason gasped out.

“I can make things manifest.” I told them while Derek was placing me down.

“Now, I want my cookie.” I told him and Liz let out a laugh.

“l remember those days.” She reminisced.

“I’ve always had a sweet tooth, but this is over the top.” I told her with a laugh. “I feel like I would kill someone over a damn cookie.” And she laughed.

“It should get better, but then again, the baby is part dragon, wolf and warlock. So everything is going to be a surprise.” She told me.

“Yay.” I told her unenthusiastically. This was going to be a long 14 weeks. We all took a seat. Mason was digqing in his desk before he came to sit beside me. He handed me a bag of cookies, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Why do you have cookies in your desk?” I asked him curiously.

“Derek. When he gets grumpy, I give him a cookie.”

Mason told me and I laughed. I looked over at Derek, and he was glaring at Mason.

“Really, Mase?” He huffed.

“You’re an a*ss when you’re hungry,” Mason told him, shrugging his shoulders.

“So when baby boy is hungry, I’ll become unbearable. You two had better remember that.” I told them with a giggle. How am I ever going to survive with a mini version of my mates?

After taking a bite of a cookie, I turned my attention back to Liz. She was sitting on the other side between Sage and Nathan. Brandon was sitting beside Sage. All of them looked so happy to be reunited.

“Liz, what can you tell us about what Susan is planning?” l asked her.

“You remember my name,” She said with a smile. And I returned it. It was what she said next that wiped the smile off my face.

“She has dragons.”