Alpha Leo and the Heart of Fire

114. A Name

LEO.

I watch Judah calmly, despite the hatred and rage within me, because he fucking got rid of the last of my doubts. My aura exudes from me in waves, and I can feel it swirling around the room, filling every corner and repelling the darkness that tries to cling to our skin.

I see Azura glance back at Corrado from the corner of my eyes, and know it’s time to wrap this up, once and for all.

“I don’t know what you mean. You know nothing!” Judah hisses, but it’s a little too late for him to try to deny anything.

“It’s a tad too fucking late to play dumb, but if you don’t fucking know then cool. Let’s do this shit. I’ll take your name and try to kill you with a weapon coated with Nightshade, Ephedra and Harpagophytum for the sake of

It won’t work, but at least it’ll entertain me.” I say knocking his weapon from his hand. It rolls to the far side, and he growls.

I hate that weapon… every time I fucking see it… For me, it would always be associated with those who tried to hurt my family.

“Nothing can kill me!” He hisses, lunging at me, the smoke around him grows, it’s a mix of shadows and smoke, and it pushes against my aura and Azura’s moon fire.

Two against one… he’s losing and the injury I had caused him before, is still bleeding. I have a few wounds and only more are added to it as we rip into one another, but I make sure Azura isn’t harmed. He roars in rage as he jumps to his feet once more, but instead of attacking; he turns in a flash and runs to the table.

“Not so fast!” Azura growls, blasting him back as she walks to the table.

Judah is on his feet, and I know she is his target. He moves with incredible speed and for a second, my stomach twists as I run as fast as I can. I block his back, throwing one of my daggers up and grab his neck, throwing him across the room. My throw is accompanied by a blast of Azura’s power that only makes the impact greater.

“You’re right where I want you to be.” Judah spits despite the blood that he coughs up. He staggers to his feet and dives past me in a blur, before he pushes Azura. She stumbles, and I see the black smoke rising off the stone plaque that sits on the table. I catch her, and push her behind me.

“Don’t let the smoke touch you,” I warn. Something about that stone is not right. Azura nods, backing away from it.

“So, I need to get rid of you first, then.” He spits as the entire room shakes violently and pieces of stone fall.

He’s good, but I’m better. Each punch I throw aims to break him, and every satisfying crunch makes me savour his pain.

“Daddy… Mommy…” Corrado whimpers.

I glance back at him, and my eyes blaze when I realise he’s injured too.

“You touched a child!” I snarl as Azura’s power wraps around Judah, forcing him to the ground. He fights it and she steps forward, punching him square through the nose. Blood squirts everywhere, as she punches him again.

“Your time has come to its end, Judah… finally I can step away from you and the nightmare that you created in my life.” She says, as he tries to grab her, only for me to kick him back, pressing my foot into his chest.

His claws are out, and he tries to dig it into me, but I spin around and slam my dagger into his wrist, and into the ground. He roars as he struggles.

“No, I need her! I must have her.” He hisses,

“I need this!”

Ignoring him, I draw the sword and look at

Azura.

‘Do you want to do the honours, my sexy little psycho queen? One strike, and he’s gone.’ I ask her through the link with a smirk. 1

Her face becomes solemn, and I think she realises what this means.

‘Is this really it? Just one stab and he’s gone? ‘She asks as she grabs my other dagger, which fell during the fight, and she slams it into his other wrist.

‘Yeah. Through the neck and take his real name. Dimitri Ivanov.’ I say. She nods, and her eyes become cold.

you ever hurt.” She says, reaching for the sword. “Dimitri Ivanov, your

eyes blaze, and

understood you, even your own family

rushes through me, but it’s only there for a second. She’s mine, she’s always been mine. What they had can never even

was just too stupid to realise if I talked to them, they’d get me. My family loves me, and you manipulated that, you encouraged the seed of doubt that was inside of me. I’m not the Azura you fucking knew. And you know what Judah? What we had was nothing, what I have now…” She looks at

against me, but he’s far too injured to get up, even

there. His scream of rage becomes one of despair. Waves of energy slam through the cave, before his body dissolves into smoke that escapes his clothing and vanishes into thin air. The silence that follows is far too

is now charred, letting it clang to the floor,

gone.” She says before closing her

tightly. Sparks rush through us and I tighten my hold on her, kissing her

passionate kiss, and despite not wanting to fucking let go, our son needs. us. She pulls away and we both turn to the child that still remains behind the

and the shield vanishes, revealing our son sitting there with his chubby hands covering his eyes and

obeyed his Mama.

fly open, eyes that are full of tears as he

came!” He

I take her hand and kiss it softly. I then tug her down beside me and wrap my arm around her tightly as I slump back against the wall. Pulling them both onto my lap, I kiss Corrado’s head gently, examining his injury. It’s not too deep and I know he’ll be ok. I turn, kissing Azura’s

family is fucking

Thank fuck.

around my neck, kissing the top of my head and we simply sit there; I don’t know for how long we remain

how did you figure it all out?’ She asks curiously.

cavern wall.’ Well, it started off with your father saying the word shadows. From there a certain thought came to my head, and I had to confirm it…” I began explaining

THIS

“Call Janaina.”

dial the elder woman’s number. The speaker is on, the ringing filling my cave and it is

voice comes.

ever heard of Shadow Wraiths?” I ask, sitting down on my chair as I stare at the paper in front of me.

of lore… but… do you think this being is a wraith?” She asks, sounding far more shocked

it really that out there?

is I’m wondering if you would be able to tell me any way that I could find out a Wraith’s real name, is there any way to force him to speak it? A spell that

magic doesn’t always work on other mystical creatures… but I think I have the answer to your question. To take a name, you must give a name.”

an eyebrow.

at the same time that the very same thought came to my

says. “So that means he has to give his

and that would be …” I say, knowing exactly

grave.” Delsanra says suddenly.

about

“Anytime Alpha Leo.”

it.” I say before

were

have a number?” Delsanra

up my files and finding Kenneth Arden’s number. Time to

answered by a man who doesn’t sound like Kenneth.

Kenneth Arden’s office.” A

Leo Rossi from the Sangue

not in. I’m Royce Arden, his son. Can I help?” He

to know where the graves of the Gallahan family members are, specifically Judah Gallahan’s. Your father will know why I’m asking.”

and I hear a

situation. Their graves are in the pack graveyard, all of

to check something on his tombstone.”

can head down there and take a look