Free Alpha Unleashed by Aileen Erin Page A

confidence and determination. Losing him would be awful. If I had to die to defeat Luciana, I at least wanted him to survive and I’d do pretty much anything to make that happen, even if it was selfish.
    I knew someone else would stand against her eventually, but could they win? Even if I tried to run, I had a feeling that I’d still end up in that church eventually.
    Just with a lot more blood on my hands.
    â€œI don’t know how your visions work,” Cosette said. “The fey teach that the future is changeable, but it’s possible that all paths lead to that church for you. We might all die fighting.” She shrugged, almost oddly unconcerned, but that we had to mean she was including herself. That was something, at least. “We all have some choices to make. I believe those choices will determine whether what you saw comes to pass.”
    Choices? I groaned in frustration. I needed something clearer. More definite. What good were these stupid visions if they didn’t help?
    â€œThey are helping you, Tess.” Dastien squatted down beside me. “You know what to look for. When we reach that moment, you’ll either change it or you won’t.”
    I wanted to wring his neck. “And you’re okay with dying? Getting your head sliced off?”
    â€œNo! I don’t want that at all. I have plans. Dreams. For us.” He reached up to cradle my cheek and I leaned into his touch, trying to breathe in some of his calm. “I can only move forward, armed with this knowledge. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure the worst doesn’t happen. And if it does…”
    I let out a slow breath. “If it does?”
    â€œWe’ll be together. In this life and the next.” He pulled me down until our foreheads touched. “You’re stuck with me. No matter what.”
    â€œCan you guys move the snuggling elsewhere?” Cosette gave a wide yawn. “If we’re done, I’m going back to sleep.”
    â€œYou okay?” He asked as he leaned away from me.
    â€œNo. I’m terrified.”
    â€œYou probably should be,” Cosette’s dark tone turned my head, but I couldn’t snap back when I saw the soft concern in her eyes. “Fear’s a great motivator. It might be exactly what you need to keep that vision from happening.”
    She sounded sincere enough, but I could never tell if she actually liked me or she was just twisting us all around for her own amusement.
    â€œOne more thing before I go. Any chance the fey will join the fight against Luciana? If we don’t beat her, she’s going to be a problem for everyone.” I still couldn’t decide whether telling her about the guy in the vision would help or hurt my case.
    â€œI’d love to say yes, but it’s been made extremely clear to me that it’s not my call.” Cosette gripped her wrist so hard her knuckles cracked. “For now I’ll report what you’ve seen and we’ll both have to hope it’s enough to get the fey off the sidelines.”
    The knowledge that the fey existed was so new to me that I couldn’t even try to comprehend what kind of pressure was on Cosette. But I appreciated that she was trying to help in her way. Whatever that was. “Thank—”
    â€œDon’t. If you thank me, you owe me, and I don’t want that temptation any more than you want to be bound to me.”
    I pressed my lips together for a second. Cosette was saying I couldn’t trust her? But she still warned me about it?
    The more I learned about her, the more confused I was. “Got it,” I said, even though I didn’t really get it. Or her.
    â€œNow get out of my room.” She sat on the bed so hard the mattress shook. “And don’t come knocking again before lunch.”
    â€œSorry about that.” I stood and tugged Dastien toward the door.
    Cosette mumbled something that wasn’t in