Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
“We have nothing to offer.”
“And you believe that is fair?”
“It doesn’t matter what either of us believe. The witches will decide.” Derik shrugged, then looked next to us where the edge of the Summit dropped, as if there was something else there.
“Remember this, wolf. One day soon, you will need our help and we will have nothing to offer,” Silas said. Derik narrowed his eyes. “You will not hand over your winter born. You offer no replacement while Elias is at large and in return, you lose the ability to call on us for help. That is the conclusion?” he asked.
Derik nodded and walked forward, holding out his hand. Silas walked forward too.
Kai leaned down to me and whispered, “If the witches agree the terms are in favor of balance, then they will let them shake.”
“And if they disagree?” I shivered.
“They will get struck by lightning.”
He smirked, and I went wide-eyed, watching the exchange with an anxiety that wasn’t there before.
I tensed as they got closer, the hesitation clear in both of them. I had no idea what the witches would deem fair, but I was hoping that them both coming away with a negative was enough of a balance.
Apparently it was, because they shook hands, both of them relaxing a little.
The smug look on Derik’s face was enough to let me know he had been nervous. Not promising a winter born was obviously a risk, but I was glad he hadn’t given up my brother, even though we had no idea what was going to happen with him.
Apparently the witches didn’t think the vamps needed a winter born anyway.
Silas seemed pissed about that as he spun away, his red velvet cloak spinning out behind him. He didn’t even say goodbye, just started walking, disappearing over the edge of the Summit with the others following dutifully behind.
Derik let out a tense breath, then turned to us with a grin.
“We’re okay. For now,” he said, then came over to kiss me.
I kissed him back but pulled away before he could distract me from what I was mad about. He knew though.
“We’ll talk about it once we’re back, beautiful.”
I nodded, not ready to argue when we had just won. Not to mention the nosey witches that I couldn’t see but could feel. I knew they were still watching, and it unnerved me, so I walked with the alphas over our side of the Summit.
It was surprisingly hard to walk downward in the snow. Walking was a bit of a stretch, more like sliding. It was cold and wet, but kind of fun.
I smiled as Kai purposely skidded himself down, laughing as he smacked into a tree.
“Bet Tabby told them to put that there.” He chuckled and dusted himself off.
I grinned as Brax helped me down the snow. I caught him by surprise with a kiss, breaking his strange stare off into nothing. He looked at me, and I frowned at the subdued, almost empty look in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” I asked, stopping us from moving on with Derik and Kai.
He blinked a couple of times, then nodded, swallowing hard.
“It’s hard to be without the shadows as a whole for such an extended period of time. I sometimes get lost trying to keep connected with them,” he explained, breathing a little harder.
I frowned at the familiarity he had with the feeling. “That happens a lot?”
“Every time we come here. And my parents used to make me drink some stuff that subdued them so people wouldn’t know I was different.”
He shrugged, but I saw the trauma there. I leaned up and kissed him. I didn’t want him empty, I wanted him alive and present. With me.
He kissed me back, sighing into it as my body grew hot beneath his touch.
He growled, collecting me into him with a rougher grasp, his tongue delving into my mouth with a feverish heat that made me shiver, excited for what I knew was coming.
Until Derik cleared his throat.
“As much as I am looking forward to the ‘we survived’ sex, doing it when we’re not at camp might piss the witches off, so let’s not tempt fate and get back before we do it,” Derik said, and I laughed, pulling away from Brax’s mouth as he snuggled into my neck.
“Thank you, Spitfire,” he whispered, and I nodded, giving him one last kiss before grabbing his hand and heading back down the mountain, trailing behind Derik and Kai.
The way back down was much different. There was no snow falling or wind, just a white wonderland with fresh air and an easy walk.
It felt like we had only been walking for ten minutes when Derik came to a stop with Kai and we found them waiting for us at the shimmering sheen of the portal.
I gasped and looked between them and the portal.
“We’re already there?” I asked, the idea not even comprehending in my brain because it wasn’t logical.
“The witches don’t like us staying long once everything is done.”
“The witches don’t like much, do they?” I murmured, and Kai smirked and went through the portal.
We followed, bumping into the back of Kai as he spun and curled me into him. I gasped and tried to get out of his grasp, but he pulled me away.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
He refused to let me go. “Keep your head down and your eyes closed,” he ordered, and it was his alpha voice, strained and angry.
I sucked in a breath as my body was overwhelmed with their emotions, the magic unlocking the link, slamming me with their fear, anger, resentment.
I winced against the strength of it, falling against Nikolai before he picked me up with a grunt and walked me somewhere that I couldn’t see since I was still being held against his chest.
“Can you just tell me why you’ve gone all alpha on me and where Derik and Brax are?” I asked, needing answers because I was terrified.
Kai tensed before shoving me into a carriage, climbing in with me, and slamming the door. He sat there, his fangs long, his claws out, his eyes red.
“You don’t need to know, Lorelai,” he growled, breathing hard.
“Disagree,” I snapped, my own anger rising.
I was sick of them deciding what I needed to know and when, because they were shitty at judging when that was.
“Don’t care,” he bit back, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I bolted for the door of the carriage and shoved it open. He cursed as I did, getting me just in time so I saw nothing as he yanked me back in by my waist and slammed the door shut.
“Stop it,” he warned.
“Or what? You’ll werewolf out? You’re already doing that,” I argued, and he shook his head, trying to get ahold of himself.
I felt him trying, felt him pulling back his anger.
“I don’t mean to. The link was strong to you and the pack, getting that back after being subdued is fucking hard. Just sit there until I can sort my shit or yeah, I might werewolf out,” he warned, only a hint of a joke in his tone.
It was enough to keep me in my seat but not enough for me not to be pissed off.
“Tell me what happened. Why did you rush me in here? What am I not allowed to see?”
Kai shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook a little. He finally took a few breaths and looked back up, his werewolf calm.
“A message from Elias,” he admitted, and I frowned.
“And why couldn’t I see it? You know I need to know what the message said anyway.”
He gave me a sympathetic look before answering.
“It was spelled out using humans. Dead ones. The sacrifices that your brother has been taking? Well, they’re no longer missing,” he said, his anger rising within him, highlighting my own as my entire body tensed.
I was glad he had stolen me away before I had seen that. I would never get it out of my head.
I swallowed back the emotion and tears clogging my throat, shaking a little as I brushed my hair back. I steeled myself against the weak, human part of me that wanted to cry, to fall into a dark pit and wallow.
I couldn’t let that be my reaction. I had to be stronger than that. Elias wanted to intimidate me, get to me, but I wasn’t going to let him.
I pinned Nikolai with a stare that had him smirking. “What did the message say?” I demanded.
That’s when his smirk fell. He looked at me from under hooded lashes.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?