Chapter 244 – Owned by the Alphas Novel Free by Jen Cooper

Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel

It was harder than I thought, getting the wolfsbane out of the lake. My magic was bordering the city off, inside the wolves to keep them shifting and alive, which was more taxing on my dehydrated body than I thought.

My magic was warm, the air changing around me as I ripped the embedded roots from the lake bed and threw them out of the water. I found every petal, every root.

But it ached in my body.

My magic was determined to get the task done; I made sure of it, my will strong but my body was tired. My soul exhausted.

I struggled as the magic poured and stretched. I gritted my jaw as it tried to take me down. My blood raced, my heart pumped.

My head was throbbing, and I panted as my body tried to collapse. I let it take me to my knees, then held tight. I would get this done.

I had to. For Zale and Enzi. For the pack. We couldn’t stay the way we were, slowly being killed off.

We were stronger than that. I was stronger than that.

I screamed out as the power exploded out of my body in a rush of will and adrenaline, blasting the lake with purple magic. It threw out every bit of wolfsbane poisoning it in one swoop.

My magic, proud of itself, snapped back into me so fast it knocked me off my knees.

I collapsed on the ground, breathing hard, staring up at the dark sky.

My head swam, my body too tired to move.

I couldn’t hear my Alphas in the link, too disoriented and weak to focus, but I knew they were there.

I sniffed the air as another scent came close. It wasn’t my Alpha’s, and it wasn’t my pack. That much I knew.

I wanted to get up and fight, but my body was done.

My eyes fluttered, trying to close. I fought back that exhaustion with everything, but it was useless.

Whatever was out there was getting closer, and there was nothing I could do.

My eyes closed, and I smiled at the peace in me. The water was clean, the pack was safe.

Now I just had to hope my Alphas got to me before whatever was coming up fast on the lake and my unconscious body. I passed out before I got my answer.

35. The Contract

LORELAI

I wasn’t sure how long I had been out, but it couldn’t have been long because my alphas were still yelling at me in the link. The cold grass next to the lake was still beneath me, too. And the other scent was still there.

My eyes flung open, and I went to sit up, but I was staring straight into the eyes of Heather, the rogue. I let out a breath, then slowly sat up, wincing at my tight, aching bones.

“Ow,” I muttered, letting out another breath, then peered over at the lake. The grass was littered with wolfsbane remains.

“And what were you doing with wolfsbane near the lake, Miss Luna?” Heather asked, raising a brow but in a challenging way.

I scoffed and stood up slowly. “Saving the pack. What were you doing out here?”

She narrowed her eyes and stepped back, readjusting her arms that were folded at her chest. “Coming to see what was up with the lake. The rogues are sick, and we’ve exhausted every other possibility,” she said.

That was a believable plight, so why didn’t I believe her? There was no reason to mistrust her or think she was there for any other reason. The rogues were wolves too; it made sense. But I didn’t like it. I didn’t like her. Maybe that was the wolf in me sensing she was a rogue. Or it was the glare she was giving me. The accusing one that went between me and the wolfsbane.

“I didn’t do this. The wolves have been sick in the pack too. Brax got sick first after jumping in the water, so we knew that’s where it originated. I came back to fix it.

Which I did,” I said back, my skin prickling at the challenge she was presenting me.

My body was still tired, but there was no way I was letting a rogue tell me I had hurt my pack.

“And you just happened to know what it was that was poisoning the wolves?” she asked.

My lip curled at her. “I’m not just a wolf.”

“Evidently. And the wolves trust that in you?” She raised a brow.

“We do.” Derik’s voice was strong and proud as he strode into the clearing of the lake. He kissed the top of my head, then checked me over. Satisfied I wasn’t physically hurt, he turned to Heather.

“Alpha Derik.” She bowed.

Suck up.

If she knew anything about my Alphas, she would know that the only way to get in good with them is to get in good with me. She was not doing that. “The lake runs through the water area, which you have access to. Why are you here?” he demanded.

“The lake is the source. I thought maybe we were being cut off. Wouldn’t be the first time the rogues have been turned away.” She shrugged. She wasn’t hostile, but the passive aggressiveness was clear.

“You made your decisions. So did we. The consequences of each are usually worse than the times we are in now. You have shelter, food, water, amenities. Don’t act like we have done nothing because if that’s your nothing, we could have done less.”

Derik was hot in alpha mode. Clear, concise, to the point. It left no room for argument. He fought to win–the others did too–but Derik did it with words. He backed people into a corner with words until there were no words left to hide behind. It was an artful, deceitful exposure, and I loved it. I loved him.

I stepped closer, and he wrapped his hand in mine, bringing it to his lips to kiss, eyeing Heather who nodded, her lips turned down. “Apologies, Alpha. Luna. I was only worried for the pack.”

“Not your job, rogue,” I said, my shadows recoiling, turning as she took a step closer. I didn’t understand their reaction, but I listened to them, looking up at Derik. He nodded, and more wolves came out of the trees, escorted by humans.

I raised a brow as Galen and my mom came out. “Mom?”

She smiled at me, coming over for a hug. “Sweetheart.” She wrapped her arms around me, then sucked in a breath and pulled back, holding my face.

“You’re freezing. We should get you inside,” she said, rubbing my arms.

“I don’t feel cold.”

“Well, your skin does,” she scolded, and I nodded.

Galen ordered the humans to pick up the wolfsbane and pile it high. “Once you’ve collected it all, burn it,” he said sternly. The humans obeyed, and the rogue watched, saying nothing.

“Thank you”–she finally turned to me–“for clearing the water. I know it wasn’t for us, but it means we have fresh water too, so thank you.” She smiled sweetly.

It was a nice gesture, and I tried to put aside my affliction for the girl, smiling tightly. “You’re welcome,” I said.

Then Mom led me away from the lake, holding me to her even though I was taller than her now. Derik was on my other side, his hand holding mine still.

“You shouldn’t have gone out here alone. The vampires are close,” he growled, his eyes scanning the forest.

I knew they were; I could sense them too. “And we won’t survive another attack like last time if we don’t get healthy. I had to,” I argued.

“I’m not arguing what you did, beautiful. Only the manner in which you did it. You shouldn’t have gone alone.”

I said nothing to that because I knew it was true, too. As much as the rogue made me wary, she hadn’t hurt me when she had found me passed out. She could have done anything she wanted to me, but she hadn’t. That made me grudgingly thankful.

“I’m sorry,” I finally breathed as we walked fast.

Derik just nodded and kissed the back of my hand. I was forgiven, but I still felt bad. I wasn’t sure what had made me think going alone was a good idea, but it had taken me over. Whatever that voice had done to me, it was hypnotic. It had made me focused on the task and damn sure I was meant to be at that lake alone. I couldn’t even explain what I meant because I didn’t understand it. But I did understand why my alphas were grumpy with me. It had been stupid, and I was lucky I hadn’t paid the ultimate price for my decision.

I leaned my head against Derik as we walked, my eyes closing for what felt like a second. It must’ve been longer because when I opened them again, I was being carried against him, my head resting on his shoulder as he strode us through the gates. Mom was still at his side, both of them chattering easily. He was easily Mom’s favorite. She normally wasn’t that picky, but with Kai and all his brute and Brax in all his brooding, Derik had won her over easily. He was all charm, and the dimple in his cheek when he smiled made him look nice. And he could be sweet, nice, charming. But he was still an alpha, and when he turned that mode on, he could be the scariest of them all.

Lucky for me, I loved scary.

I snuggled tighter into Derik’s neck as his warmth covered me. I shivered against him, trying to keep the heat in with the cloak around me. The magic pulsed inside me, no longer stretching since I was there with it in one place. We made it into the city, and I knew my other two Alphas were there. Their anger was palpable.

“Spitfire, you almost got Kai’s henchmen killed for that stunt. He put them in a solid time out for letting you through,” Brax said from next to me. I rolled my eyes, then lifted my head to glare at Kai.

“Don’t be a dick, Kai. Let them out of whatever torment you’ve decided to put them through. I told them to let me through to save the pack. I did, and nobody got hurt.

They listened to their luna and told you straight away. They did what they were meant to,” I scolded him.

He huffed, his body shaking, his eyes glaring right back.

“Not hurt? You passing out isn’t getting hurt?”

I shrugged. “Slight magic overuse, but I’m fine, and the water is clear. So those wolves don’t deserve whatever hell you decided to put them through,” I said.

Derik placed me on the stone, checking I could stand before properly letting me go.

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