Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
So I tried it.
I asked it to tell me what it did to keep him alive.
It didn’t answer in words but images flashed through my mind of his heart, the little thing beating so fast and hard until it gave out. It couldn’t start again. So the magic beat it for him until it had learned what to do.
I was beyond grateful. For the magic and the whispers too.
I smiled and kissed my son’s soft head.
“What shall we name you?” I whispered against him. Galen lowered my legs and set about cleaning up.
My mom mouthed a ‘well done sweetie’ at me, and I beamed. She let me have my moment with the Alphas and helped Galen.
“We’ll go talk to the vampires about the perimeter and the rogues,” Cain said, pulling Beenie with her.
Beenie was talking with Tabby. They hugged, and Cain kissed his mom on the cheek before they left out the door.
“You amaze me at every point of our lives,” Kai said, sitting next to my legs, giving Enzie his finger. She liked gnawing on it. Zale crawled over my legs to Brax, grabbing his shirt to climb up.
“Come here, little guy. Want to meet your brother?” Brax asked. Zale’s eyes went to the baby on my chest.
He garbled something I couldn’t understand, and I chuckled. He would say mama eventually.
Derik held our son’s tiny little hand and looked down at me, “Do you have a name in mind?”
I shook my head, “I thought you might want to name him.” I offered him the chance.
Derik nodded. “My grandfather’s middle name. Alaric. If you are comfortable with it? It means powerful ruler, and one day, he will be.” Derik smiled, his eyes still shiny but with pride.
I grinned and looked down at our baby. He had Derik’s nose. And little curls.
Alaric.
“Zale, meet your brother Alaric,” I smiled.
Zale reached for him with a grin. Brax let him brush his brother with a light hand then pulled him back. “Gentle, Zale.”
Zale grinned and tugged at Brax’s hair, his blue braid falling forward.
Enzi squealed then, demanding attention. I looked down at her and she was looking at Alaric.
“Enzi, do you want to say hi?” I asked. Kai picked her up and moved her closer.
She got as close as she could, laying her hand down on Alaric’s body.
Her hand glowed and my eyes went wide.
I moved my shadows to check in on her, not sure what she was doing.
She felt what he felt.
Alaric was cold.
“She’s warming him up,” I smiled, my heart ready to burst.
I couldn’t make it seem real. The love, the family I had. It was everything. It meant everything. It was worth everything.
“You have done well, Luna. Alaric will be a strong wolf,” Tabby said, standing from her rocking chair to peer over at him.
“Thank you, Tabby. For being here,” I said.
She nodded once then looked to the door. Cain and Beenie were on the other side of it.
“Don’t let him fall too far into his revenge, hmm? It is not good for anyone to dwell,” she sighed.
I nodded. “I won’t.”
“Good. Then I can offer some information in return for your word,” she grinned.
Well played, Tabby. Asking for a favor meant she owed us one. Balance and all that. It could be a bitch but it could be a loophole we didn’t know we needed.
Tabby always knew though.
“What information?” Derik asked, always on board with knowing more.
She stepped closer. “It might not be new information. I suspect it has been hinted at for quite a time before now.”
“Then why do we need it?” Brax asked.
“Because I can confirm the suspicion. Then you shall know what you are working against and why it is so important for you to not be fooled by the distractions sent your way.”
“Tabby, I love you, but please give us something we understand,” Kai said, putting Enzi on his lap fully and giving her his sleeve to tug.
Tabby smiled in that wise knowing way she had before the words I had been dying to hear fell from her lips.
“The rogue wolves are not the only rogues in this war. The witches have taken a side and angered the realm. But they are using it to help their side win. You must stop them,” she offered.
I knew it.
The damn witches.
I had known it since the arena but up until now, it had only been a hunch that they were the ones working with the rogues.
Now I knew they were, we had leveled the playing field.
“Impossible,” Derik stammered, “The realm would turn on them. Prevent them using it.”
She shook her head sadly. “The seven witches you deal with are ancient. They know of all the corners to cut and unfortunately they have done well to learn the realm. They avoid its anger, confusing it by sending in the rogues with their intentions.”
“So how do we stop them?” I asked.
“Cain has what you need. I have been guiding him, and he has been working tirelessly on everything I have been able to get to him, but he is not thinking clearly. He is not sharing his knowledge,” Tabby said, her eyes dragging to the door.
“I’ll talk to him. We’ll look after him,” I promised.
“He has a potion. If he makes enough of it for the pack, or at least the warriors, then it will counteract the glamor on the rogues. They will be able to sense them again. Don’t give it to any wolves under shifting age though; it is strong and can have painful side effects,” she shuddered.
We said nothing to that. Pain was still a sensitive subject for me, especially.
“The rogues and the witches are working together. Does that mean there is no traitor?” Kai demanded.
Tabitha offered a slight smile. “What do you think, Nikolai?”
“I think we still have someone betraying us. The tunnels were only known to us and the humans.”
“Then you already have your answer, don’t you?”
Yes, we did. And it wasn’t the one any of us wanted. But it was one we were going to deal with.
I reached for my magic, and they knew exactly what I wanted them to do.
I threw the border back up around the city, the rogues I sensed there retreating slightly.
The pack cheered in the link, flooding my mind with questions about the new heir and my health.
Derik spoke for me, not answering a single question.
‘Lockdown the city. Nobody in or out. Pack meeting in the dining hall of the mansion. It is mandatory.’
It was time to find us a traitor.
After a bath of course.
And baby snuggles.
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?