Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
“I can’t tell you. She’ll know,” she cried.
I shook my head.
That misplaced loyalty seemed to be almost as quick of a trigger as someone hurting my mate because I was quick to grab that branding iron.
“What. Are. They. Planning?” I said with each word on a harsh warning. She trembled and eyed the brand.
“I’m sorry!” she cried but it was too little, too late.
Derik sighed, “We know they found the tunnels. I’m sure that was your doing. We know they have been taking humans. And we know they are working with the humans. What else do we need to know?” he asked in a much nicer tone than I would’ve.
She looked panicked, stuck, like anything she said was going to lead to some form of pain.
If I had my way, it would.
We had tried to dig in her mind for the information, but she was blocked from us. Which is why we hadn’t sensed her.
And how she got away with so much. We hadn’t noticed her gone from the link, so maybe she had a point about us ignoring her, but betraying us for attention?
A painful price to pay.
“What confuses me, Traitor, is that all this was over Brax. But even if you had succeeded in destroying everything, he would never have been able to love you. He is mated, his heart is never going to be yours,” I asked.
This had her tears falling harder.
That was satisfying. It seemed words hurt more than the brand.
“I wanted her dead–“
That was met with a round of growls and snarls from us. Not the way to go, Traitor.
She realized that fast and changed her direction.
“I figured if Brax was no longer connected to her then–“
“You thought I would come back to you?” He asked, genuine shock playing over his features.
She nodded miserably.
I thought Brax would feel worse about that but instead, he laughed. A maniac laugh I was proud of him for.
“I can’t believe this.” Brax shook his head and went to the door. “I’m done here, do what you need to do to her. I’m going to go and find my mate so I can fuck her senseless. Enjoy Kai’s crazy, Traitor,” Brax laughed again then left the barn.
I chuckled and Derik even smirked.
Traitor had more tears on her cheeks.
“The rogues poisoned our water, blew up the school, tried to kidnap our heirs. And you still went back to them, gave them more information,” Derik said.
She kept silent, but we knew the answer.
“Our warriors died. Innocents. Cain has been tirelessly healing. We’re suffering and you enjoyed it, didn’t you?” Derik asked.
She shook her head. “No, I just–“
“But you could have come to us. Before now. Before turning to the rogues. You could have come to us,” Derik said. She cried more.
“You would have turned me away.”
“Kai would have. He doesn’t entertain heartbreak like the rest of us. His heart didn’t exist before Lorelai. Brax would have. He felt bad enough for what he did to you. But I would not have,” Derik explained. And it was nothing but the truth.
He stepped closer to her, leaning down, sitting on his haunches so he could look at her directly, “I would have sympathized with your heartbreak, I too have felt that pain. You know I was meant to have a different wolf. She mated and it hurt until I mated myself. So I would have helped you through it.”
“But you couldn’t have done anything,” she whispered.
“I could have been a friend, support while you healed. As a pack we could have helped you, included you more if that had been what you were feeling. I could have called for a pack decision to bring on a heat which could have found you a mate for yourself. There are other wolves and Brax is not your mate. So this love you think is so deep, is infatuation.”
“It is not,” she swore.
Derik was much more patient with her, “It is. You don’t feel that way now but you will when you mate. Or if you let go of the pain long enough to see it.”
She sniffled but more tears came, “How was I to know I could come to you?”
Derik shrugged, “Because I have always been here for the pack in every way. When have I given a reason to doubt that I would turn you away for a genuine problem?”
She seemed to actually think about it finding the same answer that I already knew.
Derik had never let the pack down.
It had been his single goal as Alpha. He was their friend, their confidant, their therapist, their protector, and their voice. He would have listened to her.
He took all of mine and Brax’s faults and turned them into his strengths so as Alphas, we were never lacking.
And she had turned on that. Betrayed it.
And now she was going to see that Derik had faults too. Because he couldn’t do what I could.
I was the punisher. I was the warrior. The executioner.
Derik stepped back.
“But it is too late for that,” I said, stepping in to take his place in front of her. She looked up at me, her lip trembling.
“Please, don’t,” she begged.
I didn’t grab a weapon.
“You are going to the rogues, like Derik has ordered,” I said, looking at Derik who nodded. He was the judge. Brax was our jury, carrying the vote to guilty or not. His shadows gave him an insight we sometimes missed. But we hadn’t missed the mark on this one.
“But I have information!” She begged.
I gritted my teeth. I hated Traitors so damn much.
Always willing to give their side up for the next best thing.
She had chosen the rogues and she was willing to turn on them too.
Derik knew my tether was almost snapped and put his hand on my chest to stop me. He cared about the information more than I did. I still wanted her cast out.
“Speak then,” he ordered.
She sobbed then cleared her throat, “The humans. I know why the rogues are taking them.”
That had me slightly more interested in what she had to say.
“Why?”
“To turn them,” she whispered.
My eyes went wide and I turned to Derik who was rigid.
“Turn them? They’re giving them the bite?” I demanded.
She nodded quickly, “Yes. They want the betas. The unwavering loyalty. It means they do whatever Heather wants.
Whatever they desire, they are relentless in getting it done. They don’t question her.”
“She’s gathering the perfect soldiers for her army,” I said.
Traitor nodded, “Yes. And letting the other rogues do it. So the ones they turn are strong and don’t understand the politics of a wolf. They don’t care. They just obey.”
“And the witches are letting this happen? After it was forbidden?” Derik snapped.
She nodded, “After seeing what Ryleigh became to you, they are the ones who suggested it.”
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?