Filed to story: The Alphas Contract Novel by Taylor West >>
I pause as stuffing starts spewing from the splits in the bag. Taking it off its hook, I carry it over to the others that had already broken through. The lady that repairs them is going to hatefor all the work I’m providing her with.
As I hoist another bag onto my shoulder, a sharp pain spirals through my chest and almost hasdoubled over, sucking the air from my lungs. “Raven!” Dropping the bag. I charge across the grounds, ignoring the concerned looks from the other Wolves “RAVEN?” I call out as I run through the back door and into the packhouse.
She stares atwide eyed with a spoonful of ice cream halfway to her mouth. The spiralling pain continues to stab at my heart, but my mate is sitting right in front of me, looking completely fine and confused Ravens brow dips down as a small crease forms between them. “Are you okay?” “Are you?” I fire back, trying to keep the anger at bay as my heart thuds against my chest like its trying to break free.
She nods, still wide eyed.
The pain vibrates through my chest, but doesn’t spread any further.
It couldn’t be possible.
“Damien?” There’s an edge of worry to her tone as she speaks my name. But if she was fine, that could only mean one thing. I rub my chest. “I think…. I think Salem is dead.” Her spoon clatters to the table. “He’s….dead? But you are here?” “I felt pain. I thought you were hurt, yet you are fine. It can only be him.” I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let her go.
She blinks a few times as though she hadn’t heard me. “Who… who would have killed him? “It could have been anyone. The bar where I found Dottie wouldn’t have been the last place for him to get a.__ feed.” I rgb’ my chest again. The pain was unexpected. I didn’t think there was anything left connectingand iy brother. “The idiot must have got himself wrappedup i in something else.” “Are you okay?” She asks quietly. “I know you wanted to be the one to end his life because of what he did.”
It was true. I wanted to be the very last thing he saw. I wanted to see him take his last breath as life M drained from his body. I nod. He was dead and that was one less thing we had to be concerned about. “What about you?”
She may not verbally speak it, but she questioned-what happened to him, letting the questions build in her mind. Wondering how he ended up becoming as hateful as he did. She never said it, and kept the thoughts to herself I think sometimes; she forgets that I could read her ‘mind. ANd after last time, I wasn’t going to be the one to drag it out of her so aggressively. “He deserved it.” She whispers and sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth. “It’s fine.” I offer. “I just want you to tellthe trut, when you are ready.” I’m careful with my words. Watching her tiny reactions and making sure I don’t push too much. She isn’t afraid to shutout if I push too much.
‘I cared for him once. You know that.” She lets-qut a heavy sigh. “He seemed suclya good man at one point. Thaugh he was filling my head with Hiesdellingwhat I wanted-o hear. Making promises that hewas never-going to keep. He has done hortible, horrible things” She looks déwn at her leg. It was almost completely healed but she still refused to go on packruns or shift, just in case’.
“What if we had gone through the blood tie? What would have happened tothen?” It was the question she replayed over and over, but she hadn’t once askeduntil now.
“He would have broken your heart.” I keep my voice level and calm. Purposely keeping the annoyance from my voice. He probably would have killed her too, but she doesn’t need to know that.
Her frown deepens and her eyes move to the closed door separating the kitchen from the hallway. “I hope whoever Killed him, made his death quick.
She had this picture of him in her mind of the man he once was. I wanted to tell her the truth. To tell her that he was never that man and what a bad man he really was. I wanted to tell her about the kind of messed up situations he put himself in, long before he asked Cassandra to turn him. But I bury it down, letting her remember the tiny good things about him.
I was the idiot for letting him live for so long.
She givesa small sad smile. I should be jealous. I was to begin with, but I can’t change the fact that she loved him once, even if it was built on lies.
“You should… um…” She picks up the spoon and starts digging it back into the melted ice cream. “You should tell the others. Dane and Neah will be so happy.” I move around the table to hug her and she jabs the spoon at me. “Don’t touch me, I will cut it off. I swear!” “I can’t even wrap my arms around you.” ‘I don’t like being touched when it’s my tof the month. You should know this by now! It happens every single damn month!” “It you letput a pup in you. It won’t.” Making my way down the hallway, I rap my knugktes on the office door. Dane calls.forto cin as Eric: lazes in a-chair. His eyes are = practically bulging from his head as he yawns. The aroma of alcohol is streng in the air. ol Eric still hadn’t returned to Beta duties and Klaus seemed to have taken over though Dane hadn’t actually made it official. But it was a good thing that Klaus had stepped in, no one needed a drunk Beta.
“Eric, go.” Dane mutters.
“Sure.” He stands and sways, momentarily falling back into the chair.
‘Drunk again, ksee?” I try to keep the judgemental {one to a minimum, but the way he acted, it pissedoff. ~~ He wasn even worthy of his title and Dae needed to strip it. I didn’t carebout them being old friends. It shatld go to someone worthy, like Klaus.
“What’s it got to do with you?” Eric seethes I was pretty sure he was an alcoholic now. Apart from his balance, he om a could hold a conversation. There was a term used, back when I was human, Functioning Alcoholic.” Yep, he definitely fitted that category.
“Eric, go home, get srest.” Dane growls Eric stumbles out and Dane quickly calls for one of the omegas to follow Eric to make sure he gets hin one piece. “You really need to get a handle on that.” I mutter.
‘I found out someone is supplying him. I’ve told him and everyone else that if I I find out they are bringing in alcohol for him, they will be ripped apart by the others.” I cock a brow, surprised. He had been letting Eric’s new habit slide for months, I wonder what’s changed. I don’t ask, it wasn’t my place X
“I assyou wanted to speak toabout something.” He asks coldly “I believe Salem is dead.” He stills, his eyes shifting from the paperwork up to me. The crimson colour still didn’t quite sit right with me, but it wasn’t such a surprise each tI looked at him now. Though Raven had said that Dane always believed it was because he was Alpha. I’ve met enough Alpha’s to know that crimson eyes were not common, in fact, I’ve never seen another Wolf with them.
“I was down in the training hall. I felt this awful pain, spiralling in my heart. Like my life was being sucked from me.” He rocks in his chair, givinga knowing look. “That’s the pain of losing a sibling. It’s what Raven and I felt when Jenson cut us off. But you are here, so you didn’t kill him?” “No, like I said, I was in the training hall.” “I hope he suffered for what he did to Eric’s kids and Raven.” “You mean Jensons kids?” “Eric raised them. You should have told him. Maybe it would have helped……I don’t know at this point. I think he’s lost it.” “Words won’t help him, Dane. We both know that. Just be grateful he isn’t a Lycan.” He didn’t need to askwhat I meant, he knew exactly what I was saying.
“Are you making Klaus your Beta?” I press He presses his lips into a thin line as he clenches his jaw. “I should, but no.” “You can’t wait for the drunk to sort it out!” “Neah wants you to be my Beta.” “What? I can’t do that. I’m not a Wolf.” “That’s what I told her. But she did say Black Shadow is hardly just a Wolf pack anymore. She is a Lycan. A female Alpha who happens to now be the Luna of my pack. My sons who are heirs to the Wolf pack are also Lycans and I have two additional Lycans living in my pack.” He snorts. “She’s right. Things are changing.” “I’m her guard.” “Exactly what the Beta is supposed to do. I know we don’t always see eye to eye Damien. And maybe that’s a good thing.” I cock a brow at him.
“Just think about it.” He asks if I had spoken to Raven.
“I thought the pain was something to do with her at first. I thought something had happened. But she’s in the kitchen, eating ice cream.”
“Ah, I don’t need to hear anymore.” He nods knowingly. Raven had toldthat Dane had pretty much raised her brotheXthrough their and her twin brothext teenage years. Taking them on as his own as he took the role of Alpha. No doubt she gave him a hard twhen she hit puberty. They both probably did. I’m glad I wasn’t around for that.
Becoming an Alpha at a young age had mostly worked in Danes favour. He definitely knew how to forcem people into helping him. I wondered if he had managed to get someone on the outside to kill my brother. I didn’t care if he had, I just wanted to know who so I could congratulate them.
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?