Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
Derik pushed open the doors for us, and I went in. The ladies of the village were huddled in a group with their children, sitting on cushions on the hardwood floors, my mother standing and smiling at me as she came forward.
“Sweetheart,” she said, and pulled me into her arms. “I don’t know how to thank you for this.” She trembled, her voice wavering.
I grinned and held her tighter. “You’re all safe now,” I said, then pulled back.
Brax came over then, his body tense, his eyes cloudy, planting a kiss on my cheek.
“They’re very scared, Spitfire,” he said against my ear, his shadows curling through me, transferring the feeling so I knew what he sensed.
I didn’t need to though; I felt it in my own instincts.
“You don’t have to be scared here,” I addressed them, moving to stand in front of the huddle.
They were still dirty from the initiates’ quarters and still looked a little worse for wear, bruises and fear riddling them.
“The wolves won’t hurt you, and while you are on this estate, you are under my and the alphas’ protection.
“I do have to reiterate that that protection extends only as far as the walls of this estate. Beyond that is not safe for humans,” I said.
They all looked at me wide-eyed, like I was no longer a winter born human worthy of only disgust, but like I might just be the light they needed.
I didn’t want to be a light. I wanted to be strong, and I wanted them to be as well.
“We can help, in exchange for your protection, of course. As the humans have always done,” my mom said, and I smiled.
“We have gardens here that could use tending, cooking, cleaning, but that will be for yourselves and the alphas, that’s all. The wolves have their own means now.
“I want you to be comfortable here. I know that will take time, but I think we can get there, as long as the single rule is followed.
“More than that though, I want us ladies to take back our own fate. I want us to learn to defend and protect ourselves, but all that will come in due time. Until then, welcome,” I said, and my mother beamed.
“See, ladies? I told you that we would be welcome,” Mom said.
I nodded. “Of course. I don’t want this war any more than I want more casualties on either side.”
I looked at my alphas, who looked much more intimidating than they were.
“Neither do they,” I said, and the humans glanced over at them.
The doubt was there, but I knew I could change that. Eventually.
“You wish us to go back to normal? Back to serving?”
One of the ladies spoke up, and I recognized her. She was Portia’s mother.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and my heart broke for her. Portia was a casualty that never should have been allowed to happen.
I wasn’t sure what she knew of her daughter’s death, whether they knew my brother had been possessed by Elias and killed her as a sacrifice, but from what Mom had told me, my father had planted that all on the wolves.
“No, I don’t want it to be like that at all. I want the humans and werewolves to get along, to coexist peacefully without death in between.
“I want the humans to go back to their farms and crops, the wolves to build their city, but most of all, I want the pain on both sides to end.
“That is why we took you in, to prove that it is possible,” I said, and she nodded, sniffling back her tears.
Mom went over and hugged her as they sat down together on the floor, Mom kneeling as Ryleigh came over and handed her a tissue. She had a swollen stomach too.
Vaughn stayed dutifully at her side, but this time he wore village clothes. I eyed him and stepped closer.
“You have given up your position with my father?” I asked, needing confirmation.
He nodded. “The second I could do so without raising alarm.”
“Good,” I said, then turned to my alphas. “They have rooms already allocated?
Dining, access to food and water?” I asked, and Brax nodded, coming forward to stand next to me.
“Follow us downstairs, we’ll show you to your rooms,” he said, then walked ahead, and we all followed.
I hid my smirk the entire time he showed them through the rooms they had been allocated.
They were the virgin ceremony rooms. Excluding the blood bowl in the podium room, of course.
But they were allowed in the dining hall with the fireplaces, the cozy living space with sofas and bookshelves, chess sets, and some easels with paint supplies.
We were shown the bathtubs, which Derik made sure I knew were filled with regular water, not blood moon ritual water, and then taken through to the bunk rooms.
I had seen it all, but the wonder on the ladies’ faces made me smile–obviously their virgin ceremonies had been held differently.
This had stunned me the first time too. It had been so much…softer than the village.
And warmer. The fireplaces and wall lanterns were much more effective than the ones we had managed.
“Will this suffice, Spitfire?” Brax asked with a knowing smirk, and I grinned back.
“They seem to think so,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.
We watched the humans choose their beds and sections of the bunk rooms as my mother pottered and helped. She came over after a few minutes, a new glow about her.
“I cannot thank you enough for this. It was a lot to ask to accept us here, so whatever the cost was, I want to help pay it,” she said, more to Brax than to me.
“It has cost us nothing yet. Only a little respect, but that will be earned back,” he said, and I loved him for it.
My mother would do whatever it took to pay back whatever debt she thought she owed, but I didn’t want them to owe the wolves anything. They had been doing that their entire lives.
“Well then, I actually have a favor to ask of you,” she said.
I raised a brow. My mother’s spine had grown straight indeed being away from my father. I loved seeing it.
“Ask then,” Derik said, coming over.
I waited a little nervously for whatever it was she wanted, hoping we could accommodate but not sure because we had already pushed so far by having them here in the first place.
“I would like to see my son. I understand that you have made it possible for Lorelai to communicate with him, and I am asking for the same courtesy next time she is allowed to see him,” she said, and I smiled.
That, I already knew we could make happen.
“We could meet at Tabitha’s,” I said, turning to Derik, but he shook his head.
“I will reach out to Silas. We will have your brother visit here to establish some ground rules. It is too dangerous for you to go into neutral territory in your condition now,” he said, and I rubbed my stomach, knowing he was right.
“Will that be okay?”
“He will only be allowed outside in the gardens for an hour. We’ll have dinner out there tomorrow night if Silas allows.
“He must come alone: those are the only terms I will agree to,” he said.
I hugged him. It was a lot to ask to have a vampire in the city, but he was allowing it. I was beyond grateful and knew the shit he was going to get for it.
“Thank you,” I said, and he smiled.
“I wouldn’t dare say no to a woman who carried my child and the mother of that woman. I might find myself on the receiving end of some very angry hormones,”
Derik teased, and I chuckled. My mom did too.
“Smart alpha.” She beamed, then left to attend to the women.
***
An hour later, I was back in my suite, penning a letter to my brother from me and Mother to have delivered.
Cain was going for me, and I couldn’t wait to see what they said. I hadn’t seen my brother since Tabitha’s, and it felt like so long ago.
With Mom here, maybe we could be family again, but then again, I had to remember what had happened.
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?