Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
But the practicality of fighting vampires and even winter wolves was so different.
“Lorelai would not be okay with this,” Brax warned.
Pearl frowned. “My daughter is not here. And the werewolves can’t go get her. I am going to create an arsenal so damn full of vampire death traps that the humans can storm their territory and get her back. Now, you may not agree with it, but I have made up my mind on that matter because I cannot let her stay there.”
“Neither can we, which is why we have put a system in place.”
She looked doubtful until Galen squeezed her hand, and she nodded.
“Fine. Good. Then let us put our system in place. Between the humans and the wolves, surely we can get her back. And Nikolai too,” she urged, and I turned to Brax, who pursed his lips.
“The werewolves are bound to the city by our orders, but the winter can turn some rogue. There are already some out there that we have no control over. They come out in the winter. We would not be able to get to you in time should they decide to let the winter win,” I explained.
“I’d be going with them, Alpha Derik,” Galen said, and that had me rocking back.
“You’d leave the city in winter?” I asked. I knew he had control, but he would be testing it.
“For Pearl, I would go wherever she asked.”
“And your control?”
“Balanced by the pain it would cause to hurt my Pearl. She values her humans, and I value her,” he declared, and it shouldn’t change things, but it did. Lorelai would feel better having Galen there.
“You think the humans will be safe enough?” I asked him.
He nodded. “I think they will be safer.”
“Then take the humans out the safety tunnels and go to the grassland villages,” I said.
Brax agreed. “I’ll keep the wolves away from that path for the next patrol changeover,” he said.
I nodded. “You won’t stay until Ryleigh and the baby are fully comfortable?” I asked, not sure how to navigate that situation since Ryleigh was my beta and her child was human who needed Galen in the early days–Pearl too since she seemed to be some kind of expert in herbs.
“They’re coming with us,” Pearl said, and a growl pulled at my lips. Galen glared at me, the room tensing.
I cleared my throat, not meaning to get angry, but the idea of Ryleigh leaving provoked my wolf. It was as if she were my sister or daughter that I needed to protect, even though she had only just become my beta.
“Apologies, it seems turning Ryleigh has proved the stories true,” I mulled that over and eyed Brax, who shook his head. We both knew Lorelai could get angry. It’s what happened years ago, in my grandparents’ time.
One of the wolves bit a human, grew the connection to the point where they were a beta with the most loyal of connections, carrying out all kinds of heinous acts to fulfill its alpha’s will. But the mate had grown jealous, flying into a rage and killing the beta.
Then the wolf had killed its own mate, then itself. It wasn’t the only story about it, but it had kept wolves from turning humans for years. Until now.
I just had to make it clear to my mate that it wasn’t romantic in any way–it was a platonic attachment. On both sides. And then I had to hope that worked.
“Take Ryleigh, Vaughn, and the baby. Until I’ve got Lorelai back and explained things to her,” I said, and Pearl frowned at that.
“I’ll explain, precious Pearl. Come, let us get ready for the trip,” Galen said, standing and holding out his hand to Pearl, who stood and followed him. She glanced back.
“Thank you, Alphas.”
“We’ll keep in touch with Galen as the link allows. We’ll be there if you need us.”
“And so will we.” She nodded low, almost a bow but one of respect, not obedience, and left with Galen. I let out a breath and went to the ale, drinking more before turning to Brax.
“What does it feel like? Having a beta?” Brax asked, and I shook my head, too scared to connect too much to the tether there.
“Like I just signed a death warrant. I can feel it there, the loyalty, the need she has to prove it to me. Which is exactly why I’m sending her away–because if I don’t, she’ll read what I want more than anything is Lorelai and Nikolai back, and I already know she’ll go after them in a heartbeat. And she’ll die for it.”
13. The Rogue
BRAX
I couldn’t sleep. The others didn’t understand, but I felt too much of what my mate was feeling, and it meant closing my eyes was filled with pain and nightmares. She was in pain, and there was nothing I could do.
My shadows couldn’t get to her; she was blocked by something. They still felt hers, locked inside her, screaming to get out. But they couldn’t, and I had to endure it.
It was worse for Zale and Enzi; they were powerful and had no idea how to harness the power they had been given–not fully, anyway–and they knew something was wrong with their shadows.
They looked for her, even for Kai, searching with their shadows but meeting the same wall inside her as I was. She was purposely keeping us out so the pain wouldn’t hit us as harshly. I appreciated that idea for the twins, but I needed her to let me in so I could get to her.
I was one sleepless night away from giving in to the urges and rage that clawed at my insides and demanded I go get her. It was only the twins that stopped me. I couldn’t leave them unprotected.
As much as I trusted Derik with my life, it was hard to trust anyone with the twins.
Especially since Derik was very obviously losing his shit–we all were–but he had never been this lost before.
It was as if losing his mate had broken him more than anything had before. His parents were worried, asking if they needed to step in. However, they didn’t share our ideas on leadership, and we had worked hard to undo the instinct-led way things were before.
I wasn’t letting it go back to that, not when I had to make sure there was a pack worth coming back to once we got Lorelai and Nikolai back. And I had no doubt we were getting them back.
Whether we had to storm the vamp territory or they figured out how to get free on their own, I knew they would. Because there was no future in our pack without them, and that was not balanced.
The witches wouldn’t allow it. Maybe if only one of them had been taken, but both?
No.
I left Derik in our suite, bathing, before heading to the twins.
Cain and Beenie were in there, whispering quietly by the window as the twins cooed in their arms. I reached out with my shadows, instantly finding theirs.
Their shadows entwined with mine, drawing comfort and affection from me before they went back to their own silent communications. Then, I looked to the hybrid and his mate.
She looked like she was sleeping as well as I was.
“Kai only just came out of what they did to him last time,” she whispered, and I nodded. I remembered how bad he was. I remembered the fights, the aggression, the revolving door of unmated women. But it was different now.
“He has Lorelai there. She’ll protect him, trust me. It’s much harder to be on this side, knowing what is happening and not being able to do anything.”
“I doubt that. You have no idea what they are going through.”
That was true, but the unknown was infinitely worse because I had a wild imagination, and it was doing me no favors when I closed my eyes.
“No, I don’t know what they are going through, but I know that I would trade places with my mate in a heartbeat if I could. Because being in physical pain is nothing compared to the crack in my chest when she is gone,” I said, my voice low and raw so she knew exactly how much I meant it.
Beenie eyed me before she nodded in concession. I dropped it, my point made, then turned to Cain.
“Can you get through to her? Heal her?” I asked Cain, knowing he couldn’t. If we couldn’t get shadows through, there was no way he could reach her either, but I had to check.
“I’ve tried, but she has the same lock on her magic that we have Adrenna in.
Nothing will get through until those shackles are off.” Cain sighed as Zale fussed in his arms. Cain handed him over to me, and I held him close, kissing his forehead, his eyes so wise beyond his age.
“She’ll get out. Or we’ll break and go get her.”
“You do that and this entire pack dies. You know that as well as I do, or I would’ve already gone to save my brother,” Beenie said through a clenched jaw and watery eyes that had dark shadows under them.
I didn’t bother arguing; we both knew she was right, and we all knew I would be there with her, saving them too.
“I set the pack on patrols, runs, shifting, training. There’s a team restructuring the school, a team hunting the straggler vamps. Hopefully, it will help.”
“It will,” Beenie said, her voice far away, and I had learned not to question it when she got creepy like that.
“The humans–they’re leaving?” Cain asked, but he was magic enough to know the answer. I nodded.
“Yeah. Pearl and Galen are taking them back to the men’s village in the grasslands.
They’re going to bunker down there and protect themselves. It’s safer at the moment. At least until Lorelai is back with her magic. Or winter ends,” I explained, and Cain nodded.
“The witches are going to be hard to convince, Brax. You sure you want to go to them with Lorelai’s plan? They’re not on Adrenna’s side, and they don’t care enough about the human to give him what he wants,” Cain said, and I shrugged.
“It’s Lorelai’s plan. I’m not going against her, and I think it’ll work. Honestly, I think we should use Adrenna and her magic to go against the vampires.”
Beenie turned on me then, Enzi in her arms cooing, playing with her long necklaces.
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?