Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
Mom’s bacon was something nobody could get right.
I spread my hand over the empty bed, eyeing the spot where Brax had been.
He was already gone so I found my clothes and dressed, heading out to the main room where the others were already congregated.
Mom was cooking as expected, humming along as she created her perfection. Galen and Brax were angry whispering, Ryleigh interrupting them every now and then. Vaughn came out of the bedroom with Althea all dressed and smiled at me.
“Your mother said you’d be up once you smelt the bacon,” he grinned.
I smiled back, “She knows me well.”
He took Althea to Ryleigh and handed her over while I disappeared into the bathroom.
I used the facilities and had a quick wash, then went back out to the sitting area.
Mom was serving breakfast, and my stomach grumbled again.
I held it, the swell seeming more prominent. Brax got out of his seat and let me sit down. I smiled up at him, and he put a plate of food in front of me.
“Eat, Spitfire, I can hear your stomach,” he said.
I didn’t hesitate, digging into the food that was just as delicious as I remembered.
“So, the vampires. We’re heading there today?” Mom asked, sitting down with her tea, and food spread out over the bench and the table.
“Yes. We need to if we’re going to keep things civil with the council,” I said.
Mom nodded, “Okay. I will go dress and pack for the trip then. Is the vampire territory–“
Galen stepped forward, “I’ll help you prepare,” he said. She smiled, blushing, then stood. They left into Mom’s bedroom, and Brax took her seat. Ryleigh and Vaughn gushed over Althea in between eating breakfast.
“When do we leave for the vamps?” I asked.
Brax shrugged, shoving some bacon into his mouth, “Soon. Kai and Derik will come after us themselves if we don’t come back in a reasonable time.”
“True,” I said, then finished my meal.
Brax and I washed up while Ryleigh and Vaughn went to help the humans with preparing for Mom and Galen leaving.
Brax pulled me aside while everyone was preparing, and I looked up at him, “Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
I frowned, “What do you mean?”
He smiled softly, “You haven’t been to the vampire territory since Silas had you there. Are you going to be okay going back?” he asked.
I hadn’t actually thought of it, so I had no idea how I was going to be.
“Uh, I think so.”
He gave me a doubtful look, then smiled and kissed me, “Well, it’s not going to be like last time, okay? I promise,” he reassured, even though I hadn’t thought about how affected I would be.
“I trust you. And weirdly enough, I trust the vampires now,” I said.
Brax grinned, “That’s my Spitfire,” he kissed me again, then pulled away as my mom came back in.
“Okay, I think I am prepared, I should just–“
Ryleigh burst through the door then, her eyes wide, fear lacing them.
“You guys should come see this,” she said urgently.
I didn’t hesitate, following after her.
She led us through the huts and out to the fields where the livestock was cared for.
Except there was no more livestock.
I sucked in a breath, pausing as we came up to the fence of the paddock where the cows and sheep were usually kept.
But every single animal had been slaughtered. The grass was painted in blood and carcass.
I grimaced, looking over the carnage. The animals looked like they had been torn apart.
Literally.
Galen growled next to us, “Ryleigh and I kept watch. Whatever did this, made no sound, carried no scent.” His fists clenched at his sides and I eyed Brax.
“Is there anything in your world that could do this without being noticed?”
Brax shook his head, his face pale, his eyes wide.
“No, Spitfire. Nothing.”
“So the rogues are still behind this? That’s the theory we’re going with?” I asked, not able to look at the slaughtered animals.
Brax nodded at the same time as Galen.
“They are behind this. They’re the ones we can’t sense. I don’t know how but it’s them,” Brax gritted his teeth then sent out his shadows, “I’m going to see if my shadows can get anything.”
I sent mine out too, helping him search the fields for any kind of proof that it was the rogues or any clue as to how they were getting away with so much. They were a small faction, they shouldn’t be able to do the things they were doing.
But they were and if we didn’t stop them, we were not going to come out of this one.
“How will we feed the humans? This was their protein, their wool, their milk. How am I to tell them that our food sources have been culled?” Mom worried, her eyes filled with tears.
Ryleigh jumped over the fence and crunched through the grass, looking over a few of the animals.
“We cannot salvage much of this. Has anyone checked the crops?” She asked warily.
My heart rate spiked as I looked over at the maize fields and the gardens. They were seemingly untouched but I didn’t trust that it would stay that way.
They were playing with our minds, systematically taking down our ways of living until we had nothing but them to rely on.
It made me sick.
And terrified.
How could we beat something we couldn’t see or smell?
“I’ll go check the crops,” Ryleigh said, jumping back over the gate, “And get together whatever we have left. I can hear the chickens so they must be fine.”
My mom nodded, “Galen and I will go and talk to the humans. We need to start moving the crops down into the tunnels. I want them moved by nightfall, whatever can make the journey down there without dying,” she ordered, shaking off the fear.
I had learned that from her.
“I can have some animals brought from the city, or some supplies once we have been to the vampires,” Brax offered.
Pearl shook her head, “No. That could be what they want. Supply runs leave everyone vulnerable. We have a nursery in the tunnels, calves, lambs, and chooks. We will be fine until they can start providing us with what we need. We have some stores, we’ll just have to ration. And I’ll need help from the vampires to keep the rest of what we have safe,” she said.
I nodded, “Then we need to get going.”
“Ryleigh, can you and Vaughn handle things while I’m gone?” Pearl asked.
Ryleigh nodded, “Yeah. I’ll have them use the tunnel from the barn to here and carry Gardenia and Wolfsbane while we move the crops.”
“And be careful,” I warned, “Don’t let them see where you are coming from. If we act like they are always watching then hopefully we can’t be caught off guard.”
Brax urged me away from the paddocks, “Then let’s go. Before they decide to intercept,” he warned.
“Off to the vampires we go then. Because somehow they are the safer option.”
Brax and I led the way over to the carriage, Mom and Galen following. Ryleigh went back to the tunnels to get the humans organized.
Brax went to the carriage and reached up for the door when the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
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?