Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
“Apparently. Any thoughts on where I’m meant to be letting you go?” she asked, and I thought about it as Derik growled under his breath.
“I said no, Anetta.”
“A deal’s a deal, Alpha. Brax gave in first, she gets one free snooping pass.” Anetta shrugged, her naked body on display, with her mate holding her hand.
She was covered in hickeys and bite marks, but she had a smile on her face that said she had enjoyed receiving every single one of them.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, not wanting to give an answer with my nosey alphas listening, waiting to take whatever I said and stop it from happening.
She smiled, then looked over her shoulder at the clearing, where wolves were slowly coming out of the heat haze and standing with their packmates.
“That heat was intense. Pretty sure once that connection was open, every single one of us combusted.” She giggled, then ran her fingers up her mate’s arm. “Thanks, Alphas, this one was the most satisfying heat yet.”
She winked, her eyes meeting mine, and I knew she aimed that comment at me. I smiled and nodded. She walked off with her mate, hand in hand, as the rest of the pack started dispersing.
“Exactly how many times does the heat happen?”
“An inconvenient amount of times when there are more females than males.
Usually once every quarter. But it can happen spontaneously if a mating connection is trying to be made,” Derik said, having the answers for me, like usual.
He seemed to have recovered the quickest. Kai still looked hungry for me, but that was normal, and Brax looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes.
I was pretty sure that was me too because I felt like I could sleep for days.
“No mating this time then?” I asked, and Kai answered.
“Not this time, Little Human. But enough questions, time to go home,” he said, and stood, picking me up.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and lay against his chest as we went to leave.
But we didn’t get far before Cain was there, rushing in on another wolf. He jumped off and raced over, puffing hard.
“Cain.”
Derik frowned as Brax’s lip curled.
“Alphas. We’ve got a problem,” Cain breathed, then thought about it and added,
“two actually.” He huffed, and Kai tensed beneath me.
“Just what we need.” Derik rolled his eyes.
“Of course we have more problems when we send you in to deal with problems we already have,” Brax taunted, and he narrowed his eyes at him.
“I had nothing to do with this,” Cain snapped.
“Sure you didn’t,” Brax snarked back, and I reached over to run my fingers down his arm. He looked at the touch, then kissed my hand.
“What problems, Cain?” Kai asked.
“Do you want the bad news or the worst news?” He tried to joke, but I hated those options.
“Just tell us what happened, Cain. I’m guessing the vampires didn’t take our message well?” Derik said, and I frowned.
“What message?”
Derik looked hesitant to say anything, so Kai stepped in.
“We sent Cain to tell the vamps that your brother is missing in the wind, and we’re hoping they would give us time to find him before demanding you instead,” Kai admitted, and I swallowed hard.
That didn’t sound good for the news Cain was waiting to deliver.
“They were going to grant it–the thought of a missing winter born is much more serious than taking the good one–but then the heat started, and the barrier went crazy. It started radiating power, strengthening.
“It almost brought me to my knees, and the vamps thought I was there to distract them, trick them. Now they think you might be keeping them both on purpose.
They want to meet her,” he rambled out, and I tensed.
Kai laughed a deep, maniacal laugh before narrowing his eyes. “Not happening.
What’s the other news?”
“I’m not kidding, Kai. They’re demanding a meet at the Council Summit,” Cain said, and Kai sobered instantly, Derik cursed, and Brax growled.
“The Council Summit?”
“The highest peak between the territories, and completely neutral ground. It’s safe and governed by a clan of witches that keep the balance in our world.
“When we call a meeting there, both councils have to attend. All magic gets suffocated and becomes inaccessible. We essentially turn human while we’re there,” Derik explained.
“And we have to agree to the meet or start a war.”
“So we go.” I shrugged; it seemed straightforward to me.
“I don’t want Silas meeting you.” Derik sighed.
“He has to. Or he’s going to wage war. You literally just said that. And we’ll be human. What safer way?”
Cain nodded. “She’s right, Derik. We have to agree. Any other time and he will be within the laws to try claim her. This is the only way to get them to meet when he can’t do that.”
That’s when Kai started walking. I frowned as he brushed past Cain and strode toward the city again.
“Kai?” I asked, but he shook his head, his lips pursed, and carried on walking.
I looked over my shoulder at the others. Brax caught up quickly as Derik talked to Cain. Then Cain ran to catch up, stopping us from going further.
Kai snarled at him. “Get the fuck out of my way,” he snapped, and Cain shook his head, his eyes glassy.
“I can’t, I haven’t told you the worst news yet.”
“Letting her anywhere near the vampires is the worst news,” Kai snapped, and Cain shook his head sadly.
“No. It’s not.”
And then I felt what he was feeling. The guilt, the sorrow, the helplessness.
The regret.
“What happened?” I demanded, feeling it intensify when he looked at me.
Something like dread dropped in my stomach, my instincts picking up the emotions.
“Three more humans disappeared in the last twenty-four hours,” he admitted, swallowing hard before sucker punching me with words that twisted in my heart.
“They were from the Grassland villages.”
33. The Gossip
“I’m going,” I said to the alphas as they stood in front of my door.
I fixed my dress into place, then glared as Derik folded his arms. Kai leaned against the wall, and Brax put his hands in his pockets.
“It’s not safe.”
“And I don’t care. If there are people going missing from my village then I am going to check on my family,” I snapped as Derik deepened his scowl.
“We’ll go check it out first, and you can come afterwards, if it’s clear.”
“No, I’m coming with you. Either you take me or I go myself, but I want to know if my family are okay.”
“They are,” Brax said. “They were the first people the wolves checked on.”
“So who was taken then?” I demanded.
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?