Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
Mom shrugged. “Well, she spends most days here or out in the orchards, but she hasn’t mentioned being lonely. As far as I’m aware, your brother does pop in every now and then.”
That had me raising a brow. “How often? When was he last here?” I asked, and she didn’t catch the urgency in my tone, only sipping her stew and sighing.
“A day ago. Just popped in for some tea, then had to go back to his post,” she said absentmindedly, and I shook my head.
“Mom! You were meant to tell me if you heard from him!”
She turned with an innocent expression on her face. “He said he had already talked to you, love. Sorry, I’ll let you know next time.” She huffed, then went back to cooking.
I shook my head. How dare he be so brazen to come here, knowing it would irk me.
He was baiting me, letting me know he could hurt her if he wanted to.
I had to hope he wasn’t that far gone. Or I might just let Elias end him. I might anyway if he was choosing to be such an asshole.
Just then the alphas came in, my father trailing behind with a sheepish expression.
He avoided my glare, so I hardened it, and I’m pretty sure he shivered.
Good.
Dinner was served, but Ryleigh never arrived. She said she wasn’t feeling up to it, and Mom grinned.
“I am sure she is with child. Oh, can you imagine? It has been a long time since we had a baby around here. It would be magnificent.”
My mother swooned, holding my father’s arm as if he gave a shit about the nostalgic memories, as she did. He pretended well though and smiled at her, kissing her softly. My hand clenched on my silverware.
Kai’s grabbed it and kissed my white knuckles, burning a stare into mine. I tried to calm down, but the more times my dad showed his affection, the more times I wanted to stab him with my fork. And knife.
My mom deserved devotion, not him.
“Speaking of babies, I was interested in the dynamics for werewolves and humans.
Is it possible?” my mother asked, as upfront as she usually was.
Derik stiffened as Kai smirked. Brax’s lips pursed. None of them great reactions, so I intervened.
“Mom. I don’t think it’s possible. We’re not the same.”
She shrugged, undeterred from her potential grandchildren. “There are hybrids born every day, vampires and werewolves, why not a human?” she asked, and I smiled softly at her.
Kai spoke then. “If it happens for us, then we would be grateful.”
“So it is something you want? With Lorelai?” she prodded, and I tensed.
Not even I had gone into such a conversation with the alphas.
“I’d marry her tomorrow if the laws allowed,” Derik vowed, and I raised a brow. He didn’t look at me.
“And since the laws don’t allow it, what happens? She is to be labeled a lover of yours, grow old and die without the love of children or a husband?” My mother took a swing with her words and packed a powerful punch because all three of the alphas winced.
I just glared at my father. “Husbands are overrated,” I sniped, and she looked at me.
“But children are not,” she finished, and then it was silent.
I had never cared if I had children. I had always seen them as a way for husbands to have more control over the wives they had picked, but thinking about children with the alphas was different.
If it was possible, I would want it. But it wasn’t. For me, that wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it did look like it broke my mother’s heart.
“Lorelai is not our prisoner. She may leave and find the future you wish for her at any time. We will not keep it from her. But if she chooses to stay, understand that we will look for every answer we can to give her whatever she wants, including children,” Derik explained.
My heart grew heavy with the words, a fullness that swelled and warmed me at the same time. I hadn’t heard him be so devoted before. It had me clenching my thighs together.
And that should have been where I announced that we had to go, but I let my mother keep picking, and she asked the one question I had been hoping wouldn’t slip out.
“Will you turn her?”
The silence fell again, and finally Brax answered.
“No.”
Then it was my heart breaking. I wouldn’t be theirs because I had the mortality of a human and they aged so much quicker than werewolves.
My mother checked my reaction, then pursed her lips. “Hmmm,” she said, then stood and cleared the dishes.
I stayed quiet before Kai huffed. “Nice, Brax. I’ll tell you why, Little Human. Most of us are born into this.
“To be turned by a bite is risky to us because it is not just a bite, we have to give some of our magic, use our toxin in the bite. Your body will either take it or reject it.
We won’t know which until it is too late.”
“We don’t want to risk it,” Derik murmured.
I understood that. I tried to. I just hated it.
36. The Risks
The ride back to the city was nowhere near as pleasurable as the other times we had gone back.
They weren’t ignoring me; Kai had his hand on my thigh, his fingers tracing the inside of it, and Derik was opposite me, his feet stretched out, brushing mine as Brax had his shadows stroking mine in that weird, intensely intimate way.
But it was so quiet.
“So, what now?” I asked, trying to break the silence.
“We have to meet with the council at the Summit and warn them of the sacrifices.
We don’t know many rituals that require humans as sacrifices, but they might know something that could help.” Derik sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Kai scoffed. “I don’t want anything from those fuckers. Whatever information they give us will have a price, and I’m not paying them shit.”
“We don’t have a choice!” Derik snarled back, and Kai pursed his lips, his anger radiating through me.
“So, I had a visit from my brother,” I said, trying to distract. All three of them turned their glares toward me.
“When? What happened?” Brax asked.
“And you’re only just telling us now?” Derik snapped.
“Did you hurt him?” Kai smirked, his eyes sparkling at the idea.
I shook my head. “No. He did tell me to meet him at the cemetery alone in two weeks on the full moon though. Was thinking I should probably do that,” I admitted.
I had considered keeping it to myself, but if I wanted them to tell me everything then I needed to do the same.
And I just wasn’t interested in doing anything the way my brother wanted me to, because he wasn’t calling the shots anymore. Not if I could help it.
“You’re not going.” Kai laughed. “I will tie you to the bed and fuck you until you can’t walk if you try to,” he warned, with a threat that made my bitch of a libido spike.
My mouth ran dry at the idea, and I grinned. “You can do that when we get home.
But I am going to the cemetery. I have to, or he’ll kill my brother.”
“I guess this is the part where I’m meant to say I give a fuck, but the truth is, Little Human, that I don’t. Your brother, Elias, none of them hold a candle to what I feel for you.
“I’ll be sorry for the pain you feel at the death of your brother, but I will not trade that for your death. Not ever,” he said, running his finger down my jaw before pulling my lips to his.
I kissed him back, my mind turning with his words. I wanted him to care more about my brother’s life, but what he said made me sure that he was never going to care about it like I did, or more than I did.
So I kept kissing him, deepening the way our lips connected, my tongue sliding along his. He hauled me onto his lap, kissing me harder, his hand tangling in my hair, getting carried away like we always did.
I was already desperate for him, more of his touch, his skin on mine, his taste.
Until Derik was behind me, kissing down my neck and slowly pulling me back from Kai, who growled in warning. He glared at Derik who bared his teeth.
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?