Bad Boy Alphas

by Alexis Davie

  Sophia shivered, but then frowned at him. “Wait. You said Norfolk. That’s in Virginia, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Was…” She held up one hand. “Was that the first of January, 1776? The burning of Norfolk during the American Revolutionary War?”

  Noah glanced away from her for a second. “Yes.”

  “Oh, my god!” Sophia gasped again, running her fingers through her hair. “That is incredible! I’ve read so many things about the Revolutionary War, but it just never seemed real, you know? It’s so cool to think you were there, that—that you were a part of it!”

  “It wasn’t at the time,” Noah muttered.

  “Were you a part of that war? Like a soldier or something?”

  “No,” he said. “I lived there with my family.”

  Sophia’s shoulders slumped, and she walked over to him. She took his hand and looked into his stormy eyes. “I’m sorry. It must have been a terrible experience for you, and I’m being completely insensitive by saying how cool it must have been.”

  Noah glanced down at her and brushed a lock of hair off her face. “It was a long time ago, and those memories are buried along with them and along with my human soul.”

  “Do you know who bit you?” she asked him.

  “Yes. When you’re turned by a vampire, you’re always connected to them in some way.”

  “How are you connected to yours?”

  Noah took a deep breath and looked at her. “Certain abilities are passed from one to the other. I can compel people really well. Not just people, either; animals, birds, whatever. I’m a tracker, and I can also take away memories and store them.”

  “Where?”

  “Where they hurt the most.”

  Sophia pursed her lips and nodded. “What about Evan? He wants to kill me. How do I handle that?”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Noah assured her, his voice soft. “Okay?”

  “Okay,” she mumbled. As a tear ran down her cheek, he brushed it away. He tilted her chin upwards and kissed her sweetly, but he stepped away when they heard someone clear their throat behind them.

  “Mrs. Cawood,” Noah said, clearing his own throat.

  “Sophia,” said Sophia’s mother, her arms crossed over her chest. “Noah. What’s going on here?”

  “Noah was just telling me about his family history,” Sophia stuttered, her eyes wide.

  “Noah,” her mother began, “can I talk to Sophia alone, please?”

  “Mom—”

  “Sure, Mrs. Cawood,” Noah answered, gathering his books before making a very hasty escape.

  “Mom,” Sophia said, “that wasn’t necessary, was it?”

  “Are you two a couple now?” her mother asked.

  “No,” Sophia answered. “I guess? I don’t… really know,” she sighed.

  For a moment, her mother didn’t say anything. Then she spoke once more. “Well, I can’t exactly say that I am surprised.”

  Sophia frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

  “Noah’s a good kid,” she said, “and I’d much rather you date him than any other nincompoop on campus. I just would’ve liked to know about it first. I know you’re in college now, but you’re still my Sophia. Just because you’re all grown up doesn’t mean you can’t talk to me.”

  Sophia nodded her head, exhaling a deep breath. “I know, Mom. It just happened so fast, I… I don’t even know how to explain it.”

  Her mother nodded, and she smiled as she held her arms out. “Come here, you.” Sophia smiled and walked to her mother, who put her arms around her and hugged her tightly. “I know Noah is a good kid, but be careful, okay?”

  Sophia frowned slightly. “Any particular reason why?”

  “I’m your mother,” she answered. “And from experience, even the nicest guys have their secrets.”

  “I think I’ll be okay,” Sophia chuckled, “but thank you for your concern. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

  “I love you, honey.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Her mother kissed the top of her head. “Now, please go find Noah and tell him that you’re not in trouble.”

  “He’ll be relieved to hear that,” Sophia said with a laugh as she made her way to the front of the library.

  6

  It was blurry around her, and a sharp pulsating pain erupted in her head.

  Sophia opened her eyes and noticed her surroundings were completely dark. She tried to move, but she was restrained with thick ropes. At first, she thought it was all a dream, but when that eerie feeling of being watched surfaced with the strongest intensity, she knew it wasn’t.

  The last thing she remembered before waking up in the dark, cold, suffocating place was lying on her bed, texting Noah. She wanted to know where he lived and joked about sleeping in a coffin under the floor of an old church. Of course, Noah laughed it off with cool indifference and promised to take her to his place the next morning.

  Now she was stuck here, kidnapped by the only person she could think of: Evan the vampire.

  Great, she thought to herself. More vampires. More weirdness. Hopefully no death.

  The floorboards creaked under her, and it sent shivers up her spine.

  “Who’s there?” she asked, her voice small and strained.

  An ominous yet familiar voice echoed through the darkness. “We meet again, Sophia.”

  A torch suddenly erupted into flames, and the guy—the vampire—who had attacked her on campus stepped into the light. He was tall, had dark disheveled hair, and was dressed in black.

  “You’re a smart girl,” Evan said, “just like Josie. But I doubt that you can do to me what she did.”

  “If you think I’m going to let you kill me and bathe in my blood to heal yourself from that bullet wound,” Sophia spat, glaring at him, “you’re sorely mistaken!”

  Evan was suddenly standing right in front of her. His blue eyes were dark and menacing.

  Sophia struggled desperately against the ropes, suddenly terrified of being in the same room as him, and Evan smirked. “Oh, I’m sorry, are you uncomfortable?”

  “I’m tied up, what do you think?” she retorted, knowing she shouldn’t sass him, as he could easily snap her like a twig.

  “I like you,” Evan chuckled, narrowing his eyes at her. “I’m almost sorry I have to kill you.”

  “I bet,” Sophia replied. She looked closer at his face, studying it. Under the light, she could see a long scar running from his forehead down to his temple. She hadn’t been able to see it the night he had attacked her, but now it was perfectly visible. “Is that it? The scar on your face?”

  Evan reached out to touch it, almost absentmindedly. “It is.”

  “Did it hurt?”

  “Not as much as I’m going to hurt you.”

  Sophia’s glare deepened. “If you want to kill me, just do it!”

  “No,” Evan mused, shaking his head. “Just killing you is going to be too easy. You’re a fragile little human that requires no effort to kill at all,” he said, tracing an invisible line across her jaw. “Besides, I’d much rather watch you suffer.”

  “Noah’s going to find me,” Sophia snarled at him, “and he’s going to kick your ass!”

  Evan raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you know about Noah.” Then his smirk was back on his face. “Did he also tell you that he can’t possibly kill me?”

  “And why is that?” Sophia asked, worried about the smugness in his voice.

  “Because—” Evan leaned close to her, whispering in her ear. “—a vampire can’t kill his creator.”

  Sophia’s eyes widened, and she struggled harder against her bindings. “You monster! You’re going to regret this!”

  “Is that so?” Evan asked with a mocking laugh before he was glaring at her. “I’ve been walking around with this scar for a long time. Your great-great-grandmother took away one of my most valuable abilities. Do you know what that feels like to constantly be reminded th
at you can’t do what you’re supposed to do?”

  “Compelling people to do your bidding is not what you’re supposed to do!” Sophia cried.

  “Yes, you would think that,” he answered, starting to circle around her like a shark preparing to attack. “Has Noah told you how long he’s been watching you?”

  Sophia blinked at him. “What… what are you talking about?”

  “He’s been there for years,” Evan said, “watching you, hiding in the shadows.”

  “And why would he do that?”

  “Why don’t you ask him? He’ll be along shortly.”

  “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not going to work!” Sophia said.

  Evan didn’t seem to acknowledge her response. Instead, he kept walking around her, as if he were taunting her. “You’ve ever wondered why you feel like you’re being watched every time you’re alone? The trail of shivers running down your spine, the hairs on the back of your neck rising…”

  Sophia shook her head. “No…”

  “That’s been him,” Evan continued. “All this time, it’s been him.”

  “No.”

  “He’s been watching you ever since you were born, every day.”

  “No!” Sophia snapped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! I know Noah, and he wouldn't lie to me!”

  “Wouldn’t he?” Evan demanded. “He lied to you before. He didn’t tell you that he was a vampire. You had to read it for yourself, didn’t you?”

  “No, he…” Sophia closed her eyes. She couldn’t let him turn her against Noah. She wouldn’t let him. “He didn’t lie!”

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to believe a vampire?” Evan taunted her.

  “You have no power over me!” she screamed.

  “Are you sure about that?” he hissed, stopping in front of her, his face inches away from hers.

  “Yes,” Sophia snarled. “I am.”

  Suddenly, the opposite wall burst open, rocks and debris flew in all directions. The explosion sent Sophia crashing down to the floor, still tied to the chair. The room was filled with dust, and Sophia coughed from it, her ears ringing. She heard Noah’s voice crying out to her, far away from her. Then she felt two strong arms pulling her up from the floor.

  “Sophia!” she heard him say again, this time louder and clearer as the ringing in her ears faded. “I’m here,” he said. “I’m here, I—” He tore off the ropes binding her and caught her in his arms. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh, my god, what the hell took you so long?” Sophia exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

  Noah chuckled breathlessly. “Sorry, I had to get reinforcements.”

  “What?” she asked, pulling away from him. “Reinforcements?”

  “Alright, Evan!” a familiar voice cried. “Let’s dance!”

  Sophia’s jaw dropped as she spotted her mother stepping into the room. “Mom!”

  “Honey!” her mother cried with a smile, rushing over to embrace her, and Sophia clung to her. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Her mother broke away from her, pulling out a gun from behind her back. “Noah, get her out of here.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Noah said.

  “No!” Sophia yelled. “You can’t just leave my mom!”

  Noah winked at her. “She’s perfectly capable of handling herself.”

  Sophia glanced over her shoulder as her mom engaged in a fight with Evan. She cringed as Evan knocked her mother off her feet, but Noah pushed her head against his chest. She heard as two shots were fired, and then there was a loud thud, followed by silence. Sophia glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened at the scene in front of her: Evan was lying on the ground, and her mother had her left heel on his chest.

  “Oh, my god,” Sophia whispered. “She… she actually shot him…”

  “Sophia,” her mother called out to her. “Come over here, please.”

  Sophia glanced at Noah in shock, and he nodded encouragingly at her. She carefully stood up and made her way across the rubble to where her mother stood.

  “Here,” her mother said, handing her the customized gun.

  “Wh… what am I supposed to do with it?” Sophia demanded.

  “You are going to kill your first vampire,” she answered nonchalantly.

  “What? No!”

  “Just do it.” Sophia took the gun from her mother and pointed it at Evan, who hissed at her before chuckling mockingly.

  “You won’t be able to,” he spat. “You’re weak.”

  Sophia glared at him, and her grip on the gun tightened. “Go to hell,” she growled. Then she pulled the trigger, shooting him between the eyes.

  Even though the sound of the gun was almost deafening inside the small room, Sophia felt invigorated—empowered. She lowered the gun and let it fall to the floor. Her mother pulled a lighter from her pocket, lit it, and threw it onto Evan’s lifeless body, which immediately burst into flames.

  Sophia stepped away from the flames and turned to her mother.

  “That was a pretty good shot, Soph,” her mother said with a grin. Sophia smiled, but when she turned back to the fire, the realization of what had just happened began to sink in, and she shook her head in bewilderment.

  “What the hell, Mom!” she exclaimed. “What the hell was that? What the hell are you wearing? And the gun? Where did you even get this?” she babbled.

  “Calm down, honey,” her mother said, raising a hand.

  “Calm down? You want me to calm down?” Sophia demanded. “You bust in here with Noah, who’s a vampire, by the way—”

  “I know.”

  “—to come rescue me from another vampire—”

  “I know that, too.”

  “—and then you bust out these badass moves and shoot the vampire!” Sophia finished. “That is not normal! I have more than enough reason not to calm down!”

  “It’s okay, Sophia,” Noah said as he slowly approached them.

  “No!” she cried. “No, it’s not!”

  “Everything’s okay,” her mother assured her, placing her hands on Sophia’s shoulders. “Come on. I’ll tell you everything.”

  “You better,” Sophia said. She looked at Noah. “You too. You both have a lot of explaining to do.”

  * * *

  Sophia shook her head in disbelief and glanced at Noah and her mother, who sat comfortably in her mother’s living room. “So, let me get this straight. You’ve known Noah your entire life?”

  “Yes,” her mother said.

  “And you’ve known from day one that he is a vampire?”

  “Not from day one, but ever since I was…” She turned to Noah. “What was I, nine?”

  “Yeah, you were nine,” Noah confirmed. Sophia scoffed at their nonchalance and shook her head.

  “And you’ve known all this time about our family history of vampire hunting? Have we all been vampire hunters?”

  “Yes,” her mother said. “At least, your grandmother was, and your grandfather, too.”

  “Grandma Christine and Grandpa John?” Sophia asked, her heart pounding with all this new information as she dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, my god. I have a weird-ass family.” She looked up at her mother. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I knew the time would come when you would think for yourself,” her mother answered, “and I didn’t want you to be forced to do anything you didn't want to do.”

  “So you just made me spend my entire life thinking that I was being unreasonably paranoid for nothing?”

  “No,” she said. “I knew Noah was there to protect you.” Sophia ran her fingers through her hair and slowly exhaled. Her mother stood up from the couch and walked to her. “Honey, listen. If you don’t want to be a hunter like me, you don’t have to. Okay? But if you do, then I’ll teach you everything I know.”

  Sophia took a deep breath. “I’ll have to think about it. Is that okay?”

  “Of course.” Her mother hugged her and smi
led. “I’ll let you two talk for a while.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Sophia said as her mother left the room. She looked at Noah on the couch and shook her head.

  “What?” he asked her.

  “You’ve been watching me since I was born, right?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Why did you only start talking to me recently?” she asked, wanting to know the answer to the one question she’d had from the very start.

  “Your mother wouldn’t let me before,” Noah told her. “Meeting you in the library was an accident. Your mom wasn’t too pleased about it, but I promised her that I’d never let anything happen to you.”

  Sophia smiled slightly and nodded her head. “Thank you.” She glanced at him and pursed her lips.

  He smiled broadly and nodded. “It’s our life, and, if you choose it, it’s yours, too.”

  “I don’t know. It seems rather dangerous to me.” Noah studied her face, surely able to tell that she didn’t know if it was the kind of life she wanted to have.

  “You know,” he began, “your mom is awesome, and she’s the best hunter I’ve ever known. So if you do decide to join the family business, you’re set up for greatness.”

  Sophia snorted. “You’re making it awfully hard to say no right now.”

  “Well, the way you shot Evan was pretty impressive,” Noah added.

  “I’ve never shot anyone before, but he was so evil. It felt good to know that I was ridding the world of someone—or something—that caused so much pain,” she said, looking at him. “Is that bad?”

  “If you’re doing it for the right reasons, then no, I don’t think so. There are bad vampires out there, and who knows how many of them, but your mother and I, we’ve been trying to eliminate as many as we can and will continue to do so.”

  “That’s equally terrifying and comforting,” Sophia said, wrapping her arms around herself.

  “So.” Her mother’s voice startled her, and she turned to see her standing at the entrance to the living room. “Will you join us?”