Alpha's Claim

by Amelia Hutchins

  I laughed nervously and then groaned as pain lanced through me. Exhaling slowly, I peered into Jacob’s grey stare as his mouth tightened into a white line. “So, she’s okay?”

  “She’s doing good, momma. Her heartbeat is strong, and she’s active. There’s fluid leaking though, here,” he stated, pointing at bubbles and what looked like a sack. “Oligohydramnios is what it is called, and it is concerning. Your fluid is low, but you’re not rupturing. You also have placenta previa, which is probably why there’s bleeding. You’re going to need to take it easy until she is delivered. I’ll get some equipment up here to be more prepared in the event she decides she’s impatient to meet her parents.”

  “So, it is a girl?” Eryx asked, studying the screen beside Saint, who was also watching our child sucking her tiny fingers into her mouth. “Why the hell does she look like an alien?”

  “It’s an old machine, and most babies look like this on the monitor.” Jacob looked up as people came through the door. Chaos stood by the wall, but Saint coaxed him over.

  “There’s your sister, Chaos.”

  “Are you okay?” Chaos asked, resting his head against mine. “You have to be okay, Braelyn.”

  “I’m okay, sweet boy. It just scared me. You were brave,” I murmured, kissing his head.

  “I wasn’t. I was scared,” he admitted, placing his hand onto mine and Saint’s. “I panicked and ran away.”

  “You ran for help, which was smart. I panicked and tried to get to the medical ward alone, and I wouldn’t have made it. You did what was needed, little monster. You went and got your daddy to help us.”

  “Lycia,” he said, removing his hand from ours to touch my belly. “Lycia Kingsley. I think she’d like that name.”

  “Don’t you think we should let her mother name her, Chaos?”

  “Lycia Magena Kingsley,” I replied, watching Chaos smirk, scrunching up his nose.

  “She will love it,” he chuckled, lifting his head to sit in Saint’s lap. “Look, she’s moving again.” We all turned and saw her face pressed against where Jacob held the wand. “Can she see us?” he asked.

  “No, buddy,” Jacob explained. “She can hear you, though. Say something to her.”

  Grinning, Chaos leaned close to my belly, “I’m going to be your big brother, Lycia. I’m going to make sure no one ever hurts you. You’re going to like our mommy, and our dad is pretty cool so far.” Her hand returned to her mouth, and she remained still as if she were listening to him. “We have a big family, and we’re learning to be one still. You’re going to be ours, and we’re going to love you.”

  “What’s her name mean?” Eryx asked, watching the screen intensely.

  “Wolf moon,” Chaos answered. “It’s what Brae would have named me if I’d been a girl, and it’s a pretty name if Brae liked it.”

  “Indeed, it’s perfect,” Saint stated, wrapping his hand around Chaos. “So, what is your plan, Jacob? Bed rest?”

  “That and she’ll need to take it easy for a while. If Braelyn can manage to carry her for another two weeks, we’ll be able to deliver Lycia without needing machines or an incubator. No vigorous sex and keep an eye on the bleeding. If it gets worse, we can keep Braelyn here to watch her more carefully. Placenta previa can fix itself, but it is troubling with it occurring at this late stage of pregnancy. I think we’ll move our visits to every few days until delivery.”

  “Can we watch Lycia a little longer?” Chaos asked, and Jacob chuckled.

  “Sure, for a little while longer, but I think Braelyn needs some rest soon, Champ. In a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to see her whenever you want. I’m thinking Lycia has an army of people waiting to meet her.” Jacob smiled, peering at the wall of people who’d come to watch.

  “I’m the godmother, and I have dibs on being present during the delivery,” Toralei grumbled, moving closer. “You’re okay?” she asked, and I nodded. “She got big. The last time we saw her, she was tiny.”

  “They do that,” Jacob stated, sliding his gaze over Toralei’s face, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was checking her out.

  “I think I’m sick,” she stated, smiling at him. “I need a doctor.”

  “I’m a doctor.” Jacob crossed his arms over his chest, revealing his heavily tattooed arms. “What ails you, pretty girl?”

  “Woman, sir. I’m a woman, which you should know as a doctor,” she returned huskily. “And I think my pus…”

  “Lalalalalalalalala,” I sang, looking pointedly at Tora. “Virgin ears up in here. Two pairs! Take your doctor fetish outside,” I groaned.

  It took an hour of people coming and going from the room before I was allowed off the monitors and finally back in our apartment. Saint and Eryx fussed over everything. I had random dishes of fruit, meats, and cheeses showing up as I sat in front of the TV with Chaos, watching his mindless cartoons.

  Saint’s entire crew had crowded into the apartment, and anytime I so much as tried to rearrange myself, they all but shat themselves thinking something was wrong. A knock sounded at the door, and I turned as Enzo entered, carrying bright blue roses. I smiled as he walked toward me. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, which should have been awkward, but he was so smooth I hadn’t even processed it before he pushed the roses toward me.

  “I heard you had a scare, and all women need a little brightening up after one,” he explained, handing me the roses.

  “Thank you,” I smiled again, lifting them to my nose to smell.

  Enzo’s hand shot out and stopped me. “They’re poisoned. Use them against your enemies, but don’t smell them,” he stated, forcing me to yank my face back. “More often than not, pretty things are deadly. Such as you, Braelyn. I need to steal your boys for a little while if that is okay?”

  “They’re not my boys.” I stood to put the flowers in water, but Eryx grabbed them, giving Enzo the stink eye before making his way to the small but convenient kitchen area.

  “You’re certain they’re not? They’re pacing like caged beasts, worried about their lioness. They’re protecting you and worried at the same time,” Enzo chuckled, winking at me with his sultry, dark eyes sparkling with laughter. “Saint, a moment, please.”

  I watched them walk toward the door. Saint paused, turning to look at me with indecision warring in his eyes. I fluffed the pillow beside me, leaning back to smile at him. It was cute that he was worried, and it made me believe that everything would eventually be okay in our world.

  “Go, Saint. You have people who need your help. I’m going to take a nap, and I have my most fierce and loyal warrior here with me. Chaos will call you if anything happens. I’ll be okay,” I reassured him as he strode toward me, kissing me quickly, then dishing out instructions to Chaos before he left.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Peering down at my phone, I studied the text that Saint had sent. He and the others took off yesterday at dawn and had been expected back today by dusk, but a storm had moved in, preventing their return. They were stuck at the mountain base, unable to get to us because of the blizzard and strong winds assaulting the mountain.

  I stood outside, watching the trees bow to the strong winds. The sound of the wood cracking and heavy trees uprooting from the ground made worry rush through me. The lights within the lodge had dimmed, lowering the power to ease the strain on the generators. Fires burned throughout the lodge’s interior rooms, and those within the thin-walled ad-on were allowed inside to prevent them from becoming chilled.

  My gaze followed the men and women outside the gates that struggled to get things down so that they wouldn’t become airborne missiles in the wind that howled, forcing me to step back into the alcove of the balcony. Saint had built a patio matching the one in my previous bedroom because he knew how much I loved it. I could have kissed him for the insight and understanding that I loved my room because of the view and access to the fresh air.

  Something in the tree line caught my
attention, and I paused, searching the woods. Chaos’s bright orange coat I’d made for him was barely visible, and every instinct within me screamed. I called his name, but the wind swallowed it, drowning it out.

  I entered the apartment, grabbing my coat and phone before heading downstairs. I dialed Saint, explaining what was happening as he listened. He paused, and I heard Eryx talking in a low tone.

  “Do not leave the lodge, Braelyn,” Saint growled.

  “You don’t understand how bad it is up here. Trees are uprooting, and Chaos is in the fucking forest. I can’t leave him out there.”

  “Send the alphas. You’re not going out in this storm,” Saint snapped, worry filling his tone. “Please don’t go out there,” he growled.

  The moment I opened the apartment door, the acrid scent of copper met my nose. My stomach clenched with the need to upheave from the smell filling the hallway. Lifting my hand to my nose, I used the back of it to lessen the scent.

  “Saint, something is wrong,” I whispered thickly. “I can smell blood,” I explained, slipping into the shadows while moving toward the stairs, and silently heading down them. The silence of the lodge was eerie, causing the hair on my nape to rise.

  “I need you to get back to the apartment and lock the doors. I’m coming, Brae. Please go back to the apartment. The door is reinforced, and I need to know you’re safe. Can you do that for me, Brat?” he asked calmly as I heard the sound of people and weapons being grabbed in the background.

  I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the wall until someone rounded the corner. Xariana’s gaze met mine, her finger moving to press against her lip for silence. Toralei was close on her heels, both coming from the direction of my room.

  “Saint wants me inside the room,” I whispered, holding the phone lower on my ear. “Xariana and Toralei are here with me.”

  “Good, take them with you to the bedroom and wait for us to get there,” he ordered, and I heard the sound of snow crunching as blades began to hum to life around him.

  “Tell Saint that isn’t an option. Vampires are swarming the upstairs hallway. We’re heading outside because they’re collecting women and children,” Xariana stated, her hands reaching for the blades at her hips. She handed me a pair of knives and nodded at Toralei, who had already unsheathed her daggers. “The blades are dipped in deadman’s blood. Aim for their heart or head. It won’t kill them, but it will slow them down long enough for us to get away.”

  “How do you even know that?” I asked as Xariana’s lips curved into a wicked smirk.

  “I was teethed on how to kill Otherworld creatures and enforce the laws of the fae, humans, and anything else that preys or threatens to expose us,” Xariana shrugged, her eyes sparkling at the thought of murdering something or someone. “Someone let these assholes in, so we need to find them and end them for being a traitor.”

  “I’m coming. Just stay alive for me, Brat. I love you,” Saint said thickly.

  I paused, staring at the phone before it went dead. “I love you, too, Saint.”

  I pushed the phone into my jacket, frowning as the sound of feet on the tiled floors echoed around us. Toralei took the lead, moving us silently through the hallway to duck into an alcove that led to an exit inside the omegas’ quarters.

  The scent of blood grew the closer we got to the exit. My heart clenched, knowing the pack was being hurt, and until reinforcements arrived, we wouldn’t be much help. My mind whirled with fear for Chaos, knowing he was out in the storm, alone.

  Toralei went through the exit first and snarled as she lifted her blade, running a vampire through with the steel of her dagger. I watched as his crimson eyes widened, grabbing the knife with his hands, causing his skin to sizzle and burn. The vampire hit the ground, jerking up as his spine arched, a strangled scream bubbling from his lips as blood shot into the air.

  “Deadman’s blood has a nasty effect on vampires, but it’s also fun to watch,” Xari snorted, nodding her head as if she wanted to pat her own back. I peered at the blades in my hands and grunted, fighting nausea rolling through me at the scent of a burning vampire.

  “I’m going to barf,” I warned, holding my forearm against my nose and mouth to block out the smell. “That reeks.” I gagged, and both women turned, watching me.

  Men moved around the corner of the building, rushing at us. I stepped into line between them, lifting the blades, and crisscrossed them down the front of one of the vampires. He hissed, sputtering as he faltered, staring at me before he slammed into me.

  I gasped, forcing the blade between our bodies, crying out as it slid through my coat and stomach to pierce his chest. We fell, and the moment I hit the ground, Tora was on him, yanking him off of me to stare down at the front of my coat.

  “Gods dammit, Braelyn,” she grunted, helping me back to my feet.

  No sooner had she got me upright, more vampires swarmed around us. Xariana spun as if dancing. Her legs barely touched the ground as she flipped, turning sideways as vampire parts rained onto the ground at her feet.

  My eyes widened as I saw a vampire using speed to try to reach her. He dodged through the pieces of his friends, only for Tora to intercept him, slamming him back with a solid foot against his chest. Her body bent backward, and Xari’s sword swung out, barely missing Tora as she cut the vampire into two pieces.

  We started forward, sliding between the buildings as we rushed toward the open gate. Once we’d made it outside, I paused and saw Lucas running in our direction with men who held guns aimed at us. He sneered, watching as we backed up.

  Lucas’s eyes sparkled with rage and triumph. It explained how vampires had reached the lodge, brought into our sanctuary through the tunnels. Lucas knew the tunnels like the back of his hand, and since he’d revealed he was balls-deep in league with my father, it made sense.

  “On your knees, now,” a vampire demanded, glaring at us through crimson-colored eyes. “This is his whore? You didn’t tell me that she was expecting his child, Lucas. I’m pleased that she is. I’ll enjoy knowing I cut Saint’s bastard out of his mate, right before I skin her down to her bones, and use her insides to paint my walls for his meddling in my business.”

  “I wasn’t aware that he’d knocked the whore up,” Lucas sneered, smiling at me with evil in his gaze. “I get the bitch before you finish with her. That was the agreement we made. I kept my end of the bargain. You have enough people to maintain your live shows, and I get to step into Harold’s shoes and receive his shares of the monetary gain from our operation. But first, I get to fuck his sweet daughter and hear her sing so prettily when my blade kisses her flesh.”

  “You will have what you asked for as soon as we’re off this godforsaken mountain, wolf. Grab them and do try not to hurt her before she’s in chains. I promised my clientele a certain standard of product before airing their torture to the world.” The vampire picked invisible lint only he could see from his overcoat, dismissing us.

  Men stepped from the shadows behind us, and I trembled at the freezing wind against the wetness of my stomach. My coat was soaked in blood, the scent mixed with the smell of the undead, making me gag. Unlike most vampires who contained the stench of death and rot, these reeked of it.

  Lucas moved closer, his hand snaking up to brush his fingers against my cheek. “Don’t look so worried, Braelyn. I have a plan to keep you in place. Your child, though, will bring in more money. They like to watch the tiny ones suffer the most.”

  “You’re sick,” I spat, jerking my cheek away from his touch. His hand flew toward my face, knocking me backward as Tora and Xari both lunged at him. They were pushed away by the undead that blocked their path to me.

  “Where is your mate, Braelyn?” Lucas asked, kneeling in front of me. His eyes slid over the green army coat I’d grabbed and then moved back to my face.

  The scene erupted around us as Saint’s voice echoed. “I’m right here, asshole. Get the fuck away from my mate,” he warned.
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  Those around us spun toward the sound of Saint’s voice, but he wasn’t anywhere I could see him. His scent wafted through the wind, soothing the panic that had held me in thrall. The lead vampire was using it, feeding fear to those close enough to be influenced by his presence.

  Lucas stood, searching the tree line around the large parking area. Reaching down, he dug his fingers through my hair, yanking me up to my feet as I cried out in pain. My stomach, where I’d cut it open in my clumsy attempt to take down the vampire, burned, and cramping had started in my lower abdomen. I managed to keep the pain from showing, knowing that Lucas intended to use me to get a response from Saint.

  Shadows shifted at the edges of the parking lot. The threat hanging in the air was violence and death, so smothering that I thought I would choke on it. Nausea swam through me as I swayed on my feet. I stepped closer to Toralei and Xariana, ignoring the large vampires that blocked my path.

  One turned, studying me as I faced him, smiling cruelly as I approached. If he planned to stop me, he didn’t give anything away. I slid between his body and another vampire, settling between the girls. He snorted, turning his focus toward the more threatening problem.

  “You won’t reach your mate before we end her life, Kingsley,” the leader snarled.

  “You won’t leave this mountain top with her, and if you end the life of my mate and child, yours will follow them into the afterlife, Lestair,” Saint’s voice boomed, coming from every direction. Those surrounding us paused, sliding their gazes all over in search of Saint. “There’s an army standing inside the tunnels, and your people that awaited your return are dead. Let her go, and I will let you walk away from here alive.”

  Xariana dropped her blades from her sleeves, palming them, and Toralei did the same as I searched the ground for mine. Shivering against the cold, I found them in the snow, where they’d fallen out of reach. Shifting my attention to the edge of the woods, I swallowed down a scream as everything erupted around me.