Deprived (Daughter of an Alpha Book 2)

by Kaitlyn Taylor

  We could all relate to this. Our mothers might as well be dead, too. Not once had I received a letter from my mother since we arrived here at Werewolf Castle and she always wrote when we were away, and she stayed behind. Even if it was just to ask how our day was, she always communicated with us. She did not even come to my Binding Ceremony. That was a big deal in our world and she chose her own grief over that. Nova would get no argument from us even if her words were extremely harsh.

  “Any ideas of how she found herself spelled in the first place?” Deja questioned as we reached the bottom of the stair case. We stood huddled around in a circle as we finished our conversation before we went to find the Alphas. Talking about Nova’s mother in front of Nico would upset him, even though he would act like her words barely touched his skin. We all know the words that came from my aunt were lies but when it comes from your own mother, it does not matter whether it is a lie or not. It still hurts.

  “I had a crazy idea about how it might have happened, but I don’t think Nathan took it seriously when I told him so maybe I have it all wrong,” I offered knowing I was taking a risk by telling them the craziness that was going on in my head just before Nathan and I went to sleep.

  “Well, what is it?” Luna waited her arms crossed against her chest, her hips slanted, perfecting her attitude stance.

  I went on and explained my theory to them, telling them each bit almost like it was a piece of evidence. All of their expressions stayed still the entire time that I spoke, so I had no idea if they were keeping up with what I was saying or if they thought I was crazy, too. When I finally finished they were silent, glancing around at one another almost like they were trying to figure out which one was going to tell me that I had finally lost it.

  “That actually makes a lot of sense,” Luna was the first to speak, no surprise there. Her response shocked me though because I was expecting them to tie me down and throw me down in the vault for safe keeping until my mind was back to normal.

  “That actually explains why the guard was acting the way that he was,” Nova spoke. “It would explain why he seemed to be so nervous. He knew he didn’t want to do it, but the spell made him anyways.”

  “Why didn’t Nathan take it seriously?” Juda wondered. “It explains basically everything that happened last night. What doubts did he have?”

  “I’m not exactly sure,” I answered. “He seemed to agree with what I was saying but it was his tone and body language that was telling me what he was actually thinking.”

  “Well, we believe you and we can just add it to the list of reasons why Malachi is going to die,” Luna laughed as she broke off from the huddle. Her comment only reminded me of what I needed to tell them. I decided quickly to stop her so that I could get it over with but something inside me stopped me from calling her back. I was not ready to tell them. I did not want to take the choice away from them just yet. Instead of using the two days to find a way to tell them what Nathan and I saw, I was going to use them to convince him to give me more time. It was not the best way to start off our new lives together but, then again, the reason why we started off our lives together to begin with was not normal either. Something deep in my gut told me that was going to be how our lives worked until the end of our days.

  We found the Alphas in the study and like I suspected, Nathan was there with them. He smiled when he saw me, but I could not help but question whether it was for show or not. I walked up to his side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him gently. It felt like he was trying to tell me that we were okay, but I was really bad at reading things like this so until he said it out loud I would continue to question whether he was still mad at me.

  The study felt cramped once again. It was actually a large room that had way too many of us in it. It was the only place we could get some privacy without the Council hearing what we were talking about. They knew we were going to search for Malachi, but they did not know anything else. We are under strict orders to be as discreet as possible and if the Council asks any questions we are to direct them to the Alphas. I was okay with this order. I despised the Council no matter what territory we were in. They disrespected our brother’s way too much and act like they have more power than they actually possess. I am thankful that the next generation of Council members are more like Nathan and the guys. They are much more open to new ideas and are not as critical of thoughts they do not agree with. If only their parents would drop dead already. We would not be sad when they finally do, and neither would their children if the gossip is correct. I have to remind myself to be careful about the gossip that I hear. I know it is not always true, but I will give the gossipers credit for telling consistent tales.

  “We’re each going to take an end of the territory,” Nico began as we all settled in. “Alphas, we’re going to take the North end, second in command will take the south and the boys will take the east leaving the girls to take the west. If any of us are to find anything leading to Malachi Kory, Kody, Kota, and Nathan will send the message so that the rest of us can meet up with whoever sent it. Do not take him on alone if you find him. Hold him off until the rest of us get there. Does everyone understand the mission?”

  “What exactly are we looking for besides Malachi?” Luna asked, stepping forward as if we did not know it was her speaking.

  “Anything that shows he’s been in the area,” Levi answered his sister. “If we can find where he’s been hiding out then we might be able to set up a trap.”

  “If we can find some of his belongings we might be able to use them for locator spells as well,” Kory added. “We might not be able to locate him, but we can narrow down the search area.”

  “If anyone feels like they are in danger they are to send the message immediately,” Juno reminded us. I had heard them speak of this several times since we had arrived in Werewolf Territory. Malachi was sneaky and had a way of showing up without anyone else knowing. Even if it was just a gut a feeling we needed to call for the others.

  Leaving the study, we were met by several Council members who acted as if they were just walking by. It was easy to see that they were waiting for us to come out. Someone had tipped them off that all of us were in one room together and that triggered something in the Councilmen’s heads. It was a threat if I understood my brothers correctly. All of us together are stronger than they will ever be, and it would be easy for us to take them out if the thought crossed our minds.

  “Good morning, Alpha,” one of the spoke although I did not recognize him. There was something familiar about him, but I could not figure out where we had been acquainted. Judging by just his face I had never seen him at all. “It must be important if every member of the Alpha bloodline is in one room together. Although there are some that are not of your blood among you, isn’t there?”

  I did not like the way he spoke. He was talking about Nathan and the other second in commands and I was not a fan of the prodding he was doing in order to get information. Nico owed him no explanation at all and yet, this man was acting as if he were the Alpha.

  “Just having a family meeting, Rosco,” Nico responded bluntly, his eyes glued on the sketchy being in front of him. He was tall with very little muscular definition to him. His blonde hair and brown eyes against his lightly olive skin was the part that seemed so familiar. I still could not place it. I wanted to ask Nova who he was, but she was too busy glaring at him to ask her anything. It was clear that he was not an ally but by the way she was looking at him you would have thought he murdered someone and got away with it.

  “And how did my offspring end up apart of this family meeting?” Rosco asked, a devilish smile plastered on his face as if he were up to something.

  “That’s none of your business,” Roman snarled from behind Nico. It was Nero who grabbed his shoulder when he moved forward to step towards the Councilman.

  “Your offspring is my second in command,” Nico reminded Rosco. “Not only is it important that he hears everything that I do
but he also out ranks you, which means you have no right to ask any questions of either of us. You will do well to remember that.”

  That is who he was. He was Roman’s father. That is why he looked so familiar. He was an older version of Roman only he was not nearly as muscular, and his face contained several wrinkles. He must have been older when Roman was born. My father only looked to be five to ten years older than Kory depending on the day before he died but Roman’s father looks decades older than him. I knew there was bad blood there. I am not sure of all the details that go along with it, but I know that Roman does not speak to his father. All the second in commands were estranged from their fathers. It seems they all have daddy issues.

  “I’ll excuse myself now, Alpha,” Rosco bowed his head slightly towards the ground. When he stood straight again he still had that evil smile displaying like a piece of jewelry. He was definitely up to something. I noticed several other Councilmen huddled in the corner towards the dining hall waiting for Rosco to join them. I knew they were listening in on the conversation. Luckily, it was not exactly a discussion but, instead, a reprimand. Walking away from us, Rosco seemed to carry the kind of confidence that should not be present after the Alpha scolds you. There was something off about him.

  “Alright, now that that’s over with,” Nico sighed as he headed for the double doors in the entry way. “We better get going. If we haven’t found anything by sundown head on back to the Castle.”

  An oversized hand grabbed my elbow and held me back from the group just as we reached the dirt path from the steps. I was forced to turn towards the mysterious body only to find that it was Nathan holding me closely against his chest. I tucked my face directly into the center as I caught my breath. Being startled like that would give anyone a heart attack. When I looked back up I was blind sighted by his lips pressing themselves against mine as if they belonged there permanently. The feelings of unease that I was feeling when I saw him in the study disappeared even though I knew in my mind there was still words that needed to be said. Now was not the time to say them.

  “I’m sorry for how I acted earlier,” he whispered as he released his grip on me. Our group was closer to the front gates now and would soon noticed that we were left behind. “I meant what I said but I should have said it differently. And I should have been more understanding to what you were trying to tell me.”

  “We can talk about it later,” I told him as I patted his chest, feeling his heartbeat each time my palm placed itself in the right position. “I think we both overreacted and when we get back we can talk about it some more. For now, lets do our jobs and get back to the Castle safely.”

  “That sounds much better than hashing it out now,” he laughed.

  “We should catch up with the others,” I told him. “You’ll never hear the end of it from the guys if we stay here by ourselves any longer.”

  “You’re just full of good ideas this morning, aren’t you?” he agreed as we started walking, following the dirt footprints, leading us to our group. The gates were open now and the others were starting to separate by the time we caught up to them. No one said anything when we joined them. Nathan walked over to the other second in commands and I walked over to the girls and we waited for the Alphas to tell us to move. We had the west side of the territory, which I took as a blessing in disguise because that meant we would get to search the mountains as well as the surrounding forest. I still could not shake the theory that Malachi was hiding out up in the mountains. We needed to check everywhere but I learned long ago to trust my gut and it was leading me to the peak.

  “Be as discreet as possible,” Nico told us. “We don’t need to startle the villagers or the ones who live within the forest. If anyone asks, we’re hunting, and nothing else.”

  “Be careful,” Levi said when Nico was finished. “Don’t be stupid and make it back safely.”

  The alphas ran, disappearing right before our eyes, leaving dust behind to blind us. They were quick, faster than the rest of us would ever be. The boys left next, leaving the second in commands alone with the girls and I. They looked at us with protective instincts screaming from their body language. Nathan especially had an urge to protect me. Our bond had been growing stronger ever since the ceremony and it basically felt like we were one being instead of two individuals. We were the ones to leave first and when I turned back to look at Nathan he was gone, disappeared with the others just as the girls and I had. It did not take us long to get to the edge of the forest. We stopped before entering almost as if we were going to come up with a game plan before moving on any farther.

  “Do you think we should check the mountain first?” Luna asked. Now that they have heard my suspicions it did make sense to rule it out before continuing but it was Deja who spoke against the idea.

  “I think we should start in the forest,” she suggested. “There’s this energy pulling me towards it.”

  I had to admit that my own pull to the mountain had weakened and I agreed to follow Deja to see where her intuition led her. “We have all day to search. We can search the mountain on the way back if we have not found anything by then.”

  “Alright,” Nova said. “Let’s find us a demon.”

  Chapter Nine

  Deja

  Ever since we ran from the gathering point an energy had pulled me towards the forest. It was where we found him the first time, so it made sense that we would find him here again. I was unsure of what kind of danger we were walking into and I hated that the girls were following me knowing we were walking into the darkness of the forest blind. My gut feeling grew stronger as we began to walk down the path that had been slowly developed from all the years that it had been travelled on. Each of us focused on a direction, listening for any sounds that were not coming from us.

  “Are we going in the right direction, Deja?” Luna asked. “I’m feeling something, but I can’t describe it.”

  “You feel it, too?” Juda questioned looking around at the rest of us, checking for confirmation that we were all sensing the same thing. It was like we were not alone, almost as if someone was hanging out above us in the trees. I already looked up once to see if there was any movement and I saw nothing of importance but that did not stop the feeling that was forcing me to look up again. All of us looked up, checking for whatever it was that was drawing us to it. Nothing. Just like when I looked up the first time.

  “I think we should keep walking,” I suggested turning away from the girls and pointing myself towards the forest, preparing myself to go deeper into the darkness. I stepped over several broken tree branches and walked around several pot holes as I followed the burning in my gut. We were getting closer to whatever it was, and I hated not knowing what we were getting ourselves into.

  We came to a part of the forest that broke off into two different paths. One path would eventually lead you to Vampire Territory and the other would take you in the direction of Sorcerer Territory. It was still at least a two days journey to either territory but if that was where you wanted to go then you would be going in the right direction.

  “This way,” Kota and I said together. Luna, Nova, and Juda did not question us and instead started walking towards the right side of the path forgetting about the path that would lead us to the vampires.

  “What are you sensing, Kota?” I asked knowing her intuitions were just as strong as my own.

  “Something familiar,” she answered. “I don’t know for sure, but I do know this energy.”

  “Is it Malachi’s?” Nova wondered out loud. She had a look of fear and determination. The fear came from not knowing what would happen if we did come face to face with Malachi. The determination was wanting to get revenge for the deaths of our fathers. It was an understandable feeling that we all had felt at least once since that day at the barn.

  “I’m trying to determine whether it is or not,” Kota said, concentrating in the direction that we were walking. It was as if she was expecting to see what it was that felt familia
r to her. “I’m hoping that it’ll be easier to read as we get closer.”

  Just when I thought the forest could not get any darker, everything went pitch black. The sun was no longer able to peak through the tree tops that had before, and we were surrounded by thick bushes that lined the path. It was odd that the bushes were placed like this. Everything in the forest grew on its own without anyone’s help and it seemed strange that they would grow like that along the path. I tried not to put too much emphasis on it, but I could not help but wonder if meant something more.

  I snapped my fingers, lighting my hand on fire so that it was easier for me to see. Luna and Nova could see better in the dark thanks to their vampire and werewolf vision but the rest of us would struggle without the light.

  “We need to keep walking,” Luna told us. “But we need to be cautious.”

  “Should we call the others?” Nova asked. “They told us not to walk into anything by ourselves. Even if it was just a feeling.”

  “I think we should hold off on calling them for a little bit longer,” the vampire suggested. “Let’s see if this feeling that Kota and Deja are getting becomes stronger. If it does, then we’ll call them.”

  How did she know that I was feeling the same thing that Kota was? I had felt it since before entering the forest, but I did not say anything about it being familiar. I wanted to keep that to myself until I was sure that I knew who it was. I was glad when Kota said that she felt like she knew who it was as well because it made me feel just a little bit less crazy. I bent down to the ground placing my palms on the dirt of the path. I began to search for anything that seemed out of place or unnatural, hoping I would find something that told me we were headed in the right direction. For the first minute there was nothing. None of the trees or bushes were unrested and everything seemed to be fine but then I reached a little farther and that was when the unease hit me. Something had been interrupted and the trees did not like it. Their roots took hold of me and began leading me down the path almost like they were a map.