ALPHA (Mackenzie Grey #3)

by Karina Espinosa

  “What do you want?”

  “Oh, we’re past bargaining,” she said. “The only thing I want is yer death. So what will it be?”

  I didn’t have to think twice. “Kill me, Ranulf,” I said, my eyes never leaving Amy’s. She sobbed even louder. “Just promise me you’ll keep her safe.”

  “I cannae do that, Princess,” Ranulf said.

  “I order you! Kill me!” I took the wolf’s clawed hand and brought it to my chest.

  “No,” he whispered.

  My body trembled with desperation, my mind sprinting for a way out of this. Anything to save the one person I’ve been striving to keep safe. I could hear the second on the clock tick louder and louder as I waited with baited breath for Ivana to say something—anything that would leave Amy alone. Her auburn hair was disheveled from its typically perfect bun, and her make-up smeared—she looked crazy. That only terrified me further. Crazy people did crazy things, and I needed Ivana sane.

  “Please, I’ll do anything you want,” I pleaded. Amy’s heartbeat picked up the pace as Ivana’s manicured hands played with her bright red hair—taunting her as she ran a finger down her wet cheek. The only sound I heard was the pumping of blood in Amy’s heart, faster and faster. My gaze fell in line with my best friend, she was forcing her eyes to stay open, silently begging me to save her and I had no idea what to do. If I moved, she’d kill—

  “Too late, Princess.”

  I ran to Amy when Ivana grabbed the side of her head and snapped her neck. The crack echoed around the room and I gasped as I jerked to a stop. My heart stilled, and my mind emptied, not believing what had just happened. The thump of Amy’s body landing on the ground made me flinch. Her green eyes were wide open as she stared straight into Jackson’s. He was paralyzed but the uncontrollable tears that rolled down his face fell like a waterfall. He blinked over and over again, hoping what he was seeing wasn’t real.

  I didn’t realize I was sobbing, gasping for air until I almost collapsed and Ranulf caught me.

  “I’m so sorry, Princess, I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear as he held me up.

  “Pity,” Ivana hopped over Amy’s body and I lost all control.

  A savage howl tore from my throat, crippling everyone in the room. My eyes flashed silver and I snarled at my prey. I saw red as I zoned in on Ivana’s fear-stricken expression.

  “You’re dead,” I growled and pounced. I tackled her to the ground and slashed my claws at her face. She didn’t deserve a quick death, I needed her to suffer how I was going to suffer. Her blood-curdling screams were music to my ears. I dug one of my clawed fingers into her eye and tore it out of its socket. She wailed as I ripped strands of her hair and layers of her skin. “May you burn in the abyss of hell, and suffer an eternity of torture and pain! Know that I’ll be here, enjoying every single second of your misery!” I cried.

  A pair of strong arms wrapped around me, hauling me off Ivana. “Calm down, darling,” Alexander whispered.

  “Let me go! I’m gonna kill her! I’m gonna kill her!”

  “Enough, Mackenzie, enough,” he soothed but I couldn’t relax. Anger had consumed me and nothing would be enough. Nothing.

  Ivana jerked on the floor, her small hiccups for air the only sign she was still breathing. She was surrounded in a pool of her own blood and I could see it trickling down to touch Amy.

  “No!” I dropped to my knees and rolled her away. “Don’t touch her!”

  Alexander tried to pick me up but I wouldn’t let him. “Let me deal with her, we will get justice for yer friend.”

  “I will get justice! I am judge, jury, and executioner!” I roared and he flinched from the force. I leaned over Ivana and brought myself only inches from her face. “After I kill you, I’m going after Andrew and I’m going to kill him real slow. Anyone and everyone you’ve ever cared about will be dead, I’ll make sure of it. You’ve crossed the wrong bitch, Ivana. Haven’t you heard? New Yorkers are fuckin’ crazy,” I grabbed her by the throat and slammed her head on the ground—repeatedly.

  Her head had cracked on the first hit, she was dead, but I couldn’t stop. It was like hitting a punching bag—therapeutic.

  I was smeared with blood when Alexander finally pulled me away from her, but I couldn’t stop crying. Every emotion I had ever tried to bury came flooding to the surface and I was drowning in my own tears. It felt like someone had torn my heart out of my chest. I couldn’t breathe—I couldn’t fuckin’ breathe!

  I crawled to Jackson, not daring to touch him, but I begged for his forgiveness.

  “I’m sorry, Jackson. It’s all my fuckin’ fault. I’m sorry,” I bawled. The Wolfsbane wouldn’t leave his system for hours. The idea alone was sheer torture and I didn’t want to be around when he would be able to speak again.

  “Pet,” Lucian froze at the threshold of the bathroom—Ranulf had released him. He was paler than usual with multiple bloody cuts on his body—he was shirtless.

  I crawled back to Amy, cradling her in my arms. “Shhh,” I soothed and brushed her flaming red hair. “It’s going to be okay, I promise,” I cried. “It’s nothing, just a scratch,” I hiccupped.

  Her empty eyes pleaded with me—begged me to do something, anything to bring her back. I was absolutely helpless. I couldn’t do a damn thing but cry and pray for a miracle.

  “Pet, you have to let her go, she’s gone,” Lucian inched closer, like I were a feral animal.

  “You need to go get help! Bring me Scarlet or Cosima! Anyone, please!” I sobbed and rocked her back and forth. I’d never felt so much pain before in my life. “Lucian!” I shrieked when a thought occurred to me. “You can save her!” He could bring her back, he could do that, he had to.

  “What? Don’t be absurd.”

  “Mackenzie, yer nae thinking clearly,” Alexander said. His eyes drooped low from exhaustion and the effects of the silver.

  “Lucian, please!” I pleaded. I knelt before him and clutched his pant leg. “Please bring her back to me! I need you to bring her back right now!”

  “Listen to yourself, Pet. You’re in distress—”

  “DO IT!” I roared and he stumbled back, tripping over his feet.

  “Mackenzie,” he breathed as his eyes widened. “You don’t know if this is what she wants.”

  “I said do it,” I growled. “Or I’ll make you.” My eyes flashed silver.

  His face hardened and he glared. “Fine,” Lucian gritted through his teeth. “But this is the last favor I’ll ever do you, Mackenzie Grey.”

  “I don’t care, just hurry!” I would regret this, I knew it. I burned a bridge between Lucian and I, but it didn’t matter. Amy needed to live.

  Lucian knelt before Amy, his gaze never going to Jacksons. He picked up her limp wrist, and brought it to his lips. “Remember you asked for this, Pet,” he said and bit her.

  His fangs penetrated her tattooed skin as he sucked. I tuned out the sound and only watched Amy. This had to work.

  The vampires eyes darkened as the hunger took over and I recognized that look all too well. It was a look Roman had once when we found a warehouse of drained humans that a clan of vampires had used as blood bags. The smell of fresh blood had awaken a hunger he hadn’t felt in centuries. It was the same hunger in Lucian’s eyes.

  “That’s enough,” I pulled her wrist from his mouth. He snarled and I growled in return. His fangs protruding from his gums almost identical to my canines.

  Once he regained his composure, he tucked a strand of his blond hair behind his ear and bit into his own wrist. He lifted Amy’s head and placed his dripping wrist over her open mouth.

  “This is not guaranteed to work,” he said.

  “She’ll pull through, I know she will,” I gleamed. Amy would be okay, I knew it down to my bones that she would be. She was strong.

  “I’ll take her back to my cottage. If she is to awake, it won’t be for a while.”

  I’d never witnessed a change for vampires but I didn’t thi
nk it would take long. “I want to be there when she wakes, you can’t go.”

  “Trust me, Pet,” Lucian grimaced. “You don’t want to be there when she does.”

  Chapter Thirty Three

  I raised my nose in the air and inhaled. The forest was tainted with so much blood that it was hard to distinguish which scent I wanted to follow. Andrew couldn’t had gotten far.

  The screams for me to stop had drowned out once I entered Caledonian Forest. No one wanted me to go after him but I had to—for Amy. Unfortunately, the air was filled with too many scents that overpowered me and I couldn’t figure out how to track him.

  “Where would he go?” I whispered to myself. “Who would he—” I paused. Of course he would go see Drusilla. She’s the only one who could hide him.

  I sprinted through the forest, heading straight for Loch Lomond where he had taken me. He took me there for a reason, and I was almost positive Dru had been there, watching us the whole time. They had been taunting me.

  I made it to the edge of the forest when I saw Andrew on the bank of the Loch. He turned to look at me and his face paled. I was smothered in blood, the only thing that wasn’t red were my eyes.

  “She’s dead, isn’t she?” he called out.

  “Yes.”

  “Did ye kill her?”

  “Yes.”

  He snarled. “Ye’ll regret that.”

  “Never.”

  The water began to ripple as someone emerged from its depths. Her billowy white dress fluttered as her white hair flowed past her feet and tucked behind her ears, showcasing its pointy tips. Drusilla walked across the lake, her hand outstretched to Andrew.

  “Come, lover,” she cooed.

  “I don’t know your angle, Dru, but you won’t get away with this. I warned you once and you didn’t take heed. I will kill you.” I thought of the time she tried to kidnap me in Central Park.

  Her laugh was whimsical. “I might have not gotten what I wanted, but it wasn’t a total loss.”

  “You haven’t gained anything but chaos!” I yelled. “What the hell did you want?”

  Her pale face brightened with excitement. “You,” she grinned. “Your death would have been suffice, but when I found out your mother was an Oracle…well I was glad our attempt at killing you backfired.”

  I jerked my head to Drew. “He could have told you and saved you a shit ton of time.”

  Drusilla’s upper lip twitched like she was pissed that he’d kept my full heritage a secret, but he wanted to kill me and nothing else. He said so himself, he wanted the throne and would take out anything that stood in his way—me.

  “Do you understand what a rare gem you are, Mackenzie? At first, I only wanted to rule both the Fae and Human realm. With you out of the picture, there would be no one to contest to Andrews rise to the throne. Ivana was all too gracious to help because her son would be by my side, and she wanted any reminder of Adaline gone from the face of the earth. But a Lycan Oracle? Wow!” she clapped her hands with giddiness. “You’re the ultimate prize—you’re the Alpha.”

  “Whatever Oracle powers I had, have been taken out. I’m just a wolf,” I muttered, confused.

  She laughed hysterically. “Your powers are just awakening, Mackenzie Grey. And when they do, I’ll be there,” Drusilla stretched her hand out to Drew again. “Come now, darling. Eternity awaits.”

  Andrew stepped onto the loch and was literally walking on water with the help of the Fae Queen. I didn’t react fast enough, my mind was going a mile a minute. Dru was wrong. I wasn’t an Oracle.

  “Until next time,” he grinned and went to her.

  I ran to catch him, but my feet sank into the lake. I waded through but it was no use. Drusilla pulled him down into the Fae realm and they disappeared.

  I stared at the fog that was forming across the loch and I felt the weight of the water try to pull me down to the abyss of the lake. I almost let it. The emptiness I felt, tempted me to sink beneath the surface and never rise again.

  “Mackenzie.”

  A voice sang from behind me. I spun around, splashing water all around me. On the bank near the forest was a woman. I waded out of the lake to get a closer look. It might have been a stupid idea to run toward danger, but what else did I have to lose?

  “Mackenzie,” she sang again. As I got closer, I recognized the woman who called for me—Ophelia.

  “What do you want?” I rasped. My throat was dry and weary. “Are you here to gloat? Tell me you told me so? Fuck you, Ophelia! You could have helped and you didn’t! Just like you could have saved Adaline’s life!”

  The blind Oracle stood emotionless as she beckoned me to her. I stomped in her direction, my clothing soaked.

  When I was within reach, she placed her palm on my forehead and I stiffened. “I’ve seen yer future, Mackenzie. Adaline will always be with you,” she muttered.

  “Like spiritually she’ll always be here, or her power still runs through my body?” I asked.

  Ophelia only smiled. “Where yer ready, come find me.”

  The Oracle slapped my forehead hard and I fell backward onto my ass.

  “What the fuck!” I exclaimed, but the Ophelia was gone. “Fuckin’ Oracles!”

  ****

  Drenched, I crossed the broken bridge to Castle Mac just as Alexander called a cease fire. Both Lycan guards and Highlanders stopped their fighting to listen to the King. No matter what the lone-wolves said, to some extent they respected his authority.

  I huddled in the back of the crowd to hear what was being said.

  “What has happened today is unforgivable—both on yer part and mine. American Packs have been attacked by not just Lunas but other species that find our way of living unjust. My own…daughter found our laws unreasonable. She has fought bravely for what she believes in and I commend her for it,” he scanned the crowd. Looking for someone—for me. “The law is clear: apprehend every single Lycan—lone-wolf or Pack member—that participated in today’s rebellion and sentence them to death. That is what I am supposed to do.”

  Alexander stood at the entrance doors to the castle. His suit jacket gone, and his shirt unbuttoned and torn. His disheveled hair flopped over his forehead, hiding the superman curl I’d gotten used to. Gray eyes—MacCoinnich eyes—flashed silver with not just anger but loss. The people assumed it was due to the rebellion but I knew better. I couldn’t imagine what Alexander was going through at the moment. He had no son and his wife was a murderous liar. He was alone.

  “I cannae, with a clear conscious, sentence anyone to death. Change has to happen and it will start with me,” he ran a hand through his black hair. “From this moment on, every Luna is to be treated as an equal. Every Luna will be given a choice!”

  The Highlanders stomped their feet and chanted “Saorsa! Saorsa!” I had no idea what it meant but the energy that flowed through the crowd, the feeling of victory, overtook my senses and I couldn’t resist.

  “Saorsa!” I yelled with them.

  Not all were particularly excited about our triumph. Many in the crowd stood still, the looks of anger or confusion filled their features. It was a small win, but the battle was far from over. Centuries of tradition could not be erased overnight—it would take time.

  I pushed through the crowd as Alexander continued to address his people. They were all ragged and drained—dried blood and sweat mixed with grime covered their skin. Many were in a half-shift, others were in full wolf form. I still hadn’t learned how to fight as a wolf.

  “Mackenzie!”

  I spun around to see who had called me and I saw Jonah waving his hand.

  “Are you okay?” he grabbed my upper arms and scanned my body for any injuries. “Ranulf told us about Ivana. What were you thinking running off like that? Where’s Drew?”

  “He’s gone,” I murmured as the crowd roared with excitement at whatever Alexander was saying.

  “Where?” Jonah yelled.

  “Your girlfriend took him into the Fae realm.
We lost!” I huffed.

  “Lost? Kenz, look around you, we’ve won. Forget Drew, we’ll get him. For now, enjoy the moment—you sure as hell deserve it. The future of Lunas is looking bright, and it’s all thanks to you,” he grinned. His one dimple peeking out for the first time in a while.

  I didn’t smile. “I can’t be near you. I can’t trust you.”

  His dimple disappeared. “You know damn well I never said anything to Drusilla about you. I would never betray you.” I knew he wouldn’t but I was too angry to think rationally. The bitch had been playing us all along.

  “It doesn’t matter, anymore,” I was tired of arguing. “What are you going to do now?” I looked up at Alexander, his gaze trained on me.

  Jonah leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “The King has asked me to stay. He wants me to join his Council.”

  My eyes widened. “Wow. That’s uh…awesome. Do you want to—I thought you weren’t into the politics; you turned down Charles for Alpha.”

  He shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad working with the Kings Council. Now that a lot of laws are going to be changing, Alexander thinks I would be a great asset.”

  I nodded and kicked at some pebbles on the ground, avoiding eye contact. I had no right to comment and I didn’t want to be a part of his decision making.

  “You could stay as well,” he mumbled. “Alexander will need you now more than ever. You’re all he has left.”

  My head popped up. “Don’t, Jonah,” I brushed him off.

  “I know you’re mad, Kenz, but we can rebuild. Here, away from everything. Start fresh.”

  He still wanted me? My head spun. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea of living in Sheunta. It was a drastic change from New York City and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. Maybe Jonah was right—I needed to start fresh.

  “I can’t. I need to be there for Amy,” I shook my head. Now that she was going to be a vamp—different, she would need a friend and I’d be there.

  “Amy? She’ll be fine, she has Jackson,” he chuckled and I did a double take.