Curse of the Alpha (Full Moon Series Book 3)

by Mia Rose

  Sarah pulled Noelle in for a tight hug. Sarah let out a shriek and pushed Noelle off her, suddenly. When Noelle turned, she saw Larry coming at them with a knife. His blade nicked Noelle’s shoulder leaving a bloody trail.

  “You son of a…” Noelle dropped her purse and kicked him right in his abdomen.

  She pursued him again before he could regain his balance and punched him in his ear. She could tell by his face that his ear was ringing. She drew her knee up right under his chin, sending his head snapping backward and he fell against the wall, unconscious.

  “Hello?” a voice called from further up the alley.

  Noelle looked at Sarah and pushed her finger to her lips. Sarah nodded, but Noelle could see that her entire body was shaking.

  “Noelle?” the voice said again.

  Edmund appeared from the shadows and Noelle felt the tension leave her shoulders. Edmund looked at the trembling girl, then to Noelle, and down to the man lying on the ground.

  He turned back to Noelle. “What the hell happened here?”

  “Well, um,” Noelle started, but Sarah interrupted her.

  “She saved my life,” Sarah said, rushing over to Noelle again. She embraced her and Noelle patted her back, very gently.

  “It’s okay, Sarah. I promise, it’s all okay, now. Go home, study for that test and crush your dreams. You deserve it.” Sarah looked at Noelle with tears in her eyes and smiled appreciatively. She nodded and then headed to her car.

  “Noelle, are you okay?” Edmund asked.

  “I’m fine,” she said, sounding annoyed.

  “Well, your shoulder isn’t. We should get this looked at,” Edmund said, tracing his finger across her shoulder.

  “Edmund, stop. I wasn’t joking before. I’m fine now, and I don’t need you to take care of me.”

  “I know that you don’t need me to,” Edmund said, “but you do want me to.” Noelle glared at him, but as much as she wanted to stay angry with him, she felt herself falling for him all over again.

  “Let’s go home,” she said. Edmund took her by the hand and led her out of the alley. “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “If we’re lucky, they’ll take him out with the rest of the trash.” Noelle laughed and Edmund smiled at the sound. He looked at her and for a moment, he felt like everything was going to be okay.

  “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you, Doctor.”

  Chapter 5

  Revelations

  “Revelations can be extraordinary.”

  When Declan returned to his apartment, his head was spinning from the conversation he’d just had with the doctor. He sat down in his bed and replayed the entire thing from beginning to end.

  They had both decided to go to another place that was a bit more private than a fancy steakhouse, so Declan suggested the coffee shop across the street from his place. They’d driven there in separate cars and parked. Inside, it was just the two of them and one worker who whipped them up small coffees and went back to watching some show on his phone with headphones.

  “So, what can you tell me about silver?” Declan asked, not wasting any time.

  “First, I’d like to know how you found out about me. I went to great lengths to remove any trace of that life.”

  Declan explained to him about the little news story he’d found online. The one that led him to Boulder University. He went on to say that running into Aria at the hospital did not happen by chance, and that it had been the final missing link to confirm that he was the man they needed.

  “As you can see, Doc, we are pretty desperate to find a cure. Just the other night, I lost seven pack members to silver bullets and arrows. We need to have that cure or something because these hunters seemed determined to kill us off.”

  “Yes, I see. Seven wolves, that’s tough. Aria was one of them, I’m assuming.” Declan nodded and Edmund sipped from his cup thoughtfully.

  “So, can you help us?” Declan asked.

  “Here’s the thing —I found a temporary cure for silver. I found something that can buy some time, but it doesn’t last forever and it won’t save them by any means.”

  “How long does it last?”

  “A week at most, Declan. It’s really not a cure at all.”

  Declan nodded his head as he considered the doctor’s words. Although this may not be the cure he was hoping for, it was certainly a step in the right direction.

  “It’s a start,” Declan said, “maybe we can work on a way to improve it or something, you know? Maybe there’s some way to turn it into a cure that does last?”

  The doctor laughed out, nearly choking on his coffee. “Do you have any idea how much money that will take? I mean, to get a lab up and running like that again? I was able to get that far because of the grant, but once the school pulled their funding, all of my research stopped.”

  Declan didn’t have any money lying around and he couldn’t think of anyone who might. They were stuck, but he still felt hopeful.

  “Okay, well how much do you have?”

  “I have enough formula left to help maybe five, six wolves at most.”

  “Six wolves?” Declan’s mouth gaped as he felt the frustration start to creep over him. “And there’s no way to make any more of it?”

  “Not without the money, Declan. I’m sorry.” Declan shook his head out of frustration and slammed his fists against the table.

  “Hey man, everything okay over there?” the barista called out looking up from his phone. Edmund gave him a thumbs up and he smiled before returning to his social media interaction.

  “If I find you the money, can you work on this?”

  “If you can find me the money, there’s no end to what I can do,” Edmund said confidently.

  “Okay,” Declan said, “then that’s what I’ll do.”

  Edmund tipped his cup back all the way and stood up from his seat. “When you’ve accomplished that, call me,” Edmund said handing Declan a small business card. They threw away their cups and walked back to their cars.

  “Hey, Doc,” Declan yelled out, “one last question.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Why did you do it? Why did you work on finding a cure? Are you a werewolf?”

  Edmund smiled and shook his head. “Not quite, I just find the whole thing —extraordinary.” He pulled open the driver’s side door and climbed into the car before pulling off onto the road.

  Declan thought about his last words and for some reason, the way that he’d said the word extraordinary sent shivers down Declan’s spine.

  He got home in good time. When he was finally alone in his apartment, Declan closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep because he knew tomorrow was going to be a big day for him. Ultimately, he needed to get his pack back in order. He had to try to help Noelle’s family adjust to their new lifestyle, and talk with the pack about the possibility of a cure and what cost that came with. Sleep was needed first. He drifted and sank deep into a restful sleep.

  Noelle unlocked the front door and pushed it aside. The house was the same —empty, as before, but there’d still been a glimmer of hope that her family might have come home to her.

  She walked inside followed closely by Edmund. He immediately went into the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit and went to work on her shoulder. He poured peroxide on her shoulder and Noelle closed her eyes against the pain as the white foam worked its magic in her wound.

  “So,” Edmund said, “someone is a jealous girl.”

  “Excuse me?” Noelle said, looking at him with a cocked eyebrow.

  “You heard me.” He laughed. “I didn’t realize how jealous you were, but yep, I see the little green monster running rampant around your face.”

  “Wow!” Noelle breathed. “You honestly think I care that you went on a date? Clearly, you ignored the fact that I also made plans tonight.”

  “Oh yeah, great plans. Hmm, sitting at a strip club by yourself and then saving some girl in an abandoned alley. Sounds like
a dreamy night.”

  “Shut up!” Noelle smiled at him as he wrapped her shoulder gently. Edmund looked at her and smiled with his own sexy response. Noelle had no idea why she felt so strongly about him, but it was as if she’d known him her entire life.

  He led her into her bedroom. He laid down next to her and before she could protest, he had rolled on top of her and started kissing her. Slowly at first, but it grew more urgent, more insistent; as if he couldn’t wait one more minute to be with her.

  Edmund unbuttoned his shirt slowly, revealing his muscular chest and abdomen. Noelle breathed heavily as he reached down to the bottom of her shirt and tugged it over her head.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he whispered into her ear as he trailed small kisses down her neck to her collarbone.

  He paused at the crevice between her breasts and let his tongue play between the lace of her bra and her tender skin. He reached behind her and undid her bra, pulling each strap off her, tediously.

  Noelle was shaking with anticipation. She wanted him so badly. She reached for the button on her jeans, but he pushed her hands to the side. He undid his own button first and tugged off his pants, revealing that he was ready for her. She was open-mouthed as the chemistry took hold of them.

  He unzipped one of her boots and slowly removed it from around her calf. He then did the same thing with her other boot. He pulled down her pants so slowly, all the while he was watching her, his eyes never leaving hers.

  He pushed open her legs and pushed the lacy fabric from between her legs. He slid his fingers inside of her, feeling her immediate wetness. He smiled at her before he let his tongue play inside of her, sliding up and down the patch of raised skin as she gasped and became out of breath for him.

  Edmund slid two of his fingers inside of her while he licked at her insistently. It didn’t take long for Noelle to feel the familiar rush of heat travel into her pussy. She released herself and Edmund stayed there with his tongue working itself up and down.

  Noelle’s legs were trembling as he slid down his boxers, releasing his hard cock. Without warning, he slid himself inside of her and felt the extent of her wetness around him. Noelle gasped as his fullness filled her up entirely. He was more than enough.

  He rocked his hips back and forth steadily, grabbing her hips. He leaned forward, kissing her and then trailing his mouth down to her breasts. He took her nipples into his mouth and sucked at them softly, but wantingly. Noelle moaned with satisfaction. She felt so good with him inside of her.

  Edmund picked up his speed and began rocking himself against her even harder, then faster. He felt himself getting closer and he pulled her legs to her chest, allowing himself to go even deeper inside of her. He pushed himself into her again and again, until finally, he felt the sweet relief wash over him as he finished. Noelle breathed shakily as her body tried to recover. She looked over at Edmund who was looking in her direction.

  They smiled at each other and then Edmund said, “Should we go again?” Noelle laughed and sat up, preparing to get on top of him.

  There was a loud knock at the door. Noelle looked at Edmund who shrugged his shoulders. He still wanted her more. The chemistry seemed to be off the charts.

  “This is your house,” he said. Noelle started thinking about who it could be as she pulled on her jeans and her shirt.

  She threw Edmund his clothes and hissed, “Get dressed!” He groaned but she saw that he was starting to button his shirt together.

  Noelle walked to the door and tried to fix her hair as much as possible before she pulled the door open. Her nana stood there looking worried and as angry as hell. She pushed Noelle to the side and walked inside of the house.

  “What the hell has happened, Noelle?” she asked.

  “What do you mean, Nana?”

  “What do I mean?” her nana cried out, turning to face Noelle. “What do I mean? I mean that your aunts and cousins haven’t returned to the hotel! It’s been over a day! Where are your parents? Where is everybody? What has happened?”

  Noelle had not realized that her nana had been at the hotel waiting for her family to return and she felt sick to her stomach that she hadn’t thought about it. She’d been so worried about Edmund and Declan, and everything else that she had forgotten about her own family. Worst of all, Noelle did not want to lie to her nana, but she definitely did not want to be the one to break the news.

  “Nana, sit down please,” Noelle said.

  “I don’t want to sit down!” Her nana started crying. “They are dead. They are all dead, aren’t they?”

  “No, Nana, no.” Noelle sighed. “They aren’t dead.”

  “No?”

  “No. But they aren’t coming home, I don’t think.”

  “What? What do you mean not coming home?”

  “Nana, it’s hard for me to explain it. I wasn’t there and I’m not sure…”

  “Spit it out, girl!” Noelle took a few steps backward surprised by her grandmother’s tone of voice. But then she saw the fear in her eyes and she understood where the emotion was coming from.

  “Nana, they aren’t dead… they have been turned.”

  “Turned?” her nana repeated.

  “Yes.” Noelle nodded slowly.

  “Oh my God…” Her nana slowly took steps backward before planting herself down on the couch. “It’s worse than I thought!”

  “Nana, at least they aren’t dead. We still have a chance…”

  “No, Noelle. They are dead. The people we knew and cared about —they are dead to us. Very dead, now. They’ve been infected with a demon, a beast.”

  “Nana, you don’t think that there’s a chance that…” Noelle trailed off as she saw her nana direct her attention over her shoulder. Turning back, she saw Edmund standing there.

  “If I may,” Edmund said, walking next to Noelle, “I think we might have a chance at saving them. We just need to collect a few things, and well, we may need to break a few laws.”

  To Noelle’s surprise, her nana did not skip a beat. She said, “Tell me how I can help.”

  Declan gathered the pack into the basement for another meeting. As the members took their seats, he noticed that Gabriel was one of the last people to join the group.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Declan started, “I know we’ve been having a lot of pack meetings lately and I appreciate your dedication to our family.”

  “Of course!” Tom yelled from his seat. Declan smiled at him before continuing.

  “I am officially resuming my role as Alpha, and I can assure you that I will not be stepping down for a very long time. I have some exciting news to discuss with all of you. So, before we begin that part of the meeting, I actually wanted to open the floor to all of you. I wanted to see how you are feeling and hear any concerns you might have.”

  The girl with the red hair, Ramona, stood up from her chair. “If I may, Declan,” she started. Declan nodded and she continued. “Some of us have gotten together as a group and we’ve talked about everything that has been happening lately. We were able to trace it back to one source —Gabriel. It was Gabriel’s idea for you to step down as Alpha and it was his idea to go on that hunt. So, we think that every one of his decisions has led us to disaster.”

  Declan looked around the room. “Please continue Ramona.”

  Ramona stopped to glare at Gabriel before continuing. She said, “So, as a group, we’ve decided that he should be removed from the pack. Permanently.”

  Declan looked at the woman and he could see more than half of the pack nodding their heads in agreement. “You want me to kill him?” Declan asked.

  The group started mumbling amongst themselves and then Ramona stood up once more and said, “We think that’s only fair considering he cost us seven of the pack members.”

  Declan looked over at Gabriel and said, “Gabriel, come over here please.” Gabriel’s eyes grew wide, but he walked over to where Declan stood.

  “Do you have anything to say f
or yourself?” Declan asked.

  Gabriel shook his head slowly and closed his eyes, preparing himself for what was about to happen. He was trying to be strong but the fear began to rise up in him and he’d never felt so alone.

  Declan spoke, “I can see now why hunters would want to kill us.” The group let out an audible gasp. “They want to kill us because they believe there is no humanity left within us. They believe we are only beasts living inside of a human body, like some sick parasite just waiting to be released. And you all are proving them right. How can you want to kill one of your own?”

  Gabriel sighed. He looked at Declan and said, “Thank you.” He was still in shock.

  Declan pointed at Gabriel. “This man is your beta! Your second in command, and you venture to offer him up as a sacrifice for your sins? You make me sick! You did not need to go on that hunt, you all chose to. You all sought revenge and you all attacked those humans. You need to take responsibility for your own actions. Do not ever believe that one man is to blame for your own choices.” Declan looked at Gabriel who was staring at him in amazement. “I am not killing anyone unless they directly go against my orders, undermining my role as Alpha. Are we understood?” The group mumbled under their breaths and Declan called out again, “Are we understood?”

  “Yes, Sir,” Tom called out. Ramona seconded that and it trickled throughout the rest of the pack. They looked guilty to some extent, realizing their own parts in it all.

  “Anything else?” Declan asked. The group shook their heads and Declan cleared his throat, “Okay, on a much better note, I have made considerable progress in finding a cure for silver so we hopefully won’t have to lose any more members. I found a doctor who has done work on this before and…” The room erupted into questions, clapping and laughing before Declan could finish his announcement.

  “Who is it?” someone yelled out.

  “Is there enough for all of us?” another one asked.

  “How can we get it?” said another voice in the sea of voices.

  “Settle down,” Declan yelled. He paused and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Settle down!” The group quieted down to hushed whispers and Declan took the opportunity to jump in. He said, “It is not a cure that lasts forever. It lasts only a few days, but…”