by Anya Byrne
Alphas, Secrets and Surprises
Alpha Gathering 1
Copyright 2015 Anya Byrne
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
All Romance Edition January 2015
All Romance Edition, License Notes
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This book is a work of fiction, not to be confused with fact, advice or suggestion. The characters are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons is purely coincidental. Cover art is for illustration purposes only.
Blurb:
The Gathering—a meeting of Alpha werewolves, a place of intrigue, secrets, clashing interests and conflicts born out of greed, pride and resentment. A place that puts no value in love and tests the bonds of loyalty—and yet, leads two men and two destinies to come together as one.
Beta Argent Hull has one goal at the Gathering, to help the Alpha he betrayed and fix at least some of his mistakes. He does not expect his path to cross that of his other half, Alpha wolf Aleksandr 'Sasha' Maximoff.
For a few seconds, he dares to hope he might have a future—until he meets Sasha's eyes and sees only ice. He knows then that his fate is sealed, and he does not deserve a mate.
Unbeknownst to him, Sasha has other concerns. The Maximoff pack is in turmoil, and Sasha fears his father's anger would target Argent. And their problems are only just beginning. There are secrets buried deep in Argent's past, and many surprises still to come. Can the budding, frail relationship between the unlikely couple survive the Alpha Gathering?
Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this document contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of twenty-one, and are willing participants.
33,468 words
Table of Contents
Alphas, Secrets and Surprises
About the Author
Other titles by Anya Byrne
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Alphas, Secrets and Surprises
Alpha Gathering 1
Anya Byrne
Copyright 2015
Prologue
Forty years ago
Heavy raindrops hit the windshield, sliding down the glass like tear drops. Maria grimaced as she pulled into the empty parking lot in front of the motel. She'd never liked rain, even before she'd moved here. She suspected that would never change.
Still, Maria supposed the bad weather would, for once, work in her favor. She reached for an umbrella and opened it as she slid out of her car, managing to avoid getting drenched by the outpour.
The bright, but flickering lights of the motel sign made her eyes hurt as she walked through the parking lot. Behind the curtain of her umbrella, Maria sniffed the air. As far as she could tell, she hadn't been followed, but she couldn't quite be sure of that. There were ways to deceive werewolf senses, and Maria was neither an enforcer nor a silencer. She just happened to know a few of them.
Even as she thought this, her eyes caught sight of movement next to one of the buildings. She made her way in that direction, knowing that if the person she was meeting hadn't wanted to be spotted, they'd have never given away their position.
She found her quarry waiting for her behind the motel, somehow concealed by the dumpster and the fall of the shadows. Maria would have never seen her if she hadn't known the other woman was there.
"Is everything ready?" the familiar, slightly accented voice asked.
Maria nodded and stepped closer, now in full view of her longtime friend. "It is. I've spoken to Dean, although he doesn't know the full details, as per your request."
"And he'll have no questions when you go back?"
Maria shook her head. "Dean trusts me. Besides, he knows as well as I do that some questions are better left unasked."
Blanchefleur nodded and stepped forward. Her face was obscured by a hood, but Maria could have still recognized her anywhere. "Thank you for this," Blanchefleur said softly. "We really didn't know what to do and where to take him."
Maria sighed. It was always hard for her to see parents being forced to give up their children. Her own sons were the most important thing in her life. She couldn't imagine ever being in the position of abandoning them.
But both she and Blanchefleur were products of their circumstances. "I would do more if I could, but... You know how things are in the pack."
"I'm aware," came the reply, "and I realize you're already taking a big chance with this."
"He's only a child," Maria answered. "He shouldn't have to suffer for anything his parents did or did not do."
She said the words gently, with a smile, trying to hint that she didn't blame Blanchefleur for her actions. She didn't know if it worked, because they didn't have time to dwell on emotional speeches.
A man stepped out of the motel, guiding a young boy toward Maria. Ignoring the rain, the child ran to Maria's friend. "Maman!"
Blanchefleur tsked. "What is it, mon cher? I told you to be patient."
The boy hugged his mother's legs and didn't reply. It was very easy for Maria to remember her own children in his place. True, the boy was slightly younger than her sons, but only by a few years, which for werewolves, would become irrelevant the older they became.
The man stepped up to Maria and squeezed her shoulder. "Take care of him," he whispered in Maria's ear, low enough that the child wouldn't hear.
Maria nodded numbly, the pain she could read on his face hitting her harder than expected. It was only for a moment, because when he pulled away, his expression could have been carved out of stone. He passed Maria a small bag, which she quickly hid under her coat. "All his documents are in order," he said. "No one should be able to track him down to us. You'll also have the information you will need to answer the questions he might one day ask."
"Questions about you?"
Sylvain shrugged. "Not so much. He's too young. Give him time. Once he's your age, he probably won't remember us at all."
His tone was completely blank, his face emotionless, but Maria could still tell how much that truth pained him. And so, she asked nothing else, and instead waited while the two silencers said goodbye to their son.
Sylvain hesitated for a few moments, and then crouched next to the child. The boy turned and shot his father a confused look. He was likely even more puzzled when Sylvain hugged him, but he welcomed it, holding on to his father tightly. Perhaps, at some level, he realized what was happening.
The embrace didn't last. After a few seconds, Sylvain released the child and got up. "Blanche..."
"I know." Blanchefleur took a deep breath and guided their son toward Maria. "Argent, this is my friend, Maria Simmons. Maria, this is Argent, my son."
"Bonsoir, Madame Simmons," Argent said. Blanchefleur cleared her throat and Argent quickly amended, "I mean, good evening, Mrs. Simmons."
"Hello, Argent," Maria said with a smile, trying to sound as welcoming as possible. "It's very nice to meet you."
She knew that nothing she could say or do would make Argent more amenable to her, since at this age, pups were particularly bound to their parents, especially when a pack wasn't in the picture. Her own children were starting to become more independent, but even they didn't like losing track of Maria for too long. Argent's separation from his parents would undoubtedly be very traumatic. Still, she had t
o at least make the attempt, to smooth things up for him as much as possible.
"You're going to stay with Maria for a while, Argent," Blanchefleur said. "Your father and I have some important issues to handle, and we can't take you along, but you'll be safe with her."
Argent's lower lip trembled, but he seemed to have expected something like this. Maria suspected this wasn't the first time Argent had been forced to face the dangerous nature of what his parents did. "When will you come back?"
"As soon as we can," Sylvain replied.
Blanchefleur almost cracked at that, but fortunately, Maria was the only one who saw it. The child was looking at his father, so he missed the dismay and agony in his mother's eyes. By the time he glanced back at her, those shadows had been replaced by renewed and possibly familiar decisiveness.
It seemed to reassure Argent, because he nodded. "I understand."
Maria offered her hand, and after a small moment of hesitation, Argent took it. Sylvain leaned against Blanchefleur, his hand settling on her waist in a hold that Maria suspected was far tighter than it looked.
"I love you, Maman, Papa," Argent said.
"We love you too, mon petit," Sylvain said.
"We love you very much," Blanchefleur added. "Now go on. You'll be safe with Maria."
Maria took that as her cue and slowly began to guide the boy toward the car. He kept looking back, trying to get a glimpse of his parents. A dismayed gasp signaled the moment when, as per their habit, they disappeared.
She held onto him and said nothing until they were both in the car. As she buckled the child in, she finally spoke. "I know this is hard, and I know you're going to miss them. But you have to trust that your parents did what they thought was best for you."
She wished she could provide more reassurance than that, perhaps tell him that they would be back before he knew it. But she didn't want to lie, and she didn't think she could do it, not right now.
Thankfully, Argent was a brave little soul. "I know," he said quietly. "And I do understand. Merci, Madame Simmons."
"You're very welcome. Now come on. We should go home. I have two sons who are just a bit older than you. I'm sure they'd love to be your friends."
As she drove out of the parking lot, Maria kept speaking, trying to distract the sad child. Even as she did so, she wondered if she'd ever see Blanchefleur and Sylvain again.
Chapter One
Present day
"So you want to join our pack?" Elena Maximoff hummed thoughtfully as she eyed Argent from head to toe. "Are you sure about that?"
Argent faced her without flinching, actively trying not to think about everything that was at stake here. "I do, and I am. Lately, there's been so much... unrest. All I've ever wanted was to live in a pack with a real Alpha. I believe that it takes more than being a born Alpha to lead, and while I trusted the Simmons family in the past, as of late, they just haven't..."
He trailed off, not quite able to finish the phrase. To this day, he couldn't imagine what he'd been thinking when he'd decided to support Wendel Adler in his bid to take over the Simmons pack.
He'd practically grown up with Saul and Finn, and while their closeness had gradually faded, Argent had still remained among Finn's most trusted companions. But seeing the pack fall apart... It had made something inside Argent shatter.
The Simmons pack was the only refuge he had, and it was being ruined, destroyed because of the selfishness of its leaders. He had truly thought that, long enough that he'd jumped into offering his support to a maniac.
Thankfully, Finn had managed to defeat Wendel Adler. Both he and his mate were now safe. But Alpha Simmons, Finn's father, hadn't been so lucky. His execution was being advertised like an event to be celebrated, perhaps in warning to all those who dared to cross the Gathering.
In a way, Argent was relying on that, on the fact that not everyone was liable to agree with this approach. By its nature, the Alpha Gathering was a democratic body, but there were always those who had more pull than others, either because they were willing to get their hands dirty or had leverage in different ways. Nonetheless, if Argent could appeal to the conscience of those others, if he could at least stir doubt in a few Alphas at the Gathering, it might give Dean Simmons a chance.
It was a very vague plan, one with so many holes it made him feel ashamed. But as a beta, he couldn't do much. In fact, even his presence there would be an achievement—and it all depended on the woman in front of him.
"You do realize that if I agree, you'll have to leave all of this behind," she said.
"I don't actually have a family here, Mrs. Maximoff," Argent replied. "It's true that I will miss it, but I believe those attachments will be worth sacrificing if I can find a new, worthy home."
Something he'd said must have convinced her, because she nodded. "Very well, Mr. Hull. You can join me when I return to Russia. Once there, you'll be able to speak to my mate for the purpose of joining our pack."
Argent listened carefully to her explanations, weeding out the unimportant things from details he could use. In truth, he was surprised she had agreed. Werewolves who changed packs usually did so within their own countries or at least in an area they were somewhat familiar with. Moving involved a great deal of complications, both on the werewolf and on the human side. If he was accepted, Argent would not only require a new citizenship. He'd also need to get accustomed to a whole new way of life, including new attitudes and ideas.
Argent didn't actually plan on staying in Russia, though. In fact, if this didn't work—and the likelihood of that happening was far higher than he was comfortable with—the last thing he'd have to worry about was life on a different continent. He'd probably be dead for breaking the rules of the Gathering anyway.
For the moment, he did his best not to think about it, and to a certain extent it worked. He focused on his goal all throughout the trip from the States to Russia. He always felt Elena's gaze on him, and he wondered what his would-be Alpha bitch really thought about his decision. If she was suspicious of his motives, it would be far harder to try to help Alpha Simmons.
Still, Argent kept it together. This was too important, and something deep inside told him that, with every step he took, every mile crossed by a plane, or a car, or his own two feet, he was getting closer to his purpose.
When the plane landed on Maximoff pack lands, near Lake Baikal, Argent was momentarily floored by the beauty of the place. He'd always loved his home, but something about the glittering waters seemed peaceful to him. In that instant, it occurred to him that under different circumstances, he might have truly liked living here.
The feeling kept haunting him and refused to go away all throughout the drive to the mansion house where the Maximoff family lived. It confused him, and no matter how much he tried to shake off the strange sensation, he couldn't quite do it—at least not until Elena's cell phone rang.
Argent didn't speak fluent Russian, but he did understand bits and pieces. He understood enough to figure out the identity of the caller, and what Elena was being told. The challenge—or rather, the execution—had already begun. Dean Simmons was to fight an outsider, apparently an envoy from the Sidhe who believed he had some sort of right over Dean's mate, William Orwell. Given the man's injuries, and the general superiority of the challenger, he was not expected to survive. However, if he did, there were people on standby ready to take advantage of the situation.
Argent couldn't fully suppress his horror at what he heard, and Elena obviously noticed. Once the call ended, she shot him a fake smile. "It seems we're just in time to witness the end of this little debacle. How fortunate. You'll have the opportunity to prove your loyalty to our pack."
"Pardon?" Argent asked, unable to get his thoughts perfectly in order.
"My mate and my sons are at the Gathering now. I will be joining them, and so will you. When the time comes, you'll show us who your Alpha truly is."
"You can't possibly imagine I'd be able to hurt Alpha Simmons with
my own hands."
"Of course not." Elena scoffed. "No matter what you might say, there will be a level of attachment. That's only natural, and anything different would be nauseating. What I expect you to do, Mr. Hull, is to just choose to let go of him, and watch as we do what needs to be done."
Argent nodded numbly. He would have been angry, if not for the fact that this was unexpectedly working to his advantage. "I won't fail you."
Elena didn't reply, not that Argent expected her to. He wondered what she truly wanted from him, if she'd only brought him here for pure diversion. He was bound to find out soon enough.
Despite his dread and horror at what was happening to his Alpha, Argent still found the earlier feeling of rightness invading him. Oddly, it also steadied him, and once he accepted the encouragement it provided, he was able to stay calm and collected.
As it turned out, the challenge was set to take place on an island in the middle of the lake. A helicopter was already waiting for Elena when they reached the house, and Argent was allowed to join. Argent was thankful for the sound of the helicopter blades, because it made conversation of any sort impossible and prevented further awkwardness.
Of course, when the helicopter landed, Argent wished he could actually ask some questions. The structure that loomed ahead shocked him, even if he could see its practical purpose. Sure, an amphitheater could accommodate the number of Alphas present far better than an unprepared locale, but it still reminded Argent far too much of a place where gladiator combats could be held.
His guess—largely born out of Elena's earlier conversation with her mate—turned out to be quite correct. Elena guided Argent into the amphitheater, and they stopped at one of the entrances to watch two wolves fighting savagely. Argent easily recognized one of them as his Alpha, but the other was a stranger.
"I thought a Sidhe was supposed to be fighting?"