by G. Bailey
“Time for the arguments to start,” River says, pressing a hand into my back to lead me down the corridor. I know there will be arguments, but I guess I keep hoping the arguments won't be too bad. We walk into the dining room where Alpha, Letric and Alaric are sat in chairs at the end of the table, and Alpha’s eyes seem to draw me to his as River closes the door behind us. The table is laiden with cooked meats, potatoes and various vegetables all down the middle that I know Mary had a hand in making from the smell alone.
“Is Mary ruling the kitchens now?” I ask, sitting down between Alaric and River. “I just bumped into her in the corridor. She looks happy.”
“The last time I saw her, she was ordering the kitchen staff around like her personal army. It was amusing,” Letric says, and I grin at him.
“Nothing really changed then,” I say. We all serve our own food and eat in silence, the silence becoming more and more awkward the longer it goes on.
“What is this meal about, Elodie?” Letric asks.
“River is my mate, as I’m sure you know, and I think it is time we all sit down to talk about it.”
“Brave woman,” Alaric mutters, and Letric just laughs.
“We have always known Elodie is brave as well as brazen,” Letric says. “It’s why we love her.”
“Then why are we all arguing still?” I ask.
“Because you chose him over us,” Alpha growls out, pushing his chair away and standing up. “You chose someone who could never be worth you as a mate.”
“And you think you are worth her?” River laughs, standing up and walking to Alpha who watches him with pure disgust and what I suspect is jealousy.
“Yes,” Alpha states firmly before lifting a hand and punching River in the face. River falls backwards from the sudden hit, but manages to save himself and spins, swinging his fists into Alpha’s face. They both fall flat to the ground, rolling around and landing punch after punch. I go to stand up, but Alaric grabs my arm, making me watch two people I love kick the crap out of each other.
“Stop it!” I shout, looking at Alaric. “Stop them. Now!”
“Let them work it out how men do. How wolves do. They will not kill each other, but leave if you cannot watch,” Alaric suggests. “If you leave, you do not want this.”
I pull my arm from Alaric and stand up, intending to leave, but I pause when I see the big jug of water on the table. I lean over and pick the jug up and walk to where River is on top of Alpha, punching as Alpha fights right back. I pour the jug of water over them both, enjoying how they cough and sputter, and River looks up at me in as much shock as Alpha.
“Grow the hell up! Both of you. Are you fools enough not to be able to see that fighting only destroys one person: me?” I throw the jug on the floor and walk to the door, stopping right in the middle of it. “All of you work this out. If you care for me at all, you need to.”
“And if we can’t agree?” Alpha asks, his heart breaking question making me pause.
“Then you can leave my pack and never come back.”
“Maybe I will,” he replies, and I run out of the room before he can see my tears.
Chapter 18
River
"Get out of here," Alpha growls as I pick myself up off the floor and wipe a hand across my bloody lip. I spit out the blood in my mouth before I cross my arms. That wasn't a fight at all, and Alpha was only warning me no matter how it looked. It was a game to try and scare me off. If he wanted me dead, he would have tried a lot harder than what he just did. My wolf healing is kicking in already, healing all the bruises and broken ribs. I look at where Elodie just left, knowing we need to fix this all. I could walk out of here and go to her, let her cry on my shoulder about Alpha, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do. At the end of the day, she loves these Alpha Brothers, and they made her the woman she is today. I can see they are good for her, in a twisted way.
"No, we need to talk," I state, and Alpha just watches the door where Elodie just left after he threatened to leave the pack. I know he couldn't leave if he tried, that is why his feet are planted firmly on the ground. Yet his words hurt her, and that cannot keep happening time and time again. It isn't fair, not to Elodie or the children. I love Elodie, I did from the moment I met her and sensed exactly who she is. I don't know if she was always meant to be my mate, but either way, she has my heart and my life for as long as I can live it at her side. I doubt the next years will be simple or easy, but I plan on making sure she lives them out the best that I can. I know her children are not mine by blood, but I will protect them and love them because they are part of my mate. I hope one day we could have a child that is ours, but that is a talk for the future if I can get Alpha to stop being a stubborn idiot.
"Maybe the rest of us should talk if you are just going to fight, Alpha," Alaric says, standing up off his seat and coming over to me. "For the record, I am not against you being in Elodie's life. You helped her when we couldn’t, and I see how she feels for you."
"We have not discussed this," Alpha says, briefly looking at his brothers. "And he is not family, nor part of this conversation." I know that was more meant for me than them, because Alpha could have just said it in their minds if he didn't want me to hear. There is a silence between us all as they clearly talk in their minds, something that I wish I could hear.
"Yet...he is part of this," Letric adds in. "I want him to stay."
"We all love Elodie, and she is our alpha female. You all wanted love as kids, acceptance and freedom. Can you not see she offers just that to not only you but everyone? The people follow her, adore her, and they will accept her children in the same way. Elodie is meant to be alpha, an alpha that was brought up as a slave and knows how hard life can be. She will make the right changes for this pack and for all packs if you let her," I say, and silence follows my words. They know I'm right, but it now depends on whether they are all too stubborn to listen to me.
"You are suggesting I submit to her, let her lead all the packs," Alpha says, "a pack I fought long and hard to secure."
"The Ruxan Pack is hers, the Xan Pack is hers, and you know the heart of the Luxa Pack belongs to her as well," I say. "You will be at her side, and at your children's sides as they rule. The future is theirs, and it is what is best for them that truly matters here."
"Sharing has never been a game I like to play," Alpha growls.
"But for her, I know you can learn, Alpha. Or you can leave, break her heart, and I will fix it for her. The choice is yours," I reply. I walk over to him and offer him my hand to shake, knowing it is risky to push him this far. I remember Alpha as a messed up kid who wanted to be more than he was and hated his father, although there was this side to him that was caring; he just hid it well. It shocked everyone in the pack except for me when he and his brothers escaped. I watched how he fed them bottles of milk, how he taught Alaric how to walk and held Letric when he cried. I was a kid who didn't understand at the time that they had no mums around to do these things, and it was left on Alpha's shoulders. That was the past, a bad past that we all need to put behind us to focus on Elodie. I realised I had to put my guilt for my old mate dying behind me and make a future with the woman I love. Alpha needs to do the same thing. I know his brothers are already at that point, they don't need convincing. There is a long pause between us all where I am not sure if he is going to take my hand or not, but he does. He squeezes my hand tightly as he glares at me.
"I still do not like you, but for Elodie, you can stay," he states and raises his head high.
"Thanks," I mutter, pulling my hand back. "Will you go and see her? She must be upset."
"I need to think, but I will see her," Alpha states, before turning around and walking out of the room.
"Now he has decided not to murder you in your sleep, want to go for a drink?" Letric asks, sounding pretty relieved.
"Yes," I say, nodding my head to the door. "Wait, was he really planning on murdering me in my sleep?"
"Yeah, we told hi
m no. It was only his fifth death plan since we got here, which we knew meant he liked you," Letric fills me. That isn't concerning at all.
"I certainly need a drink now," I say, rubbing my face as we head down the corridor.
"Do you think El is alright?" Alaric asks. "Maybe we should go to see her."
"Alpha needs to fix his mess, we can't interrupt even if we wanted to," Letric says, and I agree. "Plus, I think it is time we had a little chat up.
Chapter 19
Elodie
I roll over in bed, pulling the sheets closer to me as the coldness of the room slowly wakes me up. I blink a few times, before the unsettling cold breeze blows against my bare shoulders and back as a strange thought comes to me—I never left the windows or doors open. I never do.
I sit up just as hands press around my throat from the side, and a man climbs on top of me, pressing me into the mattress as his hands get tighter and stronger around my neck, feeling like he is inches from snapping it. The man’s face is hidden in the shadows, but I can smell him, and he smells awful. Like rotting food and dirt. I try to scream, to push to him away, but nothing works as he holds me down. I close my eyes, pushing my wolf out, but in all the panic, nothing happens. I open my eyes and reach up, digging my nails into his eyes.
“Ahh! You stupid whore!” the man growls, slamming me once more into the bed and loosening his hands on my neck so I can shout for a moment.
“Help!” I scream, but my voice is cracked, nothing more than a whisper as he tightens his hands on my neck once again, my wolf healing just about keeping me alive.
“Die, and know my alpha will take your pack,” the man says as black spots appear in my vision. Suddenly, the hands are ripped away from my neck, and the man screams. He begs, cries and pleads as I sit up to see Alpha tearing him to pieces at the end of the bed. Blood splatters everywhere, covering me and the bed, but I don’t take my eyes off Alpha who just saved me. I taste the man’s blood in my mouth, the warmth of it covering my naked body and the white sheets covering my legs, and I am nothing but thankful for it. I couldn’t save myself, and Alpha did instead. Alpha throws away what’s left of the wolf before standing at the end of my bed, breathing heavily.
“I thought you were going to leave,” I whisper, remembering what I cried myself to sleep thinking.
“I couldn’t,” he tensely says. “I cannot leave you, even though I want to.”
“Why, Alpha?” I ask, crawling across the bed and the blood to him. I kneel in front of him, pausing for a second before placing my hands on his bare, blood-covered chest and feeling his fast beating heart under them. Alpha doesn’t reply as he slides a hand around my neck, pressing his thumb gently into the place where he can feel my pulse.
“If I say it, you can’t die. Or leave me. Ever,” he demands. “Ever, do you understand me?”
“Tell me,” I whisper, because I know I wouldn’t leave him. I couldn’t.
“I love you, Elodie Masters,” he says, and it feels like my heart is pieced together bit by bit as he tells me everything I’ve wished he would for such a long time. “You make me different, accepting and wanting to change. You remind me that, even though this world is cruel, dark and lost, there is love and peace to be found within it. I want you in my life, forever.”
Alpha doesn’t give me a chance to speak, he just slams his lips onto mine, his blood covered hands pushing me back onto the bed. I gasp as he parts my legs and reaches down, freeing his cock from his trousers. Alpha holds my head in his large hands, his thumb slipping into my mouth as he thrusts deep inside of me. Alpha slows his thrusts down, sliding in and out of me as he kisses me deeply, making me aware of nothing but him. We are covered in blood, recovering from pain, and yet love is the only thing that links us. I didn’t think it could ever be enough, that I could ever love the monster of a man inside of me. But it is. Love is enough for us.
I don’t know how long Alpha thrusts in and out of me, his hand exploring my body as he makes me come again and again before he finishes and shouts out my name. As we lie in silence together, my head resting on his chest, he starts to hum a sweet lullaby I’ve never heard before. His hand rests on my stomach, and he begins to run little circles with his finger on my bump. A tear escapes my eye at the sight, the song and how haunting it is. How he is humming it to our children. When he stops humming, he keeps his hand on my stomach.
“My mother used to sing this song to me. I don’t remember the words, but the music of the song has always stayed in my mind,” he tells me, and I know it means a lot for him to tell me anything about his past. I hope one day I will know everything about Alpha’s past before me, what made him the way he is and so lost in the darkness I had to save him from.
“You remember your mother?” I quietly ask.
“Only little things that are good. I remember her death more than anything else,” he tells me, and I look up from his chest, resting my head next to his on the bed as he wraps an arm around me.
“I’m so sorry, Alpha,” I whisper, not having the right words for how sorry I feel for him.
“My children will never see their mother’s death until they are old men and she dies peacefully with her mates. I will make sure of it,” he whispers to me. “I will always protect her.” I smile at his protectiveness, the thought that we will have so many years together in peace. I don’t miss how he suggested mating then, and I am almost worried about bringing it up.
“We have many things to discuss, like mating,” I whisper. “Have you changed your mind?”
“For you, I will think on it. I made a promise to my brothers, and they must agree first,” he explains to me. “But we have all the time in the world to make changes. I want to enjoy us for now.”
“That I can agree with,” I say, smiling widely as Alpha pulls me on top of him and kisses me like he never wants to let me go. And he never has to.
“I have something for you,” Alpha states, pulling back from the kiss. I wait as he leans off the bed, picking up his trousers and pulls something out of the pocket. He holds my necklace out to me, and I smile widely, picking up off him and smoothing my fingers over the wolf and heart. There is a new charm added, a crystal diamond that is smoothed into a circle shape.
“You added one,” I whisper.
“It’s from me. You have a charm for us all now,” Alpha states, taking the necklace back off me and helping me slide it over my head.
“Thank you,” I say, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
“You never have to thank me, Elodie. You saved me when I didn’t know I needed it,” he admits, and I know it is taking a lot for him to tell me that. I kiss him, showing him how much I love him back. And always will.
Chapter 20
“I wondered when you might come to see me,” I say, sensing my mother before she even says a word. I look up from the book in my hands, from where I sit on my throne with River and Alaric nearby. After the stranger attacked me in my bed, I keep someone close at all times. We couldn't figure out who the man was or why he tried to kill me, but we assume he was working alone as there have been no other attacks.
My mother is so beautiful, it is always one of the first things I think when I see her. Her long brown hair is like glossy waves, none of it has turned grey with age yet. Her figure is slim, hidden in a red dress, and freckles line her cheeks that I didn't inherit, though I still see some of myself in her, but I am a tiny bit of her beauty. Misty looked more like our mother, and I wonder if that is why she kept and raised her over me.
“Can we speak? Alone?” she asks. I look back at River and Alaric and know they can understand my answer without questioning me.
“Yes, but I want you to come with me,” I say, sliding off my seat and walking over to her. “We will be back soon.” I nod my head to the door, and she walks near me, her eyes watching me closely as I lead her to the room down the corridor. I push the door open to the bright room, which has a skylight made of different colours that shines down on the roo
m. On one of the walls, there are three paintings that River helped find hidden in the basements. Each of the men is clearly related somehow, but I want to know which one my father is. River said he could tell me, but I want to hear it from her.
"Which one is my father?" I ask her, but she doesn't look up at the paintings. Like she knows it will hurt her to see them.
"You look so much like him, can you not tell, Elodie?" she replies, tilting her head to the side a little.
"The middle one?" I ask. "Look at him." At my demand, she does and walks over to the paintings. She gently places her hand on the edge as I see tears streaming down her cheeks. I look up at the painting of the man with black hair, my eyes and a lot of my features. He is handsome, with a big build and a cold expression that tells me he didn't want to sit for a painting at least. He is my father and just a stranger that I could never meet.
"What do you want me to tell you, Elodie?"
"Is that why you came to see me after all this time? To tell me a story?" I ask. "The time for stories has passed. I am not a child anymore."
"You want to know though, don't you?" she asks. "To understand why I left you."
"Why did you?" I ask as she stares at me.
"When I found out I was pregnant with you, I couldn't have been happier. I loved your father more than even my own wolf and wanted a future with him. I ran to him, telling him our one night together produced a baby and that I could leave my mate who hadn't touched me in years to be with him," she explains. "But he didn't believe me. He didn't want either of us and claimed that getting me into his bed was nothing more than a show of power against the Ruxan Pack."
"So, you sent me away?" I ask, trying not to feel sorry for her. She still left her baby to be brought up in another pack as a slave. My lost and destroyed childhood is this woman's fault. A mother should protect her child, and I can't see that she ever did that for me.