Filed to story: The Alphas Contract Novel by Taylor West
“I don’t think anyone truly does. Except for maybe Serkan.”
*Families are fucked up.” Damien snorts
“Did Serkan know about me?” Samara asks quietly. She was desperate for answers about her family. But I don’t think she is going to get what she is looking for.
“Yes.” Silas replies
Everyone falls quiet. I was certain he didn’t know about her. It was probably a good job that we were no longer sending her to White Cliffs.
“Well some things don’t change. Was he even interested in her?” Damien asks
Silas’s crimson eyes move to Samara. “I’m sorry, but no. No he wasn’t. You were not destined to be Alpha. You were the child of his untamed daughter. You were a tiny blip on his radar. Nothing more.*
Samara’s mouth is hanging wide open as Dane snorts. “Is that what he calls it? Taming his people into submission. A blip?”
“He was the reason she gave me up?”
“I believe so.” He runs a hand through his dark hair and sighs. “I told you earlier Dane. I will tell you everything you want to know. I am not ferrying someone to their death. Not when the only reason their death is called for is because of their blood.”
Dane studies him. “You said he is an old man.”
“He is.”
*So what benefit does he gain from murdering my mate?”
*I don’t know. As I said, my job was to invite her home. But the more you talk, the more you open my thoughts and then there is Lyall. My Wolf.” He adds casually. “Who feels like there is something wrong with the entire situation.”
I study him. “How does Serkan know Cooper?”
“I don’t know. Now and again he would appear. Meetings were kept between them. He would stay for maybe a day at a time, and then not return for months.”
“Were you aware of this?” I ask Samara
“No.”
“Why would she know?” Silas asks
*Cooper was my half brother.”
“He was Amelia’s? I thought she only had one pup?”
“No, different mothers.” She glides her tongue over her lips. “Would Serkan have a need for a Witch?”
Silas
Scratching through the stubble on my chin, I sigh, “He has several.”
Other than the beating hearts in the room, you could have heard a pin drop. It was not the answer any one of them wanted to hear.
“Witches are rare.” Dane mutters. “They don’t come along too often.”
I nod in agreement. I knew they were. It had been drummed into me when I had been full of questions as a kid. And White Cliffs are incredibly happy to have them, even the one that denies her heritage. Or maybe, people felt like they had to be happy with their presence. I wasn’t sure anymore. There were just so many holes in the story and all it has taken is for me to meet my twin.
*And Witches rarely work with Wolves.” Dane continues
“Depends what they are being offered, I guess. They have nice homes, a couple have family’s. They have jobs, they are not looked down on by others.” But when I think about it, they tend to stick together. They didn’t really have other friends.
“How many?” Neah asks. Her bright blue eyes hover on mine. She was definitely not what I was expecting for the last female Alpha.
The moment I saw her in the restaurant, it was clear who she was. Her scent. The electrical charge that surrounded her. I was one hundred percent certain that she was stronger than Serkan. I had never sensed anything so powerful before and I had been around other Kitsons.
Yet, she was small and looked fragile. I’m surprised the sea didn’t drag her out further than a few metres before managed to catch hold of her. What I had heard about her, just didn’t fit the woman sitting across from me.
Her legs crossed up under her. A hand on her small bump, that is moving around in circles. She had a little bit of an attitude, but that could be the pregnancy hormones, if my mate was anything to go by.
She’s also nothing like her grandfather. If anything, the cousin looked like she would cause more issues.
Samara hadn’t said much more either and mostly just stared into space. Maybe talking to her Lycan. I couldn’t be sure, it was impossible to tell with her grey eyes.
“Well?” Dane snaps
“Four.” I confirm. “Well, three and a half.”
*So Lycans, Wolves and Witches?” Damien mutters from his spot against the wall.
“Yes. But I guess they are not what you would consider as strong. Two call themselves ‘healers’. They use herbs and other weird things to help kids and sometimes the adults, especially the pregnant ones that are suffering. Or they help to calm the minds of those that are grieving. Stuff like that. Nothing outrageous.”
*And the other two?” Neah asks
“One refuses to acknowledge their abilities, she is also only a teen. Hence the half.” I muse. “The other one is my mate.”
There was that silence again. The shock settling in as the reality of my words hit. A Wolf and a Witch. It happens, but is as rare as the number of Witches in the world.
“You didn’t tell me that!” Dane straightens his spine.
“You didn’t ask.”
*And what are her abilities?” Damien asks. He is watching me, poised but ready to kill me if needed. “Can she project herself? Does she take away others’ abilities?”
*Hers is a little outside the standard field.” I murmur. “Her main ability is that she can control fire.”
*F…fire?” Samara scoffs
*Yes. But she hasn’t used that ability in several years.” I frown. It wasn’t a story I wanted to talk about, but I knew if they asked, I would need to tell them. I would need to relive the worst night of my life.
“What….” Dane doesn’t finish the question and I see Neah shaking her head at him. Instead, he clears his throat.” All of this generation’s Blacks have been mated to Lycans.” Dane tells me. “Were you fated mates, or did you choose her?”
*Fated. I may be a Black by birthright, but again, that wasn’t what I inherited. It seems the Moon Goddess had other things in store for you.”
Damien rolls his eyes at me “Let me guess, Serkan was more than happy that you have a Witch as your mate? I bet that has come in handy.”
Neah’s eyes shift back to me. She didn’t trust me. I didn’t blame her, but she will one day. I hope.
I was voluntarily giving them all the answers to their questions. But some people didn’t like that. Sometimes they felt that it was easy. It made it look as though I was luring them into something. I wasn’t. All I wanted now was to get my family out of White Cliffs.
*Funnily enough, Serkan has never mentioned it. He has never asked for anything from any of the Witches. The only one he ever had interest in was Cooper. As I said, no one knows what happened when Cooper came to visit. I just knew that when he left, Serkan was more agitated than usual. He would welcome him like an old friend and then something would happen and when Cooper left, Serkan would be pissed.”
“You didn’t question it?” Damien asks
“None of us did. It was routine. Serkan likes things a certain way. It wasn’t affecting anyone else, so people kept their mouths shut and carried on as usual.”
I feel like an idiot.’ I mutter to my Wolf Lyall
You are not the only one.” He grumbles as Neah and Dane give each other an odd look.
*How did you meet her?” Samara mutters as the others try to figure out what to say to me.
*I found her. I was on my way back after a run and she was just walking up the road. A small bag hung at her hip, a thin white dress hung over her frame. Leaves and twigs littered her hair. She looked a mess.” I smile at the memory. She had panicked at the idea of being mated to a Wolf but she didn’t run away and she didn’t try to set me on fire. Though I hadn’t known what she was capable of at the time.
The rain poured down on both of us. She was cold, I was fascinated by her. Then she started a fire with a simple click of her fingers. That should have been my cue. I should have ran. I knew what she was and yet I couldn’t. “We have been together ever since.”
“That’s so sweet.” She beams at me. “Some of us find our people in the unlikeliest of places.” She flashes her grey eyes in Damiens direction, but I see no mark on her neck. I couldn’t be sure if they were together or not.
*You were not concerned that you had just walked into a Witch?” Dane asks
“Why would I be? I could smell her exotic scent, she could smell me. And sitting here talking to you isn’t giving me time to plan how to get Thalia and Quinn out!”
*Quinn is your child?” Neah asks
“Yes, he’s three and I have no idea what is happening to him.” I stare back at her. I really didn’t want to kidnap her, but every second here is a second that I could save my family.
“Can you link him?” She asks
“Quinn?” I ask wondering why she would want me to link my son.
*Serkan.” She frowns at me. ‘Tell him I will meet him, but not in White Cliffs. Tell him that if he wants to meet me, he can come to me and give me the invitation himself. He wants me. I don’t want him. I’m not making the effort. The moment Serkan leaves White Cliffs, your family can get out.”
*You want him to come to your pack? Because he won’t come alone. I can guarantee that much.” I wam her.
*Somewhere neutral.” Dane mutters. “The city.”