Filed to story: The Alphas Contract Novel by Taylor West
*You had me come here because you want me to visit my birth parents?” Silas asks
“No. Your siblings.”
“I didn’t know them.”
“I know that. But I want to tell you a little story about what happened to them. I want you to understand that not everything is always what it seems. That sometimes there are other things at work and we just can’t see it until it’s too late.”
He follows me in through the small gate. I lead him straight to Raven. “Your sister.” I murmur. “My first mate as a Lycan.” I gesture to the headstone next to hers. It had no name and was merely here because he was a Black.” Jenson, your brother, Raven’s twin.”
He listens carefully as I tell him everything that happened to them. How she died for Jenson and how he took over her mind and killed her a second time.
“That’s impossible.”
“And yet we watched it happen. Then I watched her die.” I stare at Raven’s grave. “There are things that are happening and we have no control over it. Things that seem to exist outside of what we know. And when you see and deal with a lot of unexpected shit, it makes you look at the bigger picture, it makes you look deeper. If things don’t add up, it’s likely because there is something else going on.”
“I couldn’t save Raven and she was my mate. I knew she was struggling but I didn’t know how bad it was. She kept that to herself, her Wolf blacked her off from me. She gave her life up for her brother. Her love for him was stronger than what it ever was for me.”
“Are you trying to compare yourself and Raven to me and Thalia?” He splutters
“No of course not. I’m trying to help you understand Danes point.”
He frowns and walks by me. Moving to the graves of his parents. “He called you his brother.”
“I am by oath.” I reply
“Why you?”
“You would have to ask him that. He asked, I accepted. Him and Neah are my family. Black Shadow is a family.” don’t mention that the weak were weeded out.
“He had another brother. He could have come to find me.” He suggests
“He could have, yes.” I agree. “But you have to remember that he didn’t know where you were and he thought you had been given to a family member. Not to a Kitson.”
*Technically it wasn’t a Kitson but Serkan ended up raising me in the end. If I can even call it that.”
*How did you learn of Dane?” I ask.
He still hadn’t made it clear even when Dottie was pestering him. She hadn’t given him a sticker yet, but she also hadn’t stressed out about him. I think she was still trying to figure him out.
“I was told when I was younger. Not much, but when I saw Neah at the restaurant and who she was with and how much we looked alike, well, it wasn’t hard to put it together.”
‘And you only introduced yourself to Neah?”
“Yes. She looked at him as though he was her saviour.”
I knew the look well. I could count on one hand how many times she had been angry with him. Their understanding of each other was on a different level.
*Thalia ever look at you like that?” I ask curiously.
“No.”
“Okay, so I want you to really think about the next question I’m going to ask.”
“She’s not bad.” He mutters. I wish that everyone would stop assuming she is.”
I hold a finger up. “Just one question.”
“Fine.”
*You were certain that Thalia was going to be killed along with your son. Either if you returned or not, her fate was sealed. That’s what you said. Serkan has made an appearance, they thought Dane was you and that he had managed to kidnap Neah.”
“Yes.”
“It’s been a little over a week and Thalia is still alive, what does that tell you?”
“That he hasn’t had her killed.”
“Now what reason would he have to let her live?”
He frowns at me. “That is more than one question. But I expect it’s to lure me back.”
*Or?” I felt like I was trying to get a child to solve a problem. Even Dottie could figure this out. *She got away.”
I was so close to smacking him across the head. “She’s refusing to talk to you Silas.”
“You sound just like Dane.” He snaps
“Brax spoke to her.” I tell him as he frowns at me. “I’m one of his Beta’s, of course Dane told me. The woman you call mate, walked across water. She attacked Brax with fire balls. I don’t know what else I can say to you to make you see the truth.” I stare at him, “You don’t want to believe that it’s a possibility, do you?”
He lowers his gaze. “If I believe you and all the others, that means she killed my son and I can’t… I won’t accept that. She would never do that!”
*Jarret, was he like you or her? Was he a Witch, a Wolf or something in between?”
His shoulders drop “A Wolf and Quinn is like her.” His eyes become glazed as they are coated in tears. “Even if I was to consider that what you are saying is true, how can anyone be so cruel?”
Brax
I watch all day. As expected, no one else goes in and not a single soul comes out. Music continues to play as the sun sets. Until about ten at night there is still noise, then silence sweeps the area, as if everyone had just suddenly dropped dead at the click of fingers. All that could be heard was the rushing water of the river crashing down over the cliff.
There was nowhere for me to hide here. Anyone could see me, I was an open target, yet no one had tried anything. I was a little disappointed. I didn’t come here to sit on my ass all day.
Stepping up to the river, I strip off. My bones start to snap and change position as I drop down to all fours. It had been a while since I had shifted and it felt so fucking good. I was also a better swimmer as a Wolf and I do not intend on getting sent over the cliff.
The water is cold and much deeper than I expected. The river bed quickly falls away beneath my feet and it’s a battle to keep my snout above the water as the under current pulls me.
Swimming is hard. Almost like the water is turning into thick sludge. Every drive forward does nothing and it easily carries me in the direction of the waterfall. I fought to swim against the flow, knowing that if I did nothing, my time was up and I would never see Dorothy or Madison ever again.
Halfway across I pick up a new scent.
A rope is thrown to me. And golden eyes flash from under a large hood. “Grab the rope, quick.”
Biting on the rope, the woman starts to pull me in, dragging me through the water. The flow seems to be growing faster by the second. I finally manage to touch the river bank, dragging my wet ass out. The woman falls back on the ground. Her breath heavy, her chest overreacting to the work as she lets go of the rope. “What the hell were you doing?” She snaps
I shift back to my Human form, “Clearly I’m out for a late night swim!”
As she sits up, her hood falls back revealing a bob of whiter than white hair, but she looked no older than twenty. She hastily pulls the hood up, tucking in any loose strands and looks away.
“You must be mad to swim in that at any time. You could have died.” She scratches her head. “I haven’t seen you before. You are not from here, are you?”
“No. But I assume you are from White Cliffs?” I ask, trying hard to keep my sarcasm to a minimum.
She frantically nods but looks puzzled, “You can see the castle? The walls? The metal gate?” She sounds excited. *Like actually see it? With your eyes?”
“Yes, stupid white roofs and all. I’ve been watching all day, how did you get out?”
“I can’t say.” She tells me. Turning over onto her stomach, she crawls across the ground away from me.
“Where are you going?”
“I can’t talk to you while your dick is hanging out.” She moves towards the cliff and lies on her stomach as she reaches over the edge with both her arms and suddenly flips over, disappearing from sight.
My heart is in my throat. Did she just save me and then kill herself?
Her head pops up a few seconds later. “Are you coming?”
Every instinct told me not to follow her, but her soul was different, not a hint of a dark side. Bright, full of excitement.
I creep towards the cliff edge a few metres away from the river. For a moment I watch the water crash down below. It was mesmerising and I knew it would be something Maddie would like. She loved nature
“Hello?” I call out
“Put your arms out.” She replies. I couldn’t see her but I could scent her.
“Why?”
*Just do it. I swear, you will be fine.”
This was fucking nuts.
I flatten myself to the ground, stretching my arms out above my head. Large hands wrap around my wrists, ripping me forward and around until I’m sitting on my ass in some sort of cave with a man staring at me as the woman throws me some shorts.