Filed to story: The Alphas Contract Novel by Taylor West
“Stay still!” I hear Damien roar.
The feet belonging to Silas skip to a stop.
Moving around the trees. I spot Damien and then Silas, who had shifted back to Human form
*You can talk?” Silas mutters, glaring at Damien
The sound of breaking bones echoes through the forest as Damien shifts. “It’s not the problem right now, is it?”
Silas shakes his head. “This.. …” A frown appears. He reminded me of the early days with Neah when she would stumble over her words
“It’s a lot to take in. No one is expecting you to just accept it.” Damien tells him as I shift to my Human form
*Ask him why his Wolf is bigger than ours!’ Aero tuts
‘Not now!
*I can only imagine how you are feeling.”
“How I’m feeling?” He scoffs. “My children are not real. The boys, they were mine. They were my life. I would have done anything to bring Jarret back. I would have done anything to save them. To protect them. I beat myself up for a long time, blaming myself for not saving Jarret. Quinn lost his brother, he used to look for him. And now….” He jabs a finger in my direction. “You were expecting this. You told me she wasn’t welcome here!”
“We have dealt with a Witch that has caused problems. A Witch you are familiar with. You wouldn’t listen, Silas. Any mention of a lie and you refused it. But I know it placed doubt in your mind. I know it has made you question your existence. And now, it is important that you accept that. You will not be able to move on until you have.”
“It probably won’t just be today either.” Damien adds, “You will have to battle it daily focusing on the light Dottie was speaking of. Until Thalia is dead, that magic is likely not removable. I imagine each time you sleep, it resets, never faltering. Everyday you will need to search for that person you need to be with. Everyday you will probably go through this until the spell is broken or she is dead.”
“I don’t even know who it is that I’m supposed to be with. I’ve searched my mind. Lyall has as well. Any time I try to think of any other woman. Thalia is there, invading my thoughts and feelings. For a tiny second, it goes and I realise that there is a gap in time. One that doesn’t make sense no matter how I look at it. How am I supposed to just forget this?” He taps his temple
“You don’t, you use it.”
He sits on a nearby trunk. “My life hasn’t been mine.”
*Do you know the funny thing about all of this?” I muse, “If you had never come to find Neah, you would be trapped under that same spell, until the day you die, would you rather you have carried on like that?”
“No of course not!”
I nod. “Now will you help us eliminate the threats?”
Brax
“We need to make a move.” I mutter, looking through the tiny peephole in the boarded up windows.
Almost a whole day had passed since Klaus arrived and we were still hiding inside Indy’s home. Waiting and watching.
“I know that’s what you are used to doing.” Klaus mutters, “I think it would be a mistake. We don’t even have a plan in place other than to kill her.” I see him nod at the white Wolf. “I will ask. Indy, are there any white Wolves here in White Cliffs?”
“One.”
“Let me guess.” I tut. “One of Thalia’s men?”
“No. Me. But if you are thinking of doing what I think you are going to do, don’t bother. I’m small. If Xavi goes out there and Thalia sees him, she will know without a doubt that it isn’t me. Plus he can’t hide his balls.” She smiles and from the corner of my eye, I see Orion silently laughing.
“I was thinking more about the eyes, but you are right, you can’t miss those.”
I’m met with a snarl from the Wolf and roll my eyes at him.
“He doesn’t need to go far.” Klaus tells her, “He wants to go straight across from here and up into the tower on the opposite site of the courtyard. No one seems to go there. He said he can keep watch and keep me updated.”
The colour drains from her face. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?” Klaus presses
Indy scowls at Orion, “I know, I know.”
“By your reaction, I’m assuming there is a reason no one goes up there?” I ask
“There is one person that goes up there. Serkan. It’s where…” Her eyes close, “It’s where his food is kept. It’s how Orion lost his tongue.” She casts her eyes in his direction. “Do you want me to tell them?”
He dips his head.
“Orion was out collecting us both some fresh food from the market that gets held once a week.”
“They hold a market around the dead?”
“Remember, the people can’t see or smell the rotting flesh. Anyway, he tripped over near those steps that lead up to the tower.” She frowns as she stares at him. “Those steps have been there the entire time but somehow, he never noticed them before. Another trick of the mind.”
She clears her throat, “Orion went up to investigate. There are bodies, alive but silenced. They couldn’t speak. They couldn’t scream. Orion tried to help them but Thalia caught him. His tongue was removed before he had a chance to speak.”
“She didn’t kill him?” Klaus asks
“Trust me, we are as surprised as you. I think it was a lesson of some kind, or maybe she wasn’t expecting to find him and was caught off guard. At this point, who knows.” She shrugs. “It’s like I said. The steps have always been there, but no one noticed them. No one goes up them. It has to be something to do with her spell, right?”
“Likely. If she has been controlling everyone, then it is probably in her interest to keep people away from learning about Serkans food source.” “It’s sick!” She splutters
I nod in agreement. I like meat, but to eat a Human, even my stomach churns at that.
“Are they still there?” Klaus frowns. “Are there still people in that tower?”
She hikes her shoulders up around her chin, “I don’t think so. We have watched, no one comes, no one goes. I guess they might have been removed when we were in the tunnel. Do you see how much is wrong with this place? You have seen the dead, the rotting corpses that line the streets. You know what she is like.” She sighs as her golden eyes settle on Klaus. “You know and you haven’t even met her.”
“We are here to help.” Klaus offers her a smile.
“I hope you can, because this is not a way for us to live anymore. Knowing everything and yet watching the others carry on in some sort of oblivious state, unable to escape. I want to live. I want to see Silas again. I want to be with the man that is mine. I want Thalia to suffer.”
“That can be arranged. Where is that potion you showed me?”
Her eyebrows disappear under her white hair. “The one to hide your scent?”
“No, the one to turn me into a frog! Of course I’m talking about the one to hide my scent.”
“It was a genuine question, you don’t need to be sarcastic!” Indy scowls at me. “Did your mother not teach you good manners?”
I had met a lot of people who were afraid of me as a Hunter, but not anyone quite like Indy. She didn’t seem to care one bit, almost like Neah. Though I wasn’t the Wolf in the room that had a problem with her. Xavi’s eyes had been fixed on her for almost the entire conversation. Only briefly leaving her to look at Klaus.
“Yes he is always like this.” Klaus whispers to Xavi
Indy gets the little vial of blue liquid from the safe. Grasping it tightly in her hand. She slowly turns to face us. “This is all I have. I don’t think I can get anymore.”
“One drop every hour.” I nod, “I remember, but it’s not for me. It’s for the white Wolf.”
She turns to Klaus with an outstretched hand. Behind him, Xavi’s snout twitches, a low rumble vibrates through him.
“Not a full blooded Witch!” I snap at him. My abrupt announcement makes Indy jump. She lets go of the bottle. Thankfully Klaus grabs it before it hits the floor. For a moment, everyone is silent.
Xavi’s amber eyes shift to me.
“She is on our side. She is a half breed. Her Wolf is stronger. I suggest you pull it together if you are going to help.”
Klaus closes his eyes with a frown.
“Go on, tell me what your mate is saying because I would love to know.” I keep my eyes on Xavi
“He called you a moron.” Klaus mutters
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I shrug my shoulders. I had heard worse.
“It just hides the scent, right?” Klaus questions Indy. “It doesn’t take away the other abilities, healing, strength, his connection to me?”
“I’ve used it. I swear it just hides your scent.”
Klaus squats down next to Xavi, “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t know what is going to happen out there. She could see you and she could kill you on the spot.”
There is a brief silence as Klaus squeezes a tiny blob of blue liquid on Xavi’s tongue. He loops his arms around the neck of the white Wolf, pressing his face into his white fur. “Make sure you come back to me.”
“Orion.” Indy mutters.
Orion moves forward to the door.
“Orion will leave with you. We are always seen together, it might look suspicious if you are wandering around by yourself.” She hands Orion the bottle, “Just in case you are not back within the hour.”
