Chapter 168 – The Alphas Contract Novel by Taylor West

Filed to story: The Alphas Contract Novel by Taylor West

He has no idea who he is dealing with.

I lay staring up at the white ceiling. There wasn’t a single speck of dirt on it. No tiles for me to count to pass the time, nothing. Whatever this place was, it was supposed to drive us insane. But I’m used to being alone with my thoughts.

Breakfast is oatmeal in a plastic bowl. Delivered by an older woman with salt and pepper hair. Her grey eyes are dim. It’s almost like she is on autopilot as she moves. Not a single word leaves her lips. She doesn’t even make eye contact. What did Cooper have over her?

A different woman appears thirty minutes later to collect the breakfast dish. She’s younger than the first, maybe in her thirties, but again, there is no eye contact. I was starting to wonder if I was dreaming because it just didn’t seem real.

Taking my drip bag with me, I sit in the corner, directly under the camera. I had no idea if they could see me in this position, but I felt a little less watched.

I play with the drip feed, connecting it and reconnecting it, seeing how long I could go before I felt like I was going to die. I couldn’t get past five seconds. It wasn’t even enough time for me to attack anyone, but maybe I could use the tube, it was long long enough to wrap around someone’s neck.

I jump when there is a knock on the door. Not being able to hear them walking towards you was uncomfortable. I keep quiet as the door swings open. Cooper’s eyes find me immediately.

“Up you get.”

“Why?”

“Full of so many questions, aren’t you?” There’s a slight smirk. “Get up.”

I rise to my feet.

“Take it with you or you won’t get very far.”

I push the drip bag along with me as I step out into a white corridor, multiple doors lined it. Some people were banging on theirs while others were quiet or sobbing behind them.

“Walk!” Cooper snaps and shoves me forward.

My bare feet move slowly, one in front of the other as I try to guess how many people are here. And what they might have done to end up here. We get to a door and Cooper uses a key to unlock it. He locks it behind us too.

“Where are you taking me?”

He’s silent as he pushes me on. “Is this for what I did to Neah?”

“I told you, I have no interest in the Alpha. Though many would call that treason.” He directs me into another room and points me to the chair. “You’ve met her?” I was starting to think he hadn’t. He may know her name, but he didn’t seem to know she was mated either.

“What does it matter to you?”

“Because if you had met her, you would know that we are siblings.”

Damien

The number of Lycans here in the Black Shadow now surpassed the Wolves. They had done for about a week and it was the first time I had seen Dane looking a little uncomfortable. Even though he hadn’t said it, more Lycans than Wolves were a potential threat. In theory we could overthrow the Wolves, but every single one of us are here for Neah.

Still, after five weeks, there were more turning up. I had always known there were more, but not this many.

Plenty had died along the way too. Abraxas had taken great joy in that and as much as he was an asshole and I still didn’t trust him, he was sticking to his word and he seemed to be good for Dottie.

Abraxas moves around doing some of his weird training shit in the open space between the packhouse and the first houses. He had drawn in a crowd, especially young teenage girls who liked to watch him work out. As long as they were Wolves, he didn’t have a problem.

“Watching him again?” Dane mutters as he steps through the front door.

“Just like you watch the Lycans.”

“You know Brax is still trying to find a way to bind Nyx. He doesn’t have to do that.”

“He’s been looking for an answer for almost two months. Don’t you think he should have found something by now? Especially now he has the help of another Hunter.”

“Klaus isn’t like Brax. You already know that.” The news about Klaus had been more than a shock. When comparing him to Abraxas, they were nothing alike. I just couldn’t see how Klaus could be a Hunter, plus he loved Neah.

“Fine, but maybe it’s not possible.” I tell him. “And even if it is, we both know it might kill her. You can’t risk that. Neah needs to find a way to manage it”

“What if I tell you he has already found a couple of options.”

He had my full attention and I drag my eyes away from Abraxas. “What?”

“He has found a couple of options, but neither of them have a hundred percent guarantee that Neah won’t get hurt in the process. One of the ideas came from a Witch, but once she found out Neah had been bound before, she told Abraxas it wasn’t an option.”

“Why have you not said anything?”

“I don’t need to. She is my mate. I am the Alpha here.”

“She is also our Alpha, Dane. Where is she anyway?”

“With Klaus and before you say anything.” Dane watches me. “Neah can handle herself and Klaus won’t hurt her.”

I figured it was best that I don’t answer

‘Jenson moved!’ Raven’s voice echoes in my head

‘Raven…’

‘He moved!’

‘I’m on my way.’ I look to Dane. “Jenson moved?”

“It’s probably just….” He doesn’t answer me as his crimson eyes become glassy. “Come on.”

As we start to head towards the hospital, he shouts for Abraxas to come with us and I roll my eyes. “What did Raven say to you?” I ask as we make our way across the grounds.

“His eyes are open.”

“That’s not possible.” Abraxas frowns. Something that seems to be permanent these days.

We burst in through the hospital and head to the room where Jenson was. Jenson has had the pillows removed from under his head and the bed has been laid completely flat. His eyes are wide open but unresponsive. The tube down his throat continues to work to keep him breathing.

“His hand moved.” Raven mutters. Her own dark eyes are just as wide as Jensons. “And he opened his eyes.” She gestures to his face.

I look at Jenson’s hands. They are in n

exactly the same place as usual. But this also wasn’t the first time Raven had claimed he had moved. Her desire for him to live was making her see things that just weren’t true. But this was the first time his eyes had been open.

Dane clenches his jaw as his eyes scan over his brother’s body. He had admitted that he had said goodbye to Jenson a long time ago, but he believed Raven needed time. His crimson eyes move to Abraxas and Abraxas shakes his head.

“Raven, it’s time to turn off the machines.” Dane tells her

“You said he would heal.” She’s glaring at Abraxas

“He’s not and he hasn’t been for a while.” Abraxas replies. “I have said this a number of times, he is not healing. You have to let him go.

Otherwise you are forcing him t exist in a world that no longer has a place for him. And you are giving up your life in the hopes that there will be a miracle. That miracle isn’t happening.”

“He’s my brother.” I feel her pain. Her ache for him is as strong as her will for him to just wake up. Her denial is just as bad.

“We can do this with you by his side or without you.” Dane tells her

“You can’t… I’m the pack doctor. I know what’s best.”

Resting my hands on her shoulders, I give her a small squeeze. She wasn’t alone in this, even if that is what she feels.

Dane flicks off the machine that is breatheing for Jenson followed by the one that makes sure his heart pumps blood around his body.

Raven is already sobbing as we wait and watch for any signs of life. To no one’s surprise, there is nothing, No movement. No twitch of a finger. No quiet beat of the heart.

Raven drops to her knees, as she goes into panic mode. Her chest heaves as she struggles to breathe.

“GO!” I shout at Dane and Abraxas as I pull my mate against me.

My mate claws at her own chest and I have to lock my hands over hers to stop her hurting herself. She thrashes against me, pummeling her fists any place she can with a desperate need to get away. I hold steady, knowing it was just the pain of acknowledging her twin was really gone.

I’m not even sure how long we are sat on the floor before she becomes quiet. Minutes, maybe even hours. She stares up at Jenson. “Dane turned off the machines.” She whispers

“He was already gone, Raven.”

“He took my brother away from me.”

“No. This is what Blair did.” She had to remember that it was Blair that made Jenson try and kill his Wolf. It was Blair that had made him weak. Dane was just doing what he should have done weeks ago.

“Blair.” she whispers

“Blair turned him into something he never was. You saw it yourself. Remember what he was like before he met her.”

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