Ch. 111..115: The Alpha Contract Chapter 111-115

Chapter 111

Dane

"Look, it's down to you. "Jenson mutters. "All the elderly and youngsters have relocated."

"It's been a week!" I snap. I was fully expecting Trey to have attacked by now. Yet there was nothing, no stray Lycans, no threats, nothing. I didn't like it.

"They can sweep the forest again." Jenson suggests.

"They are looking in the trees?"

He snorts, "Of course, we are not making that mistake again."

My eyes move to the calendar on the wall. The next full moon was looming.

"You think they will attack then?" Eric murmurs. He had been quiet, listening to me and my brother's heated discussion.

"When are we most likely not going to be here?" I sigh, "It's exactly what Devon did. He waited until we were gone. He took out the few guards I had stationed around the house. He almost took Neah." The very thought of almost losing her that night made me sick to my stomach.

"Others should have arrived by then." Jenson tells me. We have put in the call."

"They will need to run too."

"Then I will stay with her." Jenson offers.

Eric and I stare at him. I still didn't like the idea of him being alone with my mate. Only now, I was certain Neah would be able to defend herself, but that didn't mean I wanted her to kill my brother.

"You need to run too. The moonlight empowers us."

He slowly nods his head at me. "But I don't need it as much as you. You are the Alpha, you need to lead the pack and I am an excellent fighter."

"One Lycan took you down." Eric muses

Aero's laugh rattles in my skull at Eric's words. 'It's the same each and everytime.'

"Hey, I was trying to defend Neah and my sister!" Jenson scowls at Eric "Out of all of us, and after you," he points at me. "I am the next best thing."

"Really?" Eric cocks an eyebrow, "You want to test that theory."

"OUTSIDE!" Jenson yells.

At least once a year this happens. And each and every time, I let it play out because Jenson needed reminding that he was skilled in the tactics of war, but not the fighting. Still, Jenson could never accept it. He always had to try and prove himself

I follow them out the house and watch them square up to each other. I roll my eyes as they begin to move in a circle. Eric had his hands in his pockets, moving around like this was the most bored he had ever been. While Jenson is crouched, trying to choose his perfect moment to attack.

"If I win, I get to babysit the Luna!" Jenson snaps.

"Alpha." Eric muses. "If you win, you get to PROTECT the Alpha."

I watch my brother roll his eyes and I knew that would annoy Eric more.

Jenson charges at Eric and Eric simply side steps. Jenson skids on the grass and quickly turns lunging at Eric. It was like watching a kids cartoon, where the younger one never got their way.

They end up wrestling on the grass when I pick up my mate's lavender scent. She comes to a stop next to me. "What...what are they doing?"

"Deciding who is going to keep an eye on you on the next full moon."

I feel her blue eyes on me.

"Don't worry, it will be Eric."

"Then why are you letting them fight?" I hear the alarm in her voice.

"Jenson does this all the time. He likes to try and challenge Eric or myself. He never wins." I mutter just as Eric plants a fist on the bridge of my brother's nose. "It's easier to let them battle it out."

I pull Neah's back against my chest, locking my arms around her and resting my hands on her stomach. Everyday I had fucked her, filling her with my seed and there still wasn't a change in her scent to signal that she is carrying my pup. Raven had told me the same as what she had told Neah, that it's still too early to tell.

"How are you feeling?" I whisper in her ear as she watches the fight.

"Sore." There was a warning in her tone. A warning not to try anything today. She tilts her head back to look up at me. Her eyes are almost pitch black. It was more than a warning, it was a threat.

I hold back the chuckle bubbling in my throat and kiss her forehead. If Nyx thinks she can threaten me on Neah's behalf, she better think again.

Kissing her again, I keep my mouth shut, but my eyes probably told her everything she needs to know. I don't take kindly to threats.

Her attention goes back to the men who are still wrestling. Jenson was a little bloody and the blood that was on Eric was also Jenson's. Not a single bruise coloured Eric's skin.

"Guys that's enough. You've been going at this long enough."

Chapter 0112

Eric pins Jenson down, sitting on his chest with his knees dug into Jensons shoulders. "Do you give up?"

Jenson bares his teeth, "Never."

Eric digs his knees in more and Jenson winces but he still tries fighting back. I had to give it to him, he wasn't someone who backed down from a fight.

"I'm sorry Jenson. You lost." I call out

He thumps the ground with his fist and relaxes. "Fine."

""Happy?" I whisper to Neah

She nods her head and whispers. "I need to talk to you."

Her hand links with mine and she pulls me to the house and into my office. Her hand drops from mine and she sits in her usual spot, only this time she doesn't pull her legs up to her chest. "Is everything okay?"

"There is a flaw in your plan." She doesn't hold back. "You said and Raven said that you would be able to scent that I'm pregnant, that my hormones will change." ""I did."

"What about the guests? They will be able to tell that I'm not."

""We still have a couple of days."

"And if I'm still not?"

"Then we tell them your Lycan half is masking your scent." I lean against my desk, watching her. "Who would have thought that you would be concerned that you are not carrying my heir?"

Exactly two days later, I smell the subtle changes in her lavender scent. Neah was curled up asleep, hugging a pillow as I showered. The moment I turned the water off, I could smell the change. Walking over to her, I was half tempted to wake her and tell her the news. Instead I settle for sliding my hand between her and the pillow and resting it on her flat stomach, enjoying that I was the first to know. 'Well, it finally happened.' Aero muses. 'Years we have been waiting for this.'

I agree, but I also internally sigh. 'It was a pregnancy of convenience.'

'Doesn't matter. It is still our pup. Neah will be a great mother, if anything, her past trauma will make sure of that.'

'I hope you are right.'

Pulling the blanket up around her, I quickly dress. Raven would be the first that I would tell, after all, she is the pack doctor and my baby sister.

"You have to tell him." I hear Raven as I push the door open

"He is your brother!" Klaus's words come out in a rushed whisper.

"And he is our Alpha. It doesn't matter who tells him, he needs to know."

"I need to know what?"

Both of them jump, which makes it even more infuriating. They would have done well if one of Trey's assholes had crept up on them.

"Well?"

"You need to see for yourself." Raven mutters, scurrying around the station. She grabs my hand, and leads me to the room at the far end. "I don't know how to help her."

"Her?"

She pushes open the heavy door and I'm hit by the smell of iron. Blood splattered the walls, floor, the door and the cupboards. Sat in the corner rocking, is a naked Jess. Deep wounds littered her arms, face, and body. They were slow to heal, most likely because her body was tired. "Eric left her with me last night." Klaus mutters. "She cut her finger opening a tin. She watched it heal and just fucking lost it."

"She keeps shifting, and ripping into herself with her claws." Raven whispers. "As soon as she is healed, she does it all over again. I can't get near her to sedate her. Putting her in here is all I could do." ""Why didn't you let me know sooner?"

Raven's eyes shift to Klaus. "Well, uh, you have been a little preoccupied."

She was referring to me trying to get Neah pregnant.

"You should have told me, both of you! Get me a blanket!"

Raven runs out into the hallway and comes back with several blankets. "What are you going to do?"

""Leave me."

"But Dane....."

""Leave me."

The door closes behind me. I quietly move towards Jess. Crouching down, I wrap the blanket around her. "Hey, it's okay, you are safe."

She continues to rock, seemingly oblivious to my presence. Grabbing a cloth, I begin to clean the blood from her face and she stills. Her hands clutch the blanket tightly.

"I'm a monster." she whispers.

"No." I state it simply and clearly. "You are a kid who has been thrown into the unknown. Why didn't you leave with the others?"

"I don't want to run."

"But you want to hurt yourself?" I was so grateful that Neah hadn't gone down this path, something tells me she would have done a lot more than just claw at her skin. Especially when she has a habit of going for the heart. "Death would be better."

"Yours or the people that did this to you?"

Chapter 0113

Dane.

"Why is this happening to me?" Jess asks me quietly. Her blue eyes are wide as she stares at me. "Why me?"

"As much as I hate to say it, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Right." Her voice is hollow and she blinks back the tears

"We can help you."

"Why do you even care?" I hear the resentment in her question.

"Because my mate was just like you. She wasn't changed, but she was lied to and made to believe she was something else her entire life. When Neah found out the truth, she called herself a monster too." "Right." She didn't believe me

"You should spend more time with her. Come stay in the packhouse. Eric is there most of the time anyway, especially now his boys have left with their grandparents."

Her eyebrows knit together, and thankfully the tears have stopped. "You...you won't hurt me?"

I smile, I had no intention of hurting a kid. "No."

"Can you find out if my family are okay?"

"Of course."

She sighs. "What will happen to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said that I wouldn't be able to see my family again. You said you were a Wolf even though you look like a Vampire from the tv shows. You said I'm a Lycan, so where do I go?"

"I suggest that you stay here, become a permanent member of the pack. You will be safe, you will be protected. You will have to learn what it's like to live here. We have expectations." She nods her head at me, her red hair swaying around her face.

"One of those being that you don't intentionally hurt yourself."

She hadn't just been covered in claw wounds. Her arms were covered in old scars too. Ones that happened before she was turned. A pink tinge creeps up her cheeks and she nods her head at me. "Follow me." I mutter, rising to my feet. She follows me from the blood splattered room, keeping her eyes low.

"Jess," I murmur, stopping by my sister and Klaus. "You already know Klaus, but this is my younger sister, Raven." "Are you okay?" Raven asks

Jess nods her head and continues to keep her eyes low and her lips pressed together.

"I'm taking her to the packhouse."

"Are you sure?" I could hear my sisters concern.

"Yes. Neah is the only one who can give her the advice she needs."

Raven doesn't answer, her dark eyes remain on Jess. She didn't trust her, not in the slightest. I don't blame her after the Devon incident.

In the packhouse, I show Jess around just like I had done with Raven. Her eyes are like saucers as she takes everything in.

"You are not the only pack?" She asks as we move up the stairs.

"No."

"Are all the main houses like this?"

"I guess so."

"Are you like a millionaire? Like how deep are your pockets?"

I cock an eyebrow at her. She really wasn't afraid of asking questions.

"Right. Too personal, sorry."

I led her down to the end of the hallway. "This will be your room. I called ahead already, there should be some clothes for you on the bed."

"Thanks," she whispers. She gasps as she steps into the bedroom. "This....this is bigger than the ground floor of my home. Thank you."

"Sure," I glance back down the hallway, towards my bedroom. Neah was stirring but something wasn't right. "I just need to go check on Neah, will you be alright?"

Jess nods her head at me as her eyes dart quickly around the room.

Heading to my bedroom, I find Neah sitting on the edge of the bed. One hand gripped around one of the posts. Sweat dripped down her face and I see she is fighting the urge to vomit.

"I don't feel good." she croaks. "I think I've caught....." she gags again and runs to the door where the toilet is. Pulling her hair back from her face, I gently rub her back, waiting for her to be done. She sits back against my legs and lets out a tired sigh.

"You are not sick. Besides, we heal from standard illnesses."

She pauses for a second, taking in my words and slowly tips her head back to look at me. "You're saying...."

"I am, I scented it this morning when you were still sleeping."

Her eyebrows raise. "It worked?"

"Are you doubting my abilities?"

"No....my own. Raven didn't say anything about throwing my guts up!"

Helping her to her feet, I guide her to the large chair by the window. "I've moved Jess into the house." I hoped it would take her mind off of how bad she was feeling. "Oh...okay? She didn't leave."

"No. I went to find Raven. Her and Klaus had Jess in one of the rooms at the hospital."

Chapter 0114

"Is she okay?"

"No. She shifted." I see Neah's eyes widen. "In fact she has shifted multiple times. She tried hurting herself. And it's not the first time." "What do you mean?"

"She is covered in scars, from before she was turned. Her arms and shoulders are littered with thin silvery lines. She hides it well, but I think there is more to her past than she shares. I want to keep an eye on her. And maybe you should spend some time with her." "Me?"

""She called herself a monster."

I wait for Neah to say something but she just slowly nods her head at me.

"She needs someone to look up to. Maybe you can be like a big sister to her, show her that it's not all bad."

"Not so mean after all?" she muses as I move to the basin to grab her a glass of water.

"Is that what you think?" I cock an eyebrow at her as I hand her the glass.

She doesn't respond. Instead she chooses to press her lips to the glass and I see a tiny curve at the corners that she is fighting to hide as she sips the water.

"There are people arriving today." I remind her

"At least I don't have to lie now." She smiles with her lips but it doesn't quite meet her eyes

"No, but you should be aware that many of these people won't want to be here."

"But they are contracted to do so?" Neah asks

"Yes, they also will not be afraid to make their feelings clear."

"Right." She sighs, "What exactly does it say in the contracts?"

"That they will protect any of my heirs at all costs."

"And if they don't?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Wrinkles appear on her forehead. She opens her mouth to say something, but the words disappear as she makes a beeline to the toilet, thrusting the glass into my stomach on her way.

I wait for her to finish and when she looks at me, her skin has that same grey complexion as when I first met her. "Nyx thinks something is wrong."

"It's just the change in your hormones. I've seen it happen before." Though the grey skin worried me, I wasn't going to tell her that. "If it makes you feel better, we can go and see Raven." "You're still here?" I mutter to Klaus as we walk into the pack hospital.

"I've been helping Raven clean the mess. Jess did quite a number." he flicks through a trashy magazine that raven insisted on buying.

"Where is Raven?"

"She went to change. Should be back in a minute. Is everything okay?" His eyes settle on Neah. "You don't exactly......"

He trails off when he sees my head shake and before Neah has a chance to say something, Raven comes hurtling in. "Klaus, can you head over to the house. Jess is in the room at the end of the hallway. Just keep an eye on her." I instruct "Sure."

"You're pregnant?" Raven asks as soon as the door is closed behind Klaus. "You have to be, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Though I can't smell the changes yet."

"Can you just check her over?"

"I've told you Dane. Nothing will show up, not until she is a few weeks along and even then it will be a tiny speck, if anything." she turns to Neah and smiles, "All I can suggest is try to up your fluid intake, if you are feeling queasy."

"It's not normal for a Wolf." The words tumble from my mouth in irritation from Aero pushing forward and before I even have a chance to think or force him back.

"She's not a Wolf." Raven snaps, folding her arms across her chest. "Look I can do a scan, but right now, that is all I can offer and I'm telling you, it won't show anything."

She leads us to a bed and grabs a small machine, absentmindedly running the wand over Neah's stomach. "To be honest Dane, I'm a little surprised you can smell anything. Most mates can't tell until their partner is at least a month along." She suddenly stops, holding the little want in one position. "Huh."

I see the panic in my mates eyes. "What do you mean, huh?" Neah cries

She fiddles with something on the side of the small monitor. A heartbeat echoes around the room followed by an extra beat.

"Neah, you are further along. Give or take six weeks."

"I am?"

"You didn't know?"

"No."

"What's wrong with the heart beat?" I demand

"Nothing, it is just what it sounds like when a mother is carrying twins."

Chapter 0115

"Twins?"

"Yep." Raven smiles. "Definitely." She presses the little wand harder against my stomach as I stare up at the ceiling. Danes' fingers curl around mine. I knew he was happy. I could feel it vibrating off of him.

'Twins?' I mutter to Nyx, hoping that she would understand my fear. I could barely look after myself let alone two pups. 'Look at him!' She mutters

My eyes drift to Dane. He holds the small monitor in his free hand as Raven points out the growing pups. The biggest grin is plastered on his face and his crimson eyes are bright. 'He's happy.' Nyx murmurs. 'We are not in this alone.'

'How? My body has been through so much. I can't be six weeks.' I try to add up the dates in my head, but so much has happened since my first period that I am all turned around. Nyx doesn't say anything.

'Did you know?'

Silence.

'Nyx?'

'The forest.' she mutters quietly 'and our pups develop quicker.'

'Lycans, I'm carrying Lycans?' As much as that was who I am, I wanted nothing to do with them.

'It's too early to tell. But there is every ch......'

"NO!" I climb off the bed, pulling my hand from Danes. Both Raven and Dane stare at me like I'm mad. "Neah?" he tries to reach my wrist and I rip it out of reach.

"I need to think!" I snap a little harder than I intended as I barge past them.

Nyx starts trying to talk to me

"Shut up!"

Raven's dark eyes are like saucers as they flash between me and Dane.

"Just, just give me some time." I mutter, backing out the room.

"Neah?" Raven calls after me. I hear Dane telling her to let me go. To give me what I had asked for.

"Hey, you okay?" Klaus asks as I fly through the doors that led back out onto the grounds

"I need to be alone. And I... I thought you were with Jess?"

""Eric's at the house."

"Right." I huff

"Is being alone what you really want?" he gives me a small smile "Maybe you just need someone else to talk to? Or vent too? Someone that is not your mate." My eyes narrow at him for a second. "Have you done any more research?"

"About you, you mean?"

I nod

"I have some stuff at the house. But I'm assuming you are talking about being pregnant?"

""You know?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "It wasn't too hard to guess. You came to the hospital with no visual injuries. You only looked a little off and Dane was not losing his temper." "What do the books say?"

"To be honest, not a lot."

I inwardly sigh, it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"What does your Lycan have to say about it?" He quizzes

"That the pups develop faster."

""You're worried that the pup will be a Lycan?"

"Worse, that they both will be?"

It takes him a moment to realise I am telling him it's twins. His eyes widen at the realisation of my words.

"I have Trey and Cassandra coming for me with who knows how many Lycans. Dane will be having guests arriving and....and....." "It's too much?"

I nod my head, closing my eyes to fight the tears that were trying to leak out.

"For everything that those bastards have done to me, they don't deserve to live. But now, I might be bringing more into the world." "And that scares you?"

I nod

"They will be raised by you." He gives me another small smile. "That counts for something."

I knew the words were supposed to be reassuring, yet they plant more doubt in my mind.

Raised by me, it felt like some sort of universal joke.

I see Eric come out of the pack house, his hands firmly planted on Jess's shoulders. He briefly looks around. Spotting me, he pushes Jess in our direction.

Her eyes are low as they come to a stop in front of us. I was too busy staring at Jess's hair to listen to the men. She had taken a pair of scissors to it, and badly. Her eyes catch mine. "I couldn't get the blood out."

I was about to tell her I could fix it. I had learned to cut my own hair over the years, but Eric interrupts us to tell me that Danes guests had arrived.

Dane comes out of the hospital with force. Making the door ricochet against the brick wall. It makes Jess jump and her hand grabs mine. I could hear her heart beating so hard that it hummed.