Ch. 286..290: The Alpha Contract Chapter 286-290

Chapter 0286

"Obviously I haven't told her what we are doing. But she was sat with me when I was changing the boys and just told me to remember that I had the power to do it. And then it just kind of happened. No one replied though." "They don't have too. They will come." I frown. "Some out of annoyance, some out of curiosity, But they will come and Blair probably will too." I mutter

Her big blue eyes rise up to meet Danes crimson orbs. "The last time we had a lot of people here, bad things happened."

"The difference is this time we are expecting some of them to be trouble." Dane tells her. "That's what he is for." He gestures to me.

"Right." Her tone is full of uncertainty and he helps with that.

Their relationship was stronger than anyone I had ever met. Stronger than the bond I had with my mate. It shouldn't work and yet somehow it does.

I needed to watch the bonded mates more. Especially those with Lycan mates.

Neah panics a little more, suggesting that she had made a big mistake. "What if I shift?"

"Then we will deal with that when it happens." His tone is softer around her, not like when he is speaking to me or anyone else.

"Promise me you will look after the twins." She mutters. "If I...."

""You won't shift"

They both look at me as though they had momentarily forgotten that I was in the room.

"I won't let you go Rogue." The words roll from my tongue, surprising me in the process.

Stopping Lycans from going Rogue was never of interest to me, only ending their miserable life. But for some reason, I liked Neah. Maybe I was too fascinated by her cracked soul and how it reacted. Maybe it was just a job. But I also knew I can't learn anything from her if she goes Rogue and ends up dead.

****

Two days and a handful of Lycans had turned up.

Every single one of them was laid in front of me with a bullet lodged in their skull.

They had hated her. They hated that she was their leader. They hated that she was mated to a Wolf. They hated that she had children with him. They were livid that she had called them in.

I had watched their souls darken as Neah spoke to them. They were a threat and I put them down before they had a chance to do something stupid.

And no one, not even Damien questioned me.

I took the bodies to the edge of the pack, planning on burying them. Instead I make a fire, toss their bodies on and watch them burn.

The smell of burning Lycans is putrid. Even worse when the bodies had already started to swell from the gas. It invades your sense of smell for days and everytime you think it's gone, a little tiny reminder would make its way into your senses. Still, after all this time, I hadn't adjusted to the stench.

"Done." I mutter when I return to the house. Damien, Blondie and Dane are standing out the front.

"You set them on fire?" Blondie asks

"There might be too many to bury. This way, we just have to get rid of a bunch of bones." I shrug my shoulders.

"Bet you are enjoying this, aren't you?" Damien folds his arms up across his chest as he glares at me.

"I'm doing a job." I mutter back. I wasn't going to tell him that I feel sorry for Neah because the first people to turn up wanted nothing to do with her. Feeling sorry for a Lycan, that was a new feeling. "Any sign of any more?" Dane shakes his head. "Not yet."

"They have lived without a leader for a long time. Even her mother didn't possess the same power that she does. She has to understand that a lot of them won't like it. A lot will fight it especially after being free this long."

 

Chapter 0287

"She knows." Dane growls

"What about the other packs?" Blondie asks. "We know Moonshine had a leader."

"No packs have a true leader unless they are Wolves. They choose someone, if they don't like it, they kill them and replace. Isn't that what Moonshine did to Neah's parents?" "It is."

"Then this will be different."

"Thought you don't believe in Alphas?" Blondie tuts

"I don't, but I believe in power."

Dane frowns at my words but doesn't speak and focusses his gaze on the direction of the packs main entrance. They all seemed to be expecting more. Believing that people will jump at the chance to have a leader.

"Incoming." Dane mutters as Mallory strides up the drive with two new people. A Lycan and a Wolf, hand in hand with one another. The Lycan has a fresh mark on her neck and her hand is gripped a little too tightly around the guys. There is no darkness to her soul, but there is fear.

Mallory stops just in front of us and I watch the girls fingers grow impossibly tighter around the guys hand or so I thought. Looking closer, I see that he is holding on to her. His knuckles are white, and the skin on her hand is sunken from the pressure.

"This is Madison and Enzo." Mallory smiles. "Madison is a Lycan mated to a Wolf." I knew she was saying it for my benefit as she smiles smugly at me.

"Maddie." The girl whispers her chestnut eyes briefly settle on me and she sort of bows, making her red waves fall over her face..

The movement is subtle, but enough for me to see that Enzo is the one forcing her into a bow. She gulps, but doesn't make another sound as she slowly straightens. She had probably convinced him to come here because of Neah's instructions. But really she was using it as a way to ask for help.

"Maddie." Dane steps forward and I knew from his tone that he had seen the same things I had. Maybe it reminded him of how he met Neah. "Mallory will take you through to meet Neah. Enzo, you will stay with us."

"If it's all the same, Alpha Dane, I would like to meet the Lycan Alpha that dragged me and my mate from our holiday."

"You will." Dane steps forward. "Meetings are done individually so everyone can be verified."

"There are other Lycans here?" His eyes flicker between us.

Damien steps forward and gestures to himself. "Yes."

"I would still prefer to attend the meeting with Madison. I want to know what this Alpha wants with her. And she wants me by her side."

Enzo glares at Maddie until she whispers that she was afraid to be alone with a stranger.

"Nothing will happen to her." I smile at him though I had ideas for what is about to happen to him.

"Can you guarantee that?" He cocks his head to one side and stares at Dane.

"I can guarantee nothing will happen to her." Dane practically states the same as me. He knew what was coming.

Enzo frowns but let's go of the pretty redhead. "Two minutes." He mutters to Maddie and pulls her in, planting his lips on the corner of hers. Her soul pulsates with fear.

"Mallory." Dane gives her a nod. Mallory smiles and links arms with Maddie, encouraging her to go into the house.

Enzo's brain ruptures out the back of his skull just as the door closes behind the women.

 

Chapter 0288

Blair

My eyes focus on the brats playing in the front garden. They are spitting images of their father. They looked happy as they kicked a ball between them. Giggling and laughing until the younger boy slips on the ball, landing with a heavy thud. The sound of their happiness is quickly replaced with cries and the elder boy screaming for his mother.

She comes rushing out of the house, an apron tied around her waist, a small dish towel tossed over her shoulder, her jet black hair tied up into a high bun. She drops to her knees, pulling the small boy in against her chest and rocking him. Promising him that everything was going to be okay.

She had raised them to be wimps. There wasn't even any blood. If I had fallen from a tree at their age, she would have told me to get up and shake it off. 'You're better than this. Grow a backbone! Be better!'

They are all smiles and the tears have stopped as she promises them cake and ice cream. I roll my eyes, I would have been lucky to get a decent dinner at that age.

But here I was, needing a place to lie low, a place to think. I had returned to my mother's home in the hope that she will welcome me in, even if it's just for a night or two while I figure things out.

Forcing myself out of my new blue BMW, I straighten up, my bones cracking. I had only just managed to force myself to shift back yesterday. It took a lot, but for now I was back in human form and I needed to keep it that way.

I step towards the house, throwing my eyes up and down the small cul-de-sac. Every house here is full of Lycans. The remnants of what was once a great Lycan pack.

The white gate creaks as I push it open. I see the curtains twitch. A moment later, the front door is ripped open and there stands my mother's husband, glaring at me with his deep blue eyes.

"What the fuck do you want?" Ryken demands

"Not you, clearly." I retort, "I came to see my mother and my brothers."

"She's not here and the boys have no idea who you are."

He starts shutting the door, I stick my toe in the door and he glares at me.

"You must be stupid if you think I believe that mum's not here. I just saw her." I hated him so fucking much. Almost as much as I hated Neah and her little crew.

"What do you want, Blair?" He steps out of the doorway, making me back up as he folds his arms across his chest in a defensive stance. "You are not welcome here and don't give me some bullshit about wanting to see your mother. You haven't been here in five years. I bet you can't even remember your brothers names."

I take a deep breath. He wasn't wrong. The youngest had only just been born when I left. "Maybe it's time I get to know my brothers." I offer

"So you can warp their minds too?" He snarls at me. I could kill him. I had thought about it so many times, but for some fucked up reason, I just couldn't do it. He made my mum happy after she had spent so long being sad and angry at the world and I didn't want to be the one that takes that away from her again.

"I know I haven't been around." I cast a glance up and down the street, I really didn't want to be seen by the others.

"Thank fuck for that, you almost led that Hunter asshole to our door." He runs a hand over his shaved head.

"I killed his family."

"But you didn't kill him. Big fucking mistake."

"I..."

"Blair, this is not a good time."

I hear a baby start to cry from somewhere inside. "You had another pup?"

"Yes. You have a sister."

"Mum shouldn't be having pups at her age." I retort

He doesn't answer me, though his deep blue eyes remain on me like he was waiting for me to say something else.

My mother appears, cradling a pup that's less than a few weeks old.

"Blair." She whispers when she sees me, but she doesn't smile. "Why...why did you come here?" I watch her hands tighten around the pup and she takes a step back, scared of me. ""Well?" Ryken demands. "Your mother asked you a question."

"I already told you. I want to get to know my brothers... and meet my sister." I force a smile

"You mean you are on the run and need somewhere to lay low." Ryken mutters. His blue eyes move to my neck. "You have a mate now, where is he? Why isn't he protecting you?"

"Doesn't matter." I mutter in annoyance. I was furious with Jenson. I don't know what he had done or what had happened to him, but I knew he was dying. I could feel it though I couldn't link him or read his mind anymore.

"What did you do, Blair?" Mum asks. Her eyebrows shoot up her forehead.

"I fell in love with the wrong fucking man." Her eyes narrow as I hit that nerve. History has a habit of repeating itself.

"Watch your fucking tone." Ryken growls. "This is our home, you don't get to bring that attitude to our doorstep."

 

Chapter 0289

I roll my eyes at him and look at my mother. "I found her."

"Who?" She asks with a frown

"Daddy's favourite little girl."

Her brown eyes widen a little and she shakes her head. "That was a long time ago, Blair. You need to let go of the past."

I had a feeling she was just saying it because Ryken was standing right here. If it had just been us, I know she would be smiling. It's what we had both wanted. I knew deep down she wanted revenge for what my father had done to her, done to us. Ryken points a finger at me. "You are fucking nuts. You do realise who she is, right?"

"Yeah, everything that I should be."

He laughs and I feel that white hot rage creeping up inside of me.

"You were never going to be an Alpha, Blair. Your dad wasn't an Alpha, it was a fucking lie you stupid cow." He prods his thick finger against my temple. "Why can't you get that to go in that thick skull of yours?"

"He lied, Blair." My mum whispers sadly. Where was her anger? Where was her rage?

"Are you really that stupid?" Ryken shakes his head, "You are an Everwood. You could have had a chance at leading this small pack, but you fucked that up by going on this wild goose chase of yours."

I laugh, looking around at the houses. "There's like thirty people in this so-called pack and my name is Blair Kitson."

He laughs at me while mum just stares at me with a deep rooted sadness

"You would rather take your half sister's name then be proud of our own pack?"

"If it gets me my place."

Ryken laughs. "You are fucking delusional. Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And I'm not talking about your mother."

"You are saying I'm like my father."

"Exactly like him. Why do you think your mother spent so long despising you?!" He mocks

"Mum?"

She turns away without uttering a single word and heads deeper into the house. Ryken throws a glance over his shoulder and then stares at me. "You had a chance here, Blair. A chance at a fresh start. I was willing to take you on as my own, to raise you into a loving family. Give you everything you missed when you were a child. But you threw that away because you can't let go of this stupid idea of yours. Now leave, you are trespassing."

He slams the door in my face and my heart drops into my stomach. I had really hoped mum would welcome me with open arms.

Slinking back to my car, I watch the house for a while, mulling over Ryken's words. Every now and again I would see one of my brothers appear in the window. They never looked at me, but they were so damn happy. A million miles away from how I had felt growing up. Mum had changed, she had gotten everything she ever wanted. A happy, loving family and I wasn't part of that.

A tear leaks from my eye. I'm quick to wipe it away. Crying was not happening. Mum had moved on without me. Speeding down the road, Neah's voice vibrates through my head, telling all Lycans to come to Black Shadow. "Fuck!" My hands slam against the steering wheel. I knew this day would come, but why had she waited until now?

Turning the car around, I head back to my mum's place. I needed to see if they would go. Neah's request wasn't an order, but that could change and then I would be forced to go too.

Would she have them killed because of me?

I stop at the end of the road. They were already loading up their car with bags. Mum had the baby cradled in her arms as Ryker moved back and forth, slotting things into the car like he was playing a game of tetris.

They weren't the only ones either. Every house had people loading up cars. They were all going. They were all fucking stupid.

Slamming on my brakes, I block their car in. My mum stares at me with wide eyes and backs off towards the house as my sister startes to cry.

"You are making a mistake." I mutter

"It's our decision." He snaps back at me and slams the car door shut with the boys inside. He goes to say something and instead shakes his head in disbelief. "What the fuck have you done, Blair?"

I had been fighting Wolves, Lycans and Rogues for years. I had been thriving on my own. Yet somehow he always makes me feel like a little kid with no power. A little kid who had done something really, really bad. The strength and confidence I usually have in any situation fades to nothing.

"BLAIR!" Ryken growls "What danger have you put the pack in?"

"1..."

"You didn't just find her, did you?" He snarls at me

"Let me talk to whoever is in charge."

"You are looking at him."

"You are in charge?" I ask in disgust

"As voted by the others. Now I have to speak to the Lycan Alpha about the mess you created."

"She will probably kill you."

"Then the death of your family will sit firmly on your shoulders alone."

 

Chapter 0290

Neah

Mallory guides a crying woman into the office. The red haired woman has her hands clutched to her chest, almost hyperventilating as a wide eyed Mallory ushers her into a chair. "He can't hurt you now." Mallory tells her.

The bang made sense now. Abraxas had killed someone else. Someone that he had deemed unworthy to even meet me. By the mark on this woman's neck, my guess is the person was her mate.

"I'm sorry." I mutter, knowing there would be no words to actually soothe the loss of her mate. She is most likely in agony.

"He's really dead?" She splutters through tears.

"Yes." Mallory offers her a smile

"Good!" The woman looked so relieved to here the confirmation. Now I was even more confused. "The bastard marked me when I received your link."

"You weren't his mate?" I ask as even more questions develop in my head

'It's a trap.' Nyx mutters.

'You think everything is a trap.' I snap back

"No." The redhead mumbles. "I was sold to him."

I was starting to see why Abraxas had shot him. "You were sold?"

She drops her gaze, her long red hair falls down over her face "It's not the first time."

"You've been sold more than once?" Mallory mutters in disgust.

The woman nods her head. "When I received your link. I saw an opportunity. I told him I had to come. That you had sent an order."

"He was a Wolf." Mallory adds, explaining why the guy hadn't heard my link

"It was the only thing I could think of. But he marked me. Told me that he needed to keep tabs on me." She runs her fingers over the mark on her neck.

"Why didn't you just shift and kill him, Maddie?" Mallory presses.

The woman's brows knit together and she presses her lips into a thin line. "I can't shift."

'Lies!' Nyx snaps

"You can't?" I ask while trying to ignore my Lycan. I was starting to feel like there was something seriously wrong with Nyx. She was so up and down. She made me question myself far too much. She constantly tried to make me see the bad in everything. Sometimes it seemed like I wasn't just fighting the darkness but her too.

Especially when she started hating the idea of me trying to link everyone. Something she was on board with at first and suddenly changed her mind over.

Maddie shakes her head at me and fidgets with the ends of her waist long hair. "I knew you are going to ask me and I don't know the answer."

"Were you bound?" Her tears had finally stopped

"No, I was just their plaything. I can do everything else. I heal quickly, I'm fast. Uh, I have a great sense of smell and hearing. Obviously you can link me. I have just never been able to shift. I can prove the other stuff if you like. Do you have a knife?" 'Bullshit. She has to have been bound.' Nyx growls

"You said you have been sold multiple times. Did any of them drug you?" I press

She shakes her head at me. "They didn't need to."

"What do you mean?"

"A long time ago, I learned that if I just did what they asked, they wouldn't hurt me."

I wasn't following her at all. They bought her but didn't hurt her? Trey, Cassandra had found an excuse to hit me for any reason, even when I did conform.

"You had sex with them?" Mallory breaks my thoughts. She looked horrified by the thought

Maddie bobs her head. "It might sound crazy to you. But as long as I did that, they didn't hurt me. None of them did until...."

"Until Enzo?" Mallory asks

Maddies eyes drop to the floor again. She had figured out what she needed to do to survive and it sounded strangely like she had come to terms with what happened to her.

"How old were you when you were first sold?"

"A week short of fourteen. They gave me a year thinking that maybe my ability to shift was late. When it didn't come....." She shrugs her shoulders.

"Your parents sold you?" Mallory frowns

"Yep." She was very open with information. Not something I expected from someone who had gone through that. It had taken me ages to share anything with Dane. "I wasn't worthy of being their child."

She gets to her feet and flicks her red hair over her shoulder. "Thank you for getting me out of that situation. You have no idea how much it means to me."

"More than you will ever realise." I mutter

She gives me a smile and Nyx mutters something about reminding Maddie who's presence she is in.

"Can I ask why you asked us to come here?"

"Have you heard of a Lycan called Blair?" Mallory asks

She shakes her head at us. "Not a name I'm familiar with. But then again I have spent the last ten years mostly in the company of men."

"How did you know where Black Shadow was?" I ask. We weren't the easiest pack to find, especially for those that had never been here. "Enzo said he knew the Alpha here."

Mallory stands behind Maddie and shakes her head at me. 'Dane didn't act like he knew him' She links me.