Ch. 351..355: The Alpha Contract Chapter 351-355

Chapter 0351

"There's a good chance a Lycan knows about us."

"And you didn't kill him?" She sounds surprised.

"Madison wouldn't let me. She thinks she can talk him into not telling anyone."

"Then beat him to it. I already know, Neah knows, there is probably a good chance Dane knows because Neah pretty much tells him everything or if she hasn't, he can read her mind, the same as Eric can read mine. Neither one has said anything because they are both mated to someone unexpected. And from what I know of Maddie, she hasn't got a problem with what you do. You did kill the man that marked her and was holding her hostage."

I nod, mulling over her words.

"Did you know then?" She asks. "Did you know she was your mate when I brought her to the house."

"Yes."

"And you've held off for all this time?"

"Yes."

"Because she is a Lycan?"

"Yes and because I would be replacing my dead mate."

"So you think that's it? That you are never allowed to have someone love you again?"

"It's more than that."

"It really isn't." She mutters

"It's complicated."

She chuckles and then scrunches her body up as the pain ripples through her. "I told you not to make me laugh!"

"I wasn't trying too."

"You think this is complicated?! This is the simplest problem you could have. At least she isn't human, could you imagine having to explain all of it then?"

Maybe she was the better person to speak to, Neah would have me questioning more than helping me find answers. Or I would get lost watching her soul.

"There is only so much I can say." Mallory smiles at me. "At the end of the day, you have to make the decision, not me, but if you can't handle it, let her go. It isn't fair, not after all the crap she has been dragged through." "That's part of the problem."

She cocks a brow at me.

"I can't let her go either."

"Or maybe you don't really want to." She shrugs her shoulders at me.

"Annoyingly, I think you are right."

"I generally am." She continues to beam at me with the 'I told you so' look

I look around, the hospital is dead, not a single soul other than us. "Where is everyone?"

"Eric went with Klaus to pick up supplies."

"He left you alone."

She bobs her head and the smile has gone. "I told him too because everytime I look at him, I want to cry."

"He doesn't blame...."

"I know he doesn't. It's like your problem, it's complicated. I know he can feel what I'm feeling and that somehow makes it a hundred times worse, when it should help. Does that make sense?"

"If I couldn't see your soul, I would say no, but you have a tiny hole in a place that was once complete. A hole that Eric doesn't have. He feels the loss, it's a little different for you, but he still feels it, don't push him out, he lost it too." "At least you didn't tell me I would get over it."

I frown at her. "Who would say something like that?"

"When I was human, my father said it to my mother right after he beat the shit out of her. She lost a baby because of what he did to her."

"Then it was a good thing you killed him."

She nods and looks past me, I could smell Eric heading this way and prepare to leave.

"Thanks for coming." She smiles at me

"I will see you later, I need to go and find my mate."

I head back into the forest where I had left Madison. Her jasmine scent still lingered in the air, I follow it until I reach the back of Mallory's burnt out house. But oddly, her scent changes direction and heads south back into the forest. She's accompanied with the scent of a Lycan, a scent that belongs to the dickhead that was trying to get information from her.

I follow the scents and the tracks deeper and deeper until they stop. Her scent comes to a clear stop too.

"MADISON!"

She doesn't answer, but one of Dane's Wolf's appears. "Is there a problem?"

"How far south am I?" I demand

"You are almost at the border."

"No one has passed you?"

"I would have seen them if they had. Is someone missing?"

""To be determined."

I squat down, running my fingers over the last of the tracks. My eyes automatically go up into the trees, but I see nothing. Wolves can't smell Lycans in Lycan form, but I could and someone had shifted here. The fucker had taken Madison!

 

Chapter 0352

Neah

"There are three Ash's here, but none by the name of Ash Thomas." Damien tells me as he tosses the clipboard onto the desk in front of me. He turns to Brax "Whoever gave you that name is lying!" "Or the name he gave you and Neah was a lie." Brax retorts, "And that is his real name."

I look at the names highlighted on the clipboard and search my mind for the connections to them, while trying to ignore Damien and Brax as they argue. They were worse than kids.

Finding the link to each one, I summon them and request that they come to the office immediately. Maybe one of them had given us a different surname out of fear.

Three men appear within minutes and Brax shakes his head. "It's not any of them."

The men look at one another, confused by why they had been called here.

"Do you know Ash Thomas?" I ask

Two of them shake their heads and tell me no. The third one nods. "He came yesterday. He asks a lot of questions too."

"About what?" Brax demands

"Anything and everything. I just put it down to him being new here."

'Samara said that Cooper guy would come here. What if she was right? What if he is already here, using a different name?'

'Brax would know.' I murmur. 'The guy wouldn't get past us. Could he?'

'It's just what that woman said. That this guy comes to places where he thinks his prisoners may be hiding. All the questions he is asking, it sounds like he is looking for someone but trying to be tactical.'

'If he was trying to find Blair, why would he take Maddie? What if this is Blair's idea? What if this is another scheme of hers?' I challenge

She doesn't answer, because she knew as well as I did, there were too many 'what ifs' surrounding the situation.

"What does he look like?" I ask Brax, so many people had arrived recently, I couldn't remember everyone's names, but I could remember faces.

He gives me a description as soon as he mentions the green eyes with flecks of blue, I know who he is speaking of.

"You let him live." I frown. The guy he was talking about had been in the office with me and Dorothy. Dorothy had stopped drawing the moment he walked through the office door and just spent the entire time staring at him without saying a word as I asked him questions. When he left, she wouldn't even tell me what she saw or what she felt and had asked to leave moments later.

Brax frowns, "He had one of my daughters stickers on. I didn't like the guy, his soul is more than questionable but I have to trust my daughter's awareness."

Damien shakes his head and folds his arms across his chest. "She is seven years old. Seven, Brax. She shouldn't even be doing this shit anyway. Kids make mistakes."

"She didn't give him one." I declare

"What?" Brax mutters

"She didn't give him a sticker." I confirm. "He must have seen someone else with one and taken it, knowing that it would keep him alive."

"Fucking idiot!" Damien mutters at Brax. "Of all the ones you have killed because you've seen something bad, you let this one live. And in less than twenty four hours of being here, he has kidnapped a Lycan."

"Why Maddie though? She can't even shift, why bother taking her?" I ask

Brax looks away. "He saw us together."

If I wasn't so concerned about Maddie, I would be happy for Brax. It's about time he owned up to being mated to her.

"You were with a Lycan?" Damien asks and a smirk appears on his lips. All signs of his previous anger, gone.

"Yes, and you can keep your opinions to yourself!" Brax snaps, his hand moves to the gun in his belt.

"So Maddie is...." Damien leans against the wall, practically grinning from ear to ear as he waits for an answer. "None of your business!"

"You were the one who came in here, demanding that we need to find her, so as Beta of the pack, it makes it my business. I will ask you again. Why were you with Maddie?" Damien teases. He already knew what the answer is. "I haven't got time for this!" I snap, getting out of my seat. "I need to know what is happening and who this guy thinks he is."

"Can't you just link the guy?" Damien asks

"There is no link to anyone called Cooper or Ash Thomas. The other option is to order all Lycans to come here into my office so you cn single him out."

"No." Brax mutters. "I need to find Samara, she gave me the impression she knows exactly where this Cooper guy takes them."

"I'm coming with you." Damien snarls.

"No, Damien. You need to stay here." I tell him. "I will go with Brax."

 

Chapter 0353

Both sets of eyes are on me. "You don't know what's out there or if something is waiting for you." Damien protests. "And I'm pretty sure Dane won't agree.'

"I can handle myself. I am the Lycan Alpha, Maddie is a Lycan. She is my responsibility."

****

Dane isn't impressed with the idea of me going. His crimson eyes hover on me, his brow creases into a deep frown. Anyone would think I had asked him the worst possible question.

"I have Brax with me and we will be back before the ceremony tonight." I try reasoning with him.

"You don't know that. You don't know what you are walking in too. You don't know if it's a trap."

"You don't always know what you are walking in too. You didn't expect to find me or all the shit that came with finding me."

"That's different."

"Because I'm female?" I scoff and I feel Nyx eagerly waiting for the answer.

"No. Because I have more experience of being in situations where I have no idea what's about to happen. You don't go out of the pack grounds, Neah and as much as that usually means I know you are safe. I am also minutes away from you at any time. I won't be if you go out there without me. And I am not okay with that."

'He's worrying too much.' Nyx mutters

'He's allowed too. He said it himself, he won't be with me.'

I sigh and pull my bottom lip between my teeth. "If it was one of your Wolves that you were missing, what would you do?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"Then I have to do this too." I knew he could feel how important this was to me and maybe that was why he wasn't arguing with me, but making it a point for me to know how he feels about it.

"You keep your eyes on her at all times." Dane snaps at Brax. I had half forgotten he was in the office with us.

"The deal was always to protect her." He is busy checking the bullets in his guns. "I don't break my deals, Dane. You should know that, you're a man of contracts."

"If anything happens to her."

"I know," And Brax shrugs his shoulders, "but if it were to come to that, you will have to find me first."

Dane and Damien accompany Brax and I down to the gates. Dane pulls me in against his large chest. "Don't block me at any point."

'I won't' Nyx mutters and I repeat her words.

Danes' lips mould against mine. He kisses me like he needs all of me, or maybe it's because he thinks this is the last time he will get to kiss me.

When he pulls away, my lips feel bruised and tender as his crimson eyes focus on mine. "I'm coming back." I whisper.

"I expect you too."

"Let's go!" Brax mutters. He gets in the driver's side of the car that's waiting for us. I slide into the passenger seat and look back over my shoulder at my mate. He hated this.

"You good?" Brax asks as he starts the car.

I nod, keeping my thoughts to myself.

He doesn't say anything else, but stops the car periodically to get out and check the ground. It probably would have been easier if we just went on foot.

"You haven't asked." He cocks a brow at me as he gets back in the car.

"Asked what?"

"Why we didn't just walk?"

"You say you can't read minds but you have this terrible habit of knowing exactly what we are thinking."

He laughs. "You haven't spoken since we left, but yet I see your face everytime I stop and get out of the car. You know walking would be just as effective, if not more, especially while tracking yet you continue to keep your mouth shut. It's the most likely thing that you are thinking about."

'He is so annoying.' Nyx mutters with a yawn. She was bored and wanted to see some action.

"Is that how you know things?" I ask

He shrugs his shoulders "Nine times out of ten. So are you going to ask me?"

"I'm guessing it has something to do with me?"

He claps his hands and starts the car again. "Dane's idea. He thought it would be too risky if any Lycans came across you in the wild."

"They will be able to scent me either way."

"That's what I told him. You wouldn't have got a chance to leave the pack at all if I hadn't agreed to the car. Not that a car would slow anyone down if they wanted to get to you."

"Then why didn't you stop me from coming?"

"I knew there was no point."

 

Chapter 0354

Abraxas

"Why did you really want to come?" I query.

"Maddie is my responsibility." She keeps her eyes on the road ahead

"No, she isn't. She is a woman that came to you in the hopes of getting out of a shitty arrangement, that doesn't mean you owe her anything."

"You may think that, but I don't." She pauses. "I don't want people to be loyal to me just because of my title. That's not true loyalty."

"You continuously surprise me Neah Kitson."

"Dane will do anything for his Wolves. I want to do the same for the Lycans. I lived in a lie for so long before I met him. I was brought up watching Trey and Cassandra run a pack and I will never be anything like them. Dane has taught me alot." "Looks like you are finally finding your feet." From the corner of my eye, I see her smile. She just wanted confirmation that she was doing the right thing.

I stop the car to do another check and Neah grabs hold of my arm. "I know this place."

There is a dim light coming from a nearby house. A dirty Porsche sits on the drive, the grass in the garden is as tall as my knees. If it weren't for the small light, I would have said the house was abandoned.

"This is Blair's house." She mutters

"You've been here?"

"No. When they were holding Mallory hostage, this is the house number she gave me. Why would Blair return here after what Samara told us?" She scowls and her knuckles are white as she clenches the door handle. "Surely it would be too risky?" "Stay here, I will go and check it out."

"No." She pushes the car door open and hurries towards the house. I quickly follow and her hand pauses before she knocks on the door. I see her sniff the air, checking that we are alone and she pounds her fist against the door, making the people on the other side scream.

I had to hold in a laugh. You don't tend to hear Wolves or Lycans scream from being startled. It's hilarious. Though they weren't really Lycans anymore. This is going to be fun.

I hear Samara trying to whisper on the other side of the door. Something that doesn't get past my ears. "Who would know we are here?"

An answer is followed by Blair. A voice I hadn't heard in a long time. "No one! No one saw us come in. Do you think he found us?"

"I don't think he is the type of guy to knock!"

Neah looks at me, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't kill her. I need answers."

"She killed my family." I mutter coldly. It was the only reason I wanted to find them. To get some answers and then put lair down for good.

"So this is why you wanted to come here? To get your revenge?"

"You saw what happened to Dorothy. She also killed my mate, my parents and my unborn child."

"And if you kill them, you will probably never see Maddie again!" Neah knocks again. "It's Neah, I know you are in there."

Blair rips open the door, her brown eyes hover on Neah before moving to me. She takes a step back, shaking her head as she pulls her jacket around her. "You brought the Hunter to my door?"

"You seem scared." I mutter with a wink and Samara appears, pulling Blair back, taking her place on the threshold.

"It's in the past. She can't change what she did." Samara mutters.

"Her time will come." I reply and Neah elbows me in the side.

"She's had everything stripped from her." Samara defends

"How?" Neah asks

"I told you, I don't know. He drugs us with something, or maybe it's done after he drugs us. You lose track of time." "Right," Neah mutters. "We have reason to believe that he was already in the pack."

"So why are you here?" Samara asks, as she continues to guard the entrance. She had no plans to let us inside

"One of the female Lycans is missing." Neah tells her

"If he already has her, you are too late. She won't be a Lycan anymore. Because that is what he does. He punishes us by taking away our abilities. We don't heal, we can't even smell you. And you can forget about us even considering the idea of shifting, it's gone. All of it." She screws her face up. "We are Human."

"Prove it." I dare.

She turns around, "Pass me that knife."

My hand moves to my gun as Blair hands over a knife. Samara swipes it down through her palm with a whimper. She squeezes her hand into a fist until blood drips out the bottom. When she opens her hand to show us, the wound is still bleeding, no signs of it healing. "You can stare at it all day," Samara shrugs her shoulders. "When it stops bleeding, it will scab up and then take a good couple of weeks to heal and I will be left with a scar."

 

Chapter 0355

Blair hands her a cloth and Samara wraps it tightly around her hand.

"So he keeps you prisoner. Where exactly?"

"North. It's not designed to let people in or out."

"So how did you get out?" Neah asks.

"I did what I had to do and escaped."

I could see Blair over Samara's shoulder. "What about you?"

"I... Someone opened the doors and I just got out."

"Someone opened the doors?" Neah mutters. "As in, they let you out."

"It seems that way, but I don't know who or why anyone would do that. You may not want to believe me Neah. I definitely don't deserve to be believed. Sammie was the one who wanted to come and tell you." "Someone let you out." Neah repeats. I don't think that she was paying attention to anything else Blair was saying.

"Yes. The bolts on everyone's doors were released."

She looks at me. "He did it on purpose."

"He let me out?" Blair asks, "Why would he do that?"

"Take it from someone who knows it was a test. He let you out to see where you would go. You led him straight to Black Shadow."

"He said he wasn't interested in you." Blair mutters.

"That doesn't mean he isn't interested in anyone else in my pack." Neah growls

"You don't know that." Samara mutters as she continues to cling to the door, blocking our entry.

"You escaped." Neah mutters. "She was let out." She turns to me. "I have to link Dane, I said I would keep him updated." Her eyes move to the women and back to me. "Don't do anything stupid."

I nod and she heads to the end of the drive.

"You think this is a set up?" Samara asks

"Given what you have shared so far, it's pretty clear. You both lost your Lycans due to his scheming. I would say what he did to you was cruel."

"You think she deserved it?" Samara asks

"If it wasn't for her." I point to Neah at the end of the drive as she leans against the dirty Porsche. "I would be driving a knife through Blair's heart and maybe yours. But even that wouldn't be enough for what she did." Her grey eyes are wide with curiosity as Blair looks away.

"I know everything." Samara mutters. "She told me every single detail. I won't let you kill her though."

"Do you really believe that you are capable of stopping me? It's like you said, you have no abilities anymore."

"I still have knowledge of your kind."

I smirk. For someone who had lost her abilities, she wasn't afraid of me. "Did you ever go Rogue?"

"No."

"She did." I point over her shoulder at Blair.

"I know."

I raise an eyebrow, "That doesn't bother you?"

"Do you see a Rogue standing behind me?!" She spits

Neah makes her way back to us. "Damien is doing a head count, confirming that everyone else is accounted for."

"What do you want from us?" Samara asks

"Where did he take you?" Neah asks

"Nowhere near here." Samara mutters with a frown. "But if he thinks there are potential threats here, he won't take them too far. Just far enough that he thinks you can't find him."

"You've hardly spoken a word." Neah glares at Blair

"Whatever I say or don't say will be wrong." She mutters and moves out of sight. She wasn't quite the same as she was before. Almost full of sorrow. It didn't mean she was anywhere close to being trustworthy and I was even further away from finding Madison. I turn to Neah. "We should go, we have got as much as we are going to get."

She looks between me and Samara. "Are you sure there is nothing else you can tell us?"

"No, I don't...." She trails off, frowning. "I already told you that he somehow does something that tricks us into believing he is our true mate."

Neah opens her mouth to speak and I shake my head. They didn't need to know that the woman taken was mated to me. If they are hiding anything, I will find out.

She turns, ready to leave, but suddenly spins around and forces the door back, startling Samara and making her jump. Blair is standing at the far end of the room, tying a blue scarf around her head, trying to hide the short fuzzy hair.

Blair freezes, maybe she felt as though her death was imminent.

"Everyone wants you dead, Blair. You screwed over so many people, but Samara is right, losing your abilities is a better punishment. Death would be too good for you. Death would be too easy." Neah declares

"That's not fair!" Samara mutters. "We came to warn you!"

"She never wanted to come back here. She knew the risk would be too great. She came here because of you. Because you are her only ally." I reply.

"You're wrong. Being this way, it changes everything. And if Cooper thinks we are bad. What do you think he will make of you, a Hunter?"