Ch. 446..450: The Alpha Contract Chapter 446-450

Chapter 0446

Neah

'It's just like Damien said. They are all dead. We killed them. They can't hurt you anymore.' Nyx whispers as we follow Dane through the house.

We stop outside the office door. My heart hammers in my chest and Dane squeezes my hand as he leads me inside. "Not all memories are bad. I met you here."

My eyes flicker around the room, settling on the bloodstain on the carpet. It was where Kyle had fallen. In typical Cassandra style, it was never cleaned up. That would have been my job.

"Why did you lie?" I whisper

"Lie?"

"You told them that I put you in the office. You lied."

"I had a suspicion that they were hurting you. Trey proved my point when he went to hit you and then again when they tried putting you in the basement."

"It seems so long ago and yet....." I had spent ages in this office, scrubbing it from top to bottom with a toothbrush while Cassandra stood over me, barking orders or yelling at how I had missed a spot. There were so many times that I wished I had the courage to shove the toothbrush through her eye.

'Well, you went a step further than that.' Nyx muses

I smile to myself and Dane presses his lips to my cheek.

"You have come a long way since then." He drops my hand and begins rummaging in the desk. I move to the bookcase. Several dozen large books lined the shelves. Books that I had always longed to read but never could.

Pulling out the one closest to me. I run my fingers over the gold lettering. Just one simple word 'KITSON'

I shift my eyes to Dane, but he was now busy rummaging through a cabinet, pulling out large amounts of paperwork.

As I sit on one of the chairs, a cloud of dust is thrown up around me. Spluttering, Dane asks me if I'm okay. Nodding, I open the book.

Pages and pages of fancy handwriting in a language that I didn't understand. 'What is this?' I ask Nyx.

'Looks like Latin.' She mutters back

'Latin?'

'I can't be certain, can I? I've only been with you for a few years!'

Continuing to turn the pages, I stumble on to a family tree. Just like the one Klaus had done for me, only this one had more names and spread over several pages. Next to my mother's name is the name 'Amelia Kitson', with a birth and a death date. Stemming from her is another line that just reads 'Female, unknown.' Was that Samara? Because that would make her my cousin.

"I think.... I think I've found something." I mutter to Dane.

"Good, because Trey and Cassandra were shit at keeping decent paperwork." He makes his way towards me and I offer him the book.

He sighs. "It would make sense. If Samara didn't know her mother. The family would not have known about her to record her."

"But someone knew something. Maybe Amelia told them the baby didn't survive?" I shrug my shoulders

"Anything is a possibility. But sadly, it does mean Samara is right. You two are related."

"And she is a threat." I frown. "She carries Alpha genes. She could kill me and become Alpha."

"I don't think so."

"Why?"

"Because you are the last female Alpha. She can't just replace you. And besides, if you were to die. The role wouldn't be hers anyway. You have twin boys that are next in line."

"Then what do we do about Samara? She can't stay in the dungeons forever. And Cooper might still come for her."

"Maybe not. Maybe we can convince her to help us."

"How?"

"By telling her where she comes from." He hands me the closed book. "Maybe start with that."

I glance up at the shelves. There are other identical books to the one I'm holding. Pulling each one out, I see that they all have the same gold lettering, but the pages are blank, like they are waiting to be filled.

"Any luck?" Damien asks as he and Klaus make their way into the office.

"We have something, it's not much, but we know who Samara is." Dane tells him. "Neah's cousin. You were right Klaus. Neah's mother did have a sister."

"Is she alive?" Damien asks

I shake my head. "According to this, she died fifteen years ago. But I never met her, at least, I don't remember meeting her. I don't even remember my mum talking about her. The only thing I really remember is watching my parents die." "Do another sweep." Dane instructs. "Make sure we haven't missed anything. Hidden rooms. Trap doors, anything."

Klaus and Damien bob their heads and head in different directions

 

Chapter 0447

"Do you think they would be embarrassed?" I ask Dane.

""Your

parents?"

"No, generations before. To see what had become of my bloodline. The pages in this book show that once, there were so many Kitson's, dwindling all the way down to me and I guess Samara now." "And the twins."

"No."

"No?" He cocks a brow at me.

I shake my head. "I know we haven't talked about it, but they are Blacks. Not Kitsons. They may be Lycans but they are yours as much as they are mine. Kitson is a name that probably doesn't mean the same as it once did." His lips mould against mine, kissing me furiously. He breaks away with a smile. "Whatever you want."

We move through the house, stopping outside the basement door. I was trying to focus on the memory of Dane making me part of the contract. At the time I had panicked but ultimately, it had been my ticket out of here.

"I can't go down there." I groan

"You can do this."

"It's different. It's.... This isn't about what they did to me."

Nyx is quiet too.

"Mallory?" Dane asks quietly

"Mallory and I have come a long way. She is home, watching our boys and I can't have what she did stuck in my head again. I forgave her and if I go down there where my blood is probably still stained on the wall because I wasn't allowed to clean it. It's going to... It's not a memory I want to relive. It's not who she is anymore."

"Then I will go down."

He opens the door and we are hit with the rancid smell of decay. It's a hundred times worse than when we opened the front door. Dane had opened windows, it had aired it out a little. But this. My stomach ties itself up in knots and I feel the milkshake I had earlier, forcing itself back up.

My legs propel me through the house and I barely make it outside before emptying my stomach.

"Sickness hitting you already?"

I look up to see Damien holding out a bottle of water

"Dane opened the basement door. I think we figured out where the smell is coming from."

He looks past me into the house and then back at me as I take the bottle from him.

"Right."

"I thought you and Klaus were doing a sweep." I mutter.

"We were, I needed a drink and then you came charging out here."

I swill the water in my mouth and spit it out to try and clear the taste of vomit. It just makes my stomach tie itself up again.

"Wait. You said." I look up at him, "You asked if the sickness was hitting already."

"I did."

"You didn't ask me why I was being sick."

"I did not."

"Do you know something?" I point my finger at him.

"I know that there was only one other period of time where you drank milkshakes. The drink you requested when we stopped five minutes into the journey because you were hungry." "Are you saying that I am pregnant?"

"It's early, but yes, there is a very subtle change in your scent."

'Nyx?' I mutter

'I didn't want to freak you out.' she whispers and then starts humming to herself so she doesn't have to talk to me.

"Plus, whenever you and Dane are standing together, he always has his hand on your stomach." Damien grins at me

""He does not."

He smiles at me.

"Does he know?" I ask

"He hasn't said anything to me."

"This is not good. I'm going to have three under the age of two and what if these turn out to be twins. That's four under two. What if they can shift too? And the amount of nappies!"

"You have a while to prepare." His smile grows.

"I'm glad you find this funny."

"What's funny?" Dane asks as he comes out behind me. He had brought a couple of the Kitson books from the office.

"I just.... Did you find anything?"

"The smell was from a badly decayed body. My guess, Kyle because the body was just at the bottom of the stairs, like it had been dumped there. Nothing else, a few boxes with bits of tat. A mattress. But I thought these would come in handy." He taps the books, "and we can add our own family to them. However many children we have."

"You knew?" I demand

"Of course I knew." He presses his lips to mine and links me 'You should have started your period over a week ago.'

"Okay, so now that is out in the open." Damien winks at me. "How come Brax wasn't able to see that you are pregnant?"

Chapter 0448

Blair

""You want me to walk Kade to school?"

"Please don't talk with your mouth full." Mum scolds me. "But yes."

"Isn't the school like two hundred feet from here. You could watch him from the window."

"I could, but the entrance is around the other side."

"I'm not allowed to leave the house unless I'm being watched."

"Maddie has agreed to watch you from afar. All you have to do is walk him there, make sure he goes inside and come straight back. I would but Braelyn has been awake most of the night. I need to get her to settle."

I look at my little sister, clinging to mum as she lets out little whimpers. Last night was about the only night I wished I could leave the house.

"Okay." I agree, only so I can try and find out what is going on with the little brat.

"Thank you."

Kade stares at me as he pulls his bag onto his back and even without my Lycan I can see that he hates the idea.

"I'm not a baby." He snarls at me

"Then maybe you should tell mum, because she asked me to walk you."

"Only because my stupid sister was up all night."

"HEY!" I snap at him and he actually seems surprised. "Braelyn is a baby. She cannot tell anyone what is hurting or if she wants something. Maybe you will realise one day that we all have bad days, no matter how old we are." "Whatever."

We leave the house and immediately he kicks over one of mum's plants. Stamping it into the ground.

"You say you are not a baby but you are certainly acting like one."

"Fuck off!" He glares at me and even I'm shocked. He turns eight tomorrow, not eighteen..

"Are you serious right now?" I fold my arms across my chest and he copies me.

"I'm not scared of you. Maybe you should be scared of me. Now that you haven't got your Lycan."

I grab hold of his shirt collar and drag him back to the house. He tries to punch me and kick me, but I'm intelligent enough to keep him at arms length.

Pushing open the front door, Calihan stares at me with wide eyes.

"Where's mum?"

"Her bedroom." his blue eyes move to Kade and then past us. "Dad is going to be so mad."

Looking over my shoulder I see Ryken marching towards us. A deep frown on his face as his hands ball into fists. Calihan disappears while Kade tries to get out of my grip.

"Care to tell me what's happening?" Ryken demands

"She hit me!" Kade pulls himself free of my grip or maybe I let him go at the shock of his response. I wasn't really sure.

Ryken's eyes narrow to slits as he stares at me. "Basement."

"You don't...."

"Basement." He repeats. His tone deep. I nod and turn away, just to hear him tell Kade to go to his room.

"But dad....."

"I said bedroom, now."

I don't hear anything else as I slip through the door leading down to my room.

Sitting on my bed, I keep my eyes locked on the door at the top of the stairs. Waiting for Rykens inevitable appearance. Kade was going to be the reason everything goes tits up for me. Not unless I can prove otherwise. My leg jigs on its own, like I have no control over it. It moves faster than the beat of my heart as a drop of sweat makes its way down my spine.

There's a knock on the door.

"Come in." I whisper

Ryken appears, the floorboards creaking below his feet. He steadily plods down the stairs and lets out a heavy sigh as he reaches the bottom. "What happened Blair?"

I tell him exactly what happened. Repeating Kades words exactly. There was no way I was letting a seven year old be the reason I die.

"I have to ask."

"I didn't hit him. It was like I said, I grabbed his collar and brought him back inside. Ask Maddie."

I had seen her watching us, though I hadn't mentioned it to Kade.

"Maddie?"

"Like I said, mum asked me to walk him to school. I reminded her that I couldn't leave the house unless I was being watched. She said Maddie would watch me and I saw her."

He sits on the bed next to me, "Sadly, I believe you."

""You do?"

"I'm as surprised as you are. But I believe you because you didn't see me watching you."

"It was a test?" I scoff

"You like Maddie, I wanted to make sure she wouldn't cover for you. I saw what he did with my own eyes. I heard exactly what he said to you."

"Then why didn't you intervene?"

"I wanted to see how you handled it. If you had hit him, this would be a very different conversation."

"I'm trying to not get killed." I mutter "But if you don't do something, that kid is going to end up killing someone."

"Speaking from experience?"

I don't answer but we both know I am.

"What are you going to do?" I ask quietly

"I need to get to the bottom of it. I can't fix anything if I don't know what is causing the issues."

I nod in agreement. Though Kades attitude would suggest this has been building for a long time.

I spend the rest of the day in the basement, slipping out to use the bathroom or grabbing something to eat. I figured if I just stayed out of Kades way, it would help a little.

After everyone has gone to bed, I make my way up to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and sit at the counter, thumbing through one of mum's many books.

"Why are you awake?" Kade makes me jump. I was still trying to decide if the lack of hearing was worse than the lack of scenting someone.

"Kade, you should be asleep." I whisper

"I asked you a question."

I gesture to the glass. "I was thirsty."

He walks to the other side of the counter and stares at me. "Are you here to hurt us?"

"No. Why would you ask that?"

"You left before. You left mum, me and Calihan."

"That was a long time ago and it was a mistake." I couldn't see his hands and it was making me nervous. "Sometimes, we make mistakes. Sometimes, they are so bad that they ruin our lives." "Why?"

"I lost my Lycan because of my choices."

"Because you were stupid. That's what he said. You were stupid and you needed to be punished. Everyone is stupid."

"Who said that?"

He continues to stare at me and right now, more than anything, I wish I could link mum or Ryken.

"What's in your hand?"

He smiles and lifts his hands to show me that they are empty. "I'm going to bed." He turns and runs away.

My heart pounds in my chest. "Mum?" I mutter running for the stairs just as Kade slams his bedroom door. I dive into her room to find her fast asleep with Braelyn next to her. Calihan is tucked up in his bed too. Ryken. Where is Ryken? I find him asleep in Braelyns room, most likely wanting some peace and quiet. I close my eyes and let out a breath. At least he hadn't hurt them, but who was he talking about.

 

Chapter 0449

Damien

"We have checked out the entire pack grounds. I think we have found all there is to find." I tell Dane as we walk back to the car. "Whatever stuff there once was, it seems like Trey or Cassandra got rid of it. I'm assuming so Neah could never find out who she is." "I was hoping for more. But at the same time, I know you are right." He frowns as he stares at Klaus, leaning over the car bonnet. "What's he looking at?"

"A map that he found. He's trying to figure out if there are any buildings anywhere that the pricks here used."

Dane's crimson eyes shift to Neah who is curled up in the passenger seat, asleep. Vomiting and the realisation that she is pregnant again seems to have wiped her out.

"I'm curious, if you knew she was pregnant, why didn't you say anything to her?" I ask

"She wasn't ready to hear it. It was not long ago that she made it clear that she wasn't ready. Though she has taken it alot better than I expected." He smiles.

"You would have a whole army if she let you."

"There's nothing wrong with that. You will find out one day."

I don't answer. My first mate had been unexpected. The chances of finding another seemed unlikely.

"Anything?" Dane asks Klaus

"No." Klaus frowns and folds the map up. "This seems to have been a wasted trip." He mutters

"Not entirely." Dane replies. "We know who Samara is. And Neah has learned something about herself."

I cock an eyebrow at Dane. Why wasn't he telling Klaus that Neah was pregnant?

'Too early.' Dane links me as though he had read my mind.

He moves Neah from the front of the car to the back so she could lie down more comfortably. He slips in next to her. The protective hand quickly takes its place on her stomach as Klaus gets in the driver's seat. "Are we telling Samara?" Klaus eventually asks

""Yes." Dane confirms

"Is that the right thing to do? I get that it's her family, but it doesn't mean it's right."

"It's only fair. She has started being a little more open. Maybe if we give her something, she will be a little more cooperative."

"But what if that's exactly what Cooper wants? Maybe he wanted confirmation and now we are about to hand it to him."

"I don't think so." Dane tells him. "The guy already knew something. It's why he keeps tabs on her. It's why he threatened us with her. But from the sounds of it, he has not met her Lycan. He never would have if he kept drugging her."

"He told me that it was an accident. That he drugged her to protect her. But the dose was wrong."

"Do you really believe that?"

"No."

I see how Klaus's hands grip the steering wheel. "What exactly went on when Cooper held you hostage? You haven't really spoken about it."

He presses his lips into a thin line and keeps his eyes on the road ahead. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?"

"You did feel a connection to him, didn't you?" Dane keeps his voice low so he doesn't wake Neah but the tone in his words suggested Klaus better start talking.

"Yes. but it's more than that. He was so eager to make me admit that I was his mate. But his moods flipped when he wasn't getting his way. I think things have always gone his way and when they didn't he showed a different side. Angry, aggressive. He was going to mark me."

Other than the engine, there was no other noise.

"Did he?"

"No, because I lied and gave him a fake name." His hands hit the steering wheel. "Brax is wrong. He has to be. A Witch Hunter is just... It wouldn't work."

"Brax isn't exactly useful right now when it comes to knowledge. He is missing things." I glance back over the seat and look at a sleeping Neah. "Missing obvious things. He fucked up when he didn't kill Cooper and now he keeps contradicting himself. Something has changed in him and it's like he is getting weaker."

"You think he is wrong?"

"Yes. Brax is a Rogue Hunter and he just happens to be mated to a Lycan."

"That's different."

"Is it?" I ask. "Alright, Maddie doesn't have her Lycan abilities now, but what if they come back. Just like yours did. There is still every chance she could turn Rogue and yet she would still be mated to a Hunter."

"So I'm what? His mate and possibly his killer? I can't be mated to someone like him. He is unhinged. A psychopath."

"Not necessarily his killer. Remember that." Dane mutters

"But it would explain why you are getting so worked up about it." I shrug my shoulders and he slams on the breaks

"For fuck sake Klaus!" Dane snaps from the back as we are thrown forward.

"I'm sorry, but I just want to make it clear that I love my family. I love Black Shadow. I will do what needs to be done to protect it. I will not accept him."

"Then why didn't you just reject him?" Neah whispers from the back. "Just like how Jenson tried to reject Jess."

There's silence as Neah sits herself up.

"..." Klaus frowns again. "Jess still said no. She wouldn't accept the rejection so what good would it have done if he said no? And I have made my point already. I stabbed him."

"You stabbed his projection because he stabbed you first. If it came down to it, could you really kill him?" I couldn't go through with killing Raven. Neah had to do it in the end and I massively regretted it.

"Klaus, it's okay. I know what it's like to be mated to someone you don't want to be with." Neah tells him. "It's confusing and frustrating and so many other things."

It takes me a second to remember she isn't talking about Dane but the first guy she was mated to. He was someone else I never got to meet. If I had, I most likely would have ripped him to shreds.

 

Chapter 0450

Mallory

I drop onto the sofa. All three kids were having their naps at the same time. It was some kind of miracle. And I am exhausted. Maybe I could have a nap too.

I close my eyes and a weird sound comes from upstairs. It wasn't a cry but more like a gurgled groan/ growl. Apart from the boys, I was the only one in the house. Eric had gone to deal with a problem.

Creeping upstairs, I check my bedroom and then Luca's bedroom where the twins were also set up. Luca and Logan are fast asleep, but sat in the corner of Evrin's travel cot was a small Lycan, staring back at me with bright blue eyes. Neah had warned me. But even with the warning it was a still a surprise. I had never seen a Lycan so small.

"Your mummy did warn me." I mutter as I lean over to grab his ripped vest and nappy from the cot. "What are we going to do with you?"

He stares up at me and very slowly, his eyes close as he shuffles down onto the mattress. He may be able to shift but he was going through what every new Lycan did, extreme fatigue from shifting.

I slip out and leave the door open a little and head downstairs. On autopilot, I make myself a cup of tea and take it out to the front of the house to sit on the small porch. It was so much better than the stones that made up the porch of my last house. Taking a sip, I see Blair and Ryken marching across the grounds and it looks as if they are heading directly for me. No, they are definitely moving towards me.

"Is the Beta about?" Ryken asks

""Eric or Damien?"

"Either."

I glance at Blair, her eyes are low and her hands are in the pockets of her hoodie. "Damien is doing some work with Dane. Eric is dealing with a situation at the packhouse. Can I help?" Ryken glances at Blair. "Can you watch her for me?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Mostly because I wanted her dead, but also because I had three kids in the house. Two of which are not mine.

"It shouldn't take more than ten minutes." Ryken mutters. "I just need to speak to someone with a title."

"Is this about her?" I gesture to Blair.

"Yes, but it's not what you think. She's done the right thing this time." Her brown eyes briefly flicker up. Almost surprised by Ryken's acknowledgement. "Ten minutes." I mutter and turn to Blair. "You sit there." I point to the small chair. "You don't move until Ryken is back. Got it!"

She bobs her head and shuffles to the chair.

A few minutes pass and the curiosity couldn't be held in any longer. "What did you do?"

"I don't think I'm supposed to say." She tells me

"You know the Beta is my mate."

She frowns. "What would the Alpha's do if they found out a kid was causing trouble?"

"Kade?" I cock a brow

"I didn't say that."

"But that is who you are talking about. It's obvious, especially when you are only around three siblings and there have already been problems with him." "Something happened last night."

"Is someone hurt?" I ask

"No, but I have this feeling that someone was close to being hurt."

"By a kid?"

"He's different. It's like... compared to Calihan he has this dark steak." She looks around as if expecting him to be here.

"Are you trying to tell me he is already a Rogue?"

"I don't know anymore. It's impossible to tell and he isn't old enough. I could always sniff them out, read the warnings. But now.... Last night I ended up sleeping outside his room to make sure he didn't hurt anyone. He had gotten up while I was having a drink and started spouting a load of stuff about everyone being stupid. He made a strange comment too, 'he told him I was stupid, that I needed to be punished."

"Cooper?"

"I don't know. How would he have gotten to him? He is a kid. He is either at school or home with mum. And he is seven. Well technically, eight. I was a brat at his age, but I wasn't like this. He is a devil child."