An Alpha's Charge

Lane’s Desperation

She texted the video to a friend, letting them know where it was. She received a text with the word ‘done’ on her screen and put her phone where her friend would not find it. She headed to the shower, and when she got back, she had another text telling her to call the number on her screen.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Not important; where did you get this video?”

“I took it thirty minutes ago; one of my friends met a guy at the bar, and he took us to his room, sex, drugs, alcohol, you know, the routine. I had to leave; I could no longer watch or listen. It made me sick, so I returned to my room and sent the recording to a friend who sent it to you.”

“Where are you at?”

“The Violent Reef and Resort.”

“Thank you, and good night; get out of there tonight and do not look back, got it?”

“Am I in danger?”

“Do as I said, and you won’t be.”

The line went dead, and she started to pack her belongings with her heart racing and quickly became soberer than she had been. She went online requesting a boat ride to the next big island with the airport.

“Why are you leaving, miss?”

“Got an emergency call from home about my mother, so I need to get there as soon as possible. Thank you for the ride.”

“No problem, just have to pick up a few others if you don’t mind.”

Lane shook her head, wondering if she was a species or human; she could not tell since she was human. At the airport, she paid cash for her flight home, as did some of the others they picked up along the way. They kept from talking to each other as they were not up for friendly chatting.

She sighed when she walked into her apartment but was stunned to see a large man waiting inside for her. She could not move or do anything but stare at him.

“Do not be afraid; we spoke on the phone a few hours ago. I apologize in advance, but I tracked your phone to meet you here. I bought you a new phone with a new number. Deactivate the one you have and throw it away; this is for your safety.”

She did as he said and did not even put her friend’s name and number in the new one. She looked at him, wondering why he was doing this and why she needed to do it. He handed her another plane ticket that would leave in ten hours so she could get some sleep.

“Why all this, and who are you?”

“When you arrive at your destination, ask for Ramiel, and he will guide you to where you are to go and stay until further notice. I must take my leave; I set your alarm on your phone for you and pack a few more items than you have now. You will not be coming back here anytime soon.”

He left her apartment and took off to where he had come. He did not give Lane his name since he did not want to be traced back to her. He made sure he was not followed, nor was she. He got in his vehicle and sped out of the site, and when he reached the highway, he waited for a few hours before texting ‘done’ to his contact.

Another text returned with a note saying, ‘I will be waiting.’ He felt relieved. He could breathe a little easier, but now it was up to Ramiel to get information from her and protect Lane from Wade and her friend.

Lane just looked at the door and walked to her bedroom, unzipping her suitcase, taking out what she did not want to take and throwing it in the washer, and started stripping her closet of clothes she may or may not need. She did not know where she was going but took warm and more relaxed garments to ensure she had her basis covered. She would buy the rest if she needed anything else. She dried the clean clothes, looked at them, and chucked them into the trash bin.

Once she finished, she crawled into bed, charging her phone to get some sleep. Morning came too quickly, but she dressed, did her morning routine, and headed to the airport. She boarded the plane and did not see anything out of the ordinary. She made sure she sat at the very front for a quick exit. She had had enough of this traveling and party lifestyle and wanted more. She thought this was a new beginning, leaving her so-called best friend behind and seeking new friends.

Ramiel saw her get off the plane, and she looked towards a few men standing with signs for their guests. She noticed one very tall with dark black hair and clear blue eyes shaped like almonds.

His nose was perfect, not too long or short; it complemented his facial features. Lips were the ideal size with a cupid peak and high cheekbones. Ramiel’s skin appeared to be kissed by the sun. She walked to the men asking for Ramiel, and he waved with his right hand.

They walked down to get her luggage, then proceeded to his truck with dark-tinted windows. She felt safe and knew she would be protected, but she was unsure how long. They sat in comfortable silence to their destination; they arrived somewhere in the mountains with cabins all around.

She was happy that she had brought some warm clothes to wear. Ramiel helped her out of the truck, walked up to her cabin, and let her in, handing her the keys and turning the lights on. She walked in and smiled at the hominess. She knew she was where she belonged and was happy about a change.

“The fridge is stalked with different foods; we did not know what you liked and did not like. Over to the right is a two-piece washroom; up those steps on the back left goes to your bathroom with an ensuite attached and a nice-sized walk-in closet.

There are pots and pans, everything you need is here. If you need anything else, a ride to the store, just let me know, as I am your guardian and will protect you at all costs. My cabin is next door, and I always turn a light on for safety. I know our contact put my number in your phone; the password is also on it for WIFI.”

“Thank you, Ramiel.”

He left to walk back to his cabin with his heart beating rapidly. He called his friend to let him know she is settling down now, and his bear was ecstatic. He was provoking him to let him out so he could mark her, feel her bear stirring, and come to life.

“Have a question; you told me she was human?”

“Yeah, she is. Why?”

“Uh, no, she is not; she is a bear shifter; I can smell her scent of pine and cranberries.”

“I will investigate her background more; if she is a shifter, as you say, she cannot leave you at all. She will need all your help; I will get back to you what I find out.”

“Ramiel, where is Lane?”

“She’s in her cabin. Why? What’s happening?”

“She has a sibling, a twin brother who was last known address in Maine. His name is Steven, but he is still determining his last name if his adoptive parents kept it the same or changed it entirely.

Her parents were killed in a fire, but humans rescued them from an igloo they were nestled in to protect them. At sixteen, she left the orphanage and settled in Texas, where she finished high school and went to college.”

“So, she doesn’t know she has a brother?”

“Not sure if she does or not. At the university where she went, she studied graphic design and is also a clothes designer. I am curious to know whether she is successful, but it is also where she met Vye Studabaker. The people who adopted her brother did not want two kids and took her brother. Alex is looking more into it.”

“What do I tell her? Ask her questions, make her remember her past so she does not think you have researched her.”

Ramiel let out a sigh and said OK, and ended the call. He took a shower and dressed before leaving his cabin; as he left, he thought he saw Alecia still hanging around in the woods. He linked one of his guys to know why she was still there and took off to patrol the borders and the woods. He walked over to Lane’s cabin to ask her questions and get to know her better. He wanted to slow their relationship as he was unsure how she felt about having a bear.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Can we talk? I want to get to know you better, plus answer any questions you have about your bear and shifting.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything, starting when you were a child, what are your parents like? Do you have any siblings? Where have you lived all your life? How did you meet Vye and your other friends, and what kind of work do you do? Did you go to college, and where did you go?” He shot off many questions to her to get it all out there. He wanted to know if she could remember her childhood or not.

“I lived up north in the cold, unsure if it was Alaska, but it was cold. There were igloos and homes we all lived in. I do not remember much about my parents, as we were separated from them when I was six. I wouldn’t say I like fire much; it scares me. My parents put us somewhere very cold, and she said she and Dad loved us very much and not to worry. The next thing I knew, I was riding in a car to an orphanage a few days later. I have a brother, but I am not sure how old he is or was.” Tears were forming in her eyes as she continued.

“I do not know what happened, but some people took my brother away from me (heavy tears now); they did not want me, so I became numb to my life and was in and out of foster homes until I got fed up. At sixteen, I moved to Texas, continued my education in high school, worked in retail part-time, and got scholarships for a full ride in college. There I studied graphic design and fashion design, and that is when I joined the wrong crowd, Vye Studabaker. She is nothing but a druggy and partier, sells and buys drugs, and is very much a sex addict. I never knew about shifters nor that part of the world, or I do not remember it.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Thank you for answering my questions; now, do you have any for me?”

“Ton of questions about shifting, what a mate is, why am I here, and who exactly are you?”

Ramiel laughed and shook his head at her questions, they were what he had expected but not near enough as he thought they would be, but he would oblige, telling her everything about pack life, mates, etc.

“I am Alpha to my pack here. We do not live or have a packed house like bears. We like to be by ourselves. We can be social, but unlike wolves who thrive on being in packs, bears do not so much, but we protect our kind. My beta lives on my other side, and Gamma is beside him. Some have mates, and those do not; we also house a couple of cougars that are sisters, panthers, and other species of the forest. Come, and I will show you around the complex.”

He took her hand; tingles and intense sparks flew through their bodies, and she jumped when she felt them. It did not hurt her, but the tingling feeling comforted her. She showed a slight smirk but did not let Ramiel see it. She could not wait to hear more about the life she had now been thrown into.

He continued to tell her about their life in the woods, mates, and how everything works, but if she is there and under his protection for life, she will not be able to leave on her own since the vampires and Alecia are still a threat. She understood but did not like it. However, she had her computer and could work remotely, not losing her job.

“Ramiel, what are your beta and gamma’s names?”

“Beta’s name is Ellis White, and my gammas is Atticus Beech.”

“I will introduce you to them in a couple of days; I just want you to heal for now and get used to being here.”