Behind The Alpha Book 8 ADAM

ADAM

My eyes stare daggers into the wizards soul as my lip threatens to curl.

“Repeat what you just said.” I grind quietly as I try very hard to not allow my lycan to tear through on Azriel as he delivers the news of the location of the Reaper.

I’m leaning my hands on the council table with my head hanging off my shoulders. The room is deadly quiet.

“I said the blade is currently lost.” He repeats.

I close my eyes and grimace at the table. I fight my heart from starting. “How?” I say as I steam with growing anger.

“The library is missing. It was in it.” He replies.

“I know that!” I slam a fist into the table and jerk my head in his direction. “How did the library go missing?”

“We don’t know.”

“Adam. Tell us why this is so important to you?” Hunter asks.

“Maybe if we knew…” Jake starts.

“No.” I growl as I whip my eyes to Jakes. I cast a glare around the table slowly.

“My boy. We will find it, but we need to wait for the library to stop moving.” Azriel says.

I jut my chin out at him. The room fills with a sound much like nails on a chalkboard as my claws extend and scratch deep wells into the wood of the table.

“ADAM! CALM DOWN!” Hunter barks.

I push off the table. “Calm. You want me calm when this fucking idiot just killed us all.” I raise a finger to Azriel.

“See here…” Azriel glares.

“Adam. I won’t allow disrespect in this chamber.” Owen orders.

I slowly move my glaring eyes to him and give him a menacing look. My fury is no secret. “The only weapon to save us from the demon is lost to the wind and you’re worried ABOUT DISRESPECT?!” I boom as my eyes glow gold.

“Hey kid. That’s your dad.” Ash growls.

I tilt my head and meet his eyes. “You honestly think I care.”

He steps to the table. “You’re big enough to put down, boy. Your father is my friend and I won’t have you talk to him like that.”

“Ash. Please…” Hunter tries to stop him.

I glare at him. “You can try, but you have no idea what fuels me. You really want to find out?” My fingers elongate and my black claws tap the table.

“Ok. Adam. Ash. Stand down!” Jake stands and walks to Ash. He gets between our lines of sight and pushes Ash back.

Ash looks around him and points to me. “You keep pushing and Jake won’t be able to hold me back.”

“Ash, enough.” Hunter growls.

He snarls his lip at me and I see him want to challenge me further.

Hunter holds his hand out. “Son. Put your lycan away now. If your mother were here…”

Sawyer, Brody and Mateo all stand and their eyes light up one by one. Their wolves all surface prepared to fight me. But it wasn’t them who forced me to see reason. The mention of my mother and what she would say sent my lycan to retreat.

I take a deep breath, bury my lycan and gain my vampire neutrality.

“None of you will ever understand. I need that blade. It’s the only weapon I have against Lefu.” I eye the entire council as the men sit back down.

Owen leans on the podium. “We hear you, Adam, but we just don’t see how you and Lefu are connected. Can you fill us in on that?”

“No.” I snap.

“Adam. We want to help you.” Hunter says quietly.

“Then find the damn blade!” I growl.

“We're trying.” Azriel says.

“Where was it last seen?” I say as calmly as I can as I clench my jaw.

“We have no information, Adam. I’m sorry. The keeper only knows and he’s missing too.” Azriel provides.

I walk to Azriel. “I require all the information you have on the vault.” I lean to him and thump a finger on the table.

“I can’t give you that.” He scowls.

“You have one hour or I go to the Sorcerers council and get it myself.” I grit in a noxious tone.

Azriel shakes his head. “You’d never get past the guards, Adam. It’s an empty threat. I realize you’re upset, but…”

“I’m beyond upset. This demon has already taken many lives. How long are you going to wait, until he’s eaten half the planet?!” I throw my arms out.

“No!” Azriel scowls. “Listen, young man. This magic is delicate. One wrong move can end up very bad, not just for the blade, but the entire library. We can’t go off half-cocked.”

“If you are stalling because you don’t want me to have it…” I lean closer to his eyes.

“No, I’m not.”

He feels my threat and I can see in his eyes that he's feeling the seriousness of this. “Good. This isn’t a game, Azriel. I don’t play games. Find the vault.” I snarl.

I stand straight and turn to the table. “As for the rest of you, hear my only warning. Don’t get in my way. It won’t end well.” My eyes find Jakes. Zeta or not, he doesn’t have the same power over me. I’m beyond him and this world.

“Dude. Don’t threaten us because you’re pissed.” Brody scoffs.

“It’s not a threat.” My very sober voice makes his face turn to concern.

“Adam. Your threats are not making friends here. Last warning.” Hunters fists ball.

“What are you going to do, Hunter? Whine me to death?” I glare at him and he sends it right back. “I don’t have time to waste on you.”

The tension was like concrete by the time I give Azriel my last words. “I want that blade. I’ll give you chance to find it, but I will find it myself. Magic vault or not, I’ll tear the fucking place apart if I have to.”

I leave the council room and my cold blood is firing up. I run my fingers through my hair as I leave the council room and slam the door behind me.

I head down to the stairs to the lobby and was about to leave when I heard my name.

“Hello, Adam.”

I turn and cock my head.

Her hair is short, white and wavy. She’s dress in a black pant suit with two rows of gold buttons. Her smile is familiar to me.

“Miranda.” I grumble.

She joins my side. “You’re agitated.”

“Yes.” I look up to the sun beaming through the glass ceiling as people walk all around us.

“I feel you are…having a tough time.” She says.

I roll my eyes to her. “Yes, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

She clasps her old, wrinkled hands together at her thighs. “That’s true, but…” She finds my eyes. “This is different…isn’t it?”

I look to the floor. “The obstacles…”

She nods. “You weren’t prepared.”

I meet her eyes. “I…never…”

“I understand.” She smiles. “Adam. I think…this time…patience will be your virtue and your best bet at victory. Also, don’t discount help. It’s amazing what could be accomplished just with a tiny bit of help.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Do you…have a daughter?”

She tilts her head. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.” I mumble as I think of the island.

“Adam. I know this is frustrating. So many new things. So many secrets you don’t know, but I am prepared to share one with you.” She lays a hand on my leather covered arm.

“What?” I arch a brow.

“Many years ago, a construction company found a very interesting artifact while building a road. They contacted a paleontologist who took it to a museum. That museum sent it to Michigan to be carbon dated. A certain dark wolf got word of it and stole the artifact for herself. Years later it fell into the hands of people who vowed to keep it safe.”

My face falls as I stare at her. “My skull.”

She smiles. “Yes, Adam. I know where it is.”

I turn to her and grab her arms. A little bit of shock fills her face. “Where?” I grit.

She looks at my hands.

I look too and remove them. “Sorry…It’s just important.”

She straightens her jacket. “It’s alright. I know you need it.”

“How? How do you seem to know everything?” I ask with curiosity.

She smiles. “No spoilers.”

I tilt my head. “Are you sure you don’t…”

She holds up a hand. “The person you’re looking for is named Alpha Fredericks. He runs the prison unit in Falcon Ridge. He knows about Alliance Labs.”

“Alliance labs.” I whisper.

She steps backwards. “Ask him. He will tell you.” She takes a few more steps. “It’s really nice to see you again. You look really good this time. Remember, time changes. All the time. Sometimes, we may have to do things a little different for the same outcome. Don’t ignore where you are now and what you may have to do differently. There are things, Adam, that you may have to accept. Embrace them. Love them and you’ll succeed in more ways than ever before.”

She gives me one last smile and turns into the rushing employees of the Unit.

I chew the inside of my lip as I contemplate her words. I feel like she told me nothing, but told me a lot at the same time.

I admit this time is completely different from when I last walked the earth.

I pull out my phone and type in Alliance labs. There’s not much. Just a mention of a lab in Red Rock and the experimentation of people there. There’s a whole section of grants and patents on things like weapons and chemicals. The owner, Alpha Adrian Fredericks, built his life on the back of the labs. But there’s no locations of any of them. He apparently, wanted privacy.

I turn my phone off and rush to my bike to start the two day drive to Falcon Ridge.

I’ll get my answers.

Whoever this Fredericks guy is, he better not stand between me and my skull. After the missing blade, I have no patience left.

I feel the demon getting closer. He’s getting stronger. Like before, the two of us are growing. His darkness threatens to invade me. I feel him trying to connect to my hive mind. His vampire is trying to intimidate. Soon, he’ll be strong enough to break through. Then the games start. It happens every time. He tries to mess with my mind. He’ll show me things I wish not to see. He’ll try to trick me. I can’t let him. As I strengthen my body, I must increase the firmness of my mind.

I have a special hatred for him. I don’t know why. I don’t even remember how this whole thing started. Maybe I’ll find out one day, but for now, I’m his bounty hunter and that’s all I need to know.