Behind The Alpha Book 8 ADAM

ADAM

I thought I would just wake up in heaven with my arms around her, but no. Apparently, that’s too much to ask after having the most amazing fated mate marking ever.

“Adam?”

I wake with a start and hold Astrid as dishes and cups clang together. Wood falls from the holder by the fireplace and pictures fall off the walls.

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

“I don’t know.” I hug her tighter on the floor of the pack house as it shakes and the mountain rumbles.

“Iris!” Astrid tries to stand and reach for her clothes.

“No!” I grab her. I look up as the wood slats on the roof start to bounce free of their nails and break apart. “This isn’t the nymph. Come on.” I turn my back to her and she jumps on.

I blur out of the house and sure enough the world is shaking. The water in the lake splashes and shoots up in tall fountains then crashes in large waves. The frozen ice on the lake breaks apart and the pieces start to flip in the water. Trees in the forest fall over and I look to the path for escape.

“My village.” Astrid whines as the ramshackle houses fall one by one.

“We'll fix it.” I say before I run to the trees.

I dart through the trunks as snow falls on us from the shaking branches. Rocks and boulders from the peaks above us, fall in my path and I leap and dart around them.

“Adam!!” Astrid points as a few trees topple in our way.

“HANG ON!” I stop and immediately leap into the air. I soar over the trees as they bounce off the mountains rocky floor and land on my feet. I turn back as snow flies up and the trees land with a creek and break.

I run through the forest, dodging debris as the mountain shakes violently. Astrid buries her head in my neck and holds on tighter. I’m sure she’s being bombarded by awful memories right now.

The mountain roars and trembles and my feet barely hit the ground.

I get to the ski hill, twist my hips and slide on my feet like I'm surfing the snow as trees and rocks explode out of the woods on top and gather massive speed behind us.

Astrid points to the avalanche barreling down on us. “ADAM!!”

“A LITTLE MORE!!” I eye a snow clearing machine and aim my slide for it.

I bend my knees as I watch boulders roll past us .

“HANG ON!!” I get close and bend down more. Once in the right zone, I spring off the snow, land on the machine, spring again and land on the roof of the main pack house chalet.

The debris laced snow hits the machine with tremendous force. It lifts it and it whines as it’s carried and pushed toward us.

The chalet walls are slammed by the machine, trees and rocks as I make one more massive jump off the roof.

The house is pushed and it’s walls break under me as I soar through the air. I look down to see the avalanche start to consume the house.

I land in the parking lot and turn as Astrid yelps and buries her head.

The large three story pack house starts to edge into the lot. The avalanche roars like a starving monster as it takes over the house. It’s windows break and snow crashes over it like tsunami waves. Trees and boulders land in front of us as the huge structure twists off its foundation. The walls crumple and the roof collapses on the third floor which then causes both to smash into the second.

The snow buries and climbs over the back of the house. It covers the back half of the roof as the avalanche stops and the mountain starts to quiet.

Snow balls roll down the mountains snow and the branches from trees sticking out start to slow their sway.

I drop Astrid and look up at the moon. It’s off its peak and floating away like it doesn’t have a care in the world.

I look to the house and start to hear the screams for help.

I turn to Astrid. “Wait here.”

“But…”

I didn’t let her get a word in. I need to save people and I can’t be worried about her.

I rush through a broken window and hone my senses. Heat signatures pop up everywhere and I get to work.

Tirelessly, I call my lycan claws and dig. One by one, I freed the inhabitants inside from the snow and blurred them to the lot with Astrid. She got straight to work, warming them and assisting with medical treatment once I found some supplies.

I drop a man at her feet and he’s shaking with fright and cold. She hugs a blanket I dug up and heats it. The red rings around her blue eyes glows bright. She wraps it around the man’s shoulders. “There. You should feel much better soon.” She smiles as she brushes snow out of his hair.

He looks us over. “W-Who a-re you p-people?”

“Your saviors. Where's the Alpha?” I arch a brow.

The man looks at us both. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in weeks?”

I nod. “We need to get to Phoenix. Somethings wrong.”

“Agreed.” Astrid says. She looks to the man. “We've called for help. Please, help everyone remain calm.” She instructs as she looks into the man’s astounded eyes.

“Alright. Thank you.” He says.

“You’re welcome.” She stands.

His head flips between us. “You two need to find some clothes. You’ll catch your death out here.” He wraps himself tighter.

“I already am.” I raise a brow and smirk. “Stay off the mountain.” I bend down. “Astrid.”

She jumps on my back and we break into a vamp run.

The event runs through my mind. What could cause that? I’m not foolish enough to think it’s just nature. No. I feel it in my gut. There’s something bigger here. I need to find out what.

In an hour, we run into Phoenix’ Security unit, grab some uniforms and look for the Alphas.

We see a bunch of people run for the Comms Unit where my father works.

“Come on.” I wave to Astrid and we run to catch up.

When we get to the door, it’s complete chaos.

“WHERE'S THE EPICENTER?!”

“Come on, people. I need SAT images in front of me now!”

People furiously type on computers and rush around.

“Comms, internet…everything. It’s all out. We got nothing.” A man spins in his chair to face my father.

“You're telling me all this sophisticated equipment was put down by a quake?” My father leans his hands on his desk and looks over his monitor.

“Sorry, Alpha. It’s a total blackout.”

He hangs his head. “Where are my Satellites?!”

“Moving into position, sir. They’ll be sending images back shortly.” Another responds.

He sighs and flops in his chair.

“Dad.”

He glances at me. “Adam?”

His eyes widen. “ADAM!!” He jumps from his chair at me and takes me in a bear hug as he laughs hysterically. “HOLY SHIT! WHERE WERE YOU?! WHAT HAPPENED?!” He practically yells in my ear then shoves me back. He grabs my cheeks. “How are you? Are you hurt? Your mother….Oh my God, your mother.” His brows raise as he stares at me. He pulls out his phone and proceeds to dial.

I take the phone from him. “Dad. I’m fine. We can’t talk about all of it after. Right now, I need to know what’s happening.”

“Alpha. Strength coming in at 8.2 and rising. It’s already triggered several smaller quakes around the area and simulations are suggesting a night of aftershocks.” One Comms soldier informs.

My father shakes his head. “Axelridge got hit by an earthquake just as the moon hit.”

“What?” Astrid’s jaw falls.

My dad smiles. “Astrid. I didn’t see you there.” He turns to me. “I’m glad you two made up.”

I put my hands in a prayer pose in front of my nose. “The quake.” I say as smoothly as I can as I hold back my frustration.

“Right.” He turns to his computer. He hits some keys which pulls up a white outlined map of Lake Ontario. “Axelridge is here. The Lawrence fault zone runs from the northeast corner of the lake to the end of it on the southwest side. This particular line has been on watch for some time and it was assumed the vent, should one erupt, would happen around the Quebec border, but by the looks of it, it’s coming right up through Axelridge.”

I turn my head to my fathers eyes. “We need to get those people off that island.”

“It’s not that simple. If this blows, everything around the lake will go to. This quake was just a baby compared to what’s coming.” He says as he locks eyes with me.

“What’s coming?” Astrid asks.

“If our simulations are correct and events keep escalating the way they have been over the last year, we're looking a volcanic eruption that would make Yellowstone look like party favor.” He says with concern as he points to lake on his screen.

“No.” My jaw goes slack. “This can’t be natural.”

He nods. “That’s the thing. We've been studying the fault for years. Everyone agreed we had at least 10,000 years before anything like this would even begin to happen. What’s changed?”

“Alpha. SAT images coming to your monitor now.” A soldier informs.

My father sits in his chair and I lean on my hand on his desk beside him. We watch as the images pop up one by one.

“Fuck me.” My dad and I say at the same time.

All three bridges broken in several places and in the lake. Barely any electricity. Towers with top floors broken in half and gone. Roads destroyed. Stadiums and other buildings crumpled. Airports and landing straps annihilated. Chunks of the island on the edges are broken and other areas are ripped apart.

The once great city looks like hell chewed them up and spit them out.

Anger fills me, my wolves growl and Abraxas slithers around under my skin. My vamp snarls his lip.

“Alistair.” I sneer.

“Alpha. First responders are entering the landing zone now.”

“Thank you.” My dad nods.

I stand and collect myself. “Alistair did this. I’m sure if it. I have to stop him.”

“I believe you and I agree.” He turns his chair to me. “What I don’t agree with, is you running off without some sort of plan.”

“I don’t need one.” I go to leave and he stands, grabbing my arm as he does.

“Son. You have nothing to fight him with. Even if you do managed to hurt him, will you destroy him?”

I heave a breath. “Not entirely. I can kill the body he’s in, but…”

“He will take another.” Astrid adds.

I nod at her.

My father lands a hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes. “You need a plan.”

I can’t argue with that. I knew the plan to fight Lefu. I was prepared. I didn’t think about how I would take down my demonic father. Abraxas can fight him, but it still wouldn’t solve the ultimate problem. How to send my father back to hell where he belongs.

“We need resources and weapons.” I turn to my mate.

“We need our team.” She smiles.

I smile back as I cup her cheek. “Call them.”

She nods in agreement and proceeds to make a round of text messages from her phone.

My dad leans on my shoulder. “So…” He glances at Astrid. “You going to tell me?”

I chuckle and drop my head. I grab my shirt collar and pull it to the side exposing my mark.

“That’s my boy!” He laughs as he slaps my chest. He pulls me into a bro hug. “Your mother is going to be ecstatic…Well, as ecstatic as a vampire can be.” He smiles. “Congratulations. She’ll make a fine Luna when you take over the pack.”

“Thanks.” I grin and lower my head. “I know I said it before, but I want you to know, of all my dads I’ve ever had, you really are the best. You gave me more of a life than any others. I love you for that and I will always hold the honor of the Adams name.”

“Does that mean you’re changing your name now?” He asks.

“No. I’m not walking around with the same two names.” I snort and laugh.

He laughs too. “I can’t blame you for that.”

He slaps and holds my neck as he leads us out.

We have to inform the council of what transpired here and what I will need to do to fight it.

Once I develop a plan, I’ll be taking my fight to Axelridge. I'll hunt my father down just like I did Lefu.

I will save the world yet again, but this time with love on my side instead of fear, anger and distrust. Astrid has taught me a lot. I am a soldier, but that doesn’t mean I always have to be a one man war. I have a heart that holds true love now, even if it’s not beating most of the time. That makes my strength so much more and Alistair better be ready because I’m coming for his demonic ass.