The Alpha King's Series

CHAPTER-FORTY-EIGHT

BRINLEY.

TWO YEARS LATER.

I hold tightly onto the orange envelope in my hands. I do this every time. It's hard to let it go, but I know Xander wants to know about his son.

I had so much to tell Xander. So much had happened this past year. Dominic turned three a few months ago, and I sent him a few pictures. Of course, I had him with a fake background so he could trace us. I told him how close Dominic was to the girl and her daughter that moved in with us.

I didn't tell him their names, but I did tell Xander that I had been helping her because she was in trouble.

Sofia and I help each other out a lot, and we both have to use Betty on most days, but she doesn't mind. She loves Molly and Dominic.

I let go of the envelope and sighed.

I begin my walk back home, a few towns over, and it takes me a while; sometimes, I catch a cab. Sofia and I moved into the empty four-bedroom apartment. Dominic and Molly have their own rooms, and so Do Sofia and me though I hardly use mine, and Sofia is just as paranoid as I am.

I didn't tell Sofia that where I came from, we were werewolves. Instead, I told her that I was supposed to marry a king because my father set it up, and his uncle threatened to kill my son. She said my life was just as bad as hers, and honestly, she had no idea the real danger I was facing. But Sofia was running from the mafia, her husband because she caught him cheating on her. And the man's father tried to pick her off.

I know the feeling; Charles will kill me when he gets the box. That's why I ran.

Charles will never get the box.

I'm willing to give my life to protect it.

I just fear for Dominic. Where does he stand in all of this?

"Hey, your back early," Sofia says.

I nod.

"I took a cab home,”

"Did you mail your letter?"

"I did,"

Sofia sighs, sitting at the table; I join her.

"Where're the kids?"

"Asleep, thank god,” She mutters.

I raise a brow.

"That bad?"

Sofia nods.

"I made them go to their rooms. No tv for them tonight; I took it because they were fighting over the remote,"

I giggle.

"It's not funny. Molly hit Dominic over the head with it, then Dominic slapped her,".

I purse my lips to keep from laughing.

"What?" She says, narrowing her eyes.

"They do that on me too."

"What do you do to keep them from fighting?"

I shake my head.

"I just yell at them and tell them to stop, or I'll watch cooking shows," I shrug.

"And that works?"

I nod.

"It didn't work at first. But once I made them sit through a thirty-minute episode, it did,"

“Oh,”

"You have to show them, you the boss. If not, they will fight and cry to get their way,"

"Yeah, I know,"

"The club is making me work extra hours tomorrow,"

The club where she works is a strip club. She dances in underwear and a bra and makes good money. She's begged me to work with her, but I could never do that.

I know it would hurt Xander if he ever found out.

I still miss him like crazy.

XANDER.

"It's been a year Xander. So why are you still going on with these schemes?" Julia asks.

"I have men tailing Charles's men. I know Charles will stop at nothing to find her,"

"Why do you think that?" Katie asks.

"I saw it in his eyes. Charles hates Brinley and will stop at nothing to destroy her,”

"And you're helping him find her so he can hurt her?" Julia says.

"No one will fucking touch my mate," I say, clenching my jaw.

"Xander, It's been two years. Brinley has slipped up once. But, unfortunately, I feel she won't be found until she wants to be," Kyle joins in.

"I still don't know why Charles wants her so bad. If I could only find his motives,” I tell them. "Then what?" Kyle says.

"I'll fucking take him down,"

Julia raises her brow.

"You're going to take down your own uncle?”

"I will kill anyone that fucks with my mate," I tell her.

I picked up the photo that came with the journal. My son has grown so much, and I'm missing it all. "I'll find you, Dominic,” I whisper to the photo.

"I will find you and your mother and protect you until my last breath,” I tell Dominic's smiling face and place the picture over my heart.

At least I know his heart is working now.

BRINLEY.

The day isn't going fast enough time seems like it's crawling, and I have an hour left of work. Sofia messaged me and said Dominic wasn't feeling well and asked for me, and I felt terrible that I was stuck at work and not there with him.

"Hi, my name is B, and I'll be your waiter this evening,” I say and grab my notepad and pen. "What can I get you two to drink?"

"Sweet tea,” The hairy-headed teen says.

"Coke for me,” The other teenage boy says.

"Coming right up,"

I walk into the kitchen, fill two ice glasses, and hold one under the coke dispenser. Then, I place the coke on the tray and fill the empty glass with sweet tea.

I walked the drinks back over to their table and sat them down.

"Did you guys decide what you wanted to eat?"

They nod.

"Two cheeseburgers and fries,”

I write down their order and grab the menus before walking back into the kitchen. I place the order on the window so the cook can prepare the food.

Walking back to the floor, I begin busting the tables and cleaning them until the food is ready. More people walked into the diner as the cook rang the bell, signaling the order was ready.

"I'll be right with you. Sit anywhere you'd like," I tell the new customers. I place the plates of food on my tray.

"Here you go. If you boys need anything, just yell,"

I walked over to the table where a father and daughter sat down.

"Hi, I'm B, and I'll be your waiter tonight. What can I start you off to drink?"

"Water with a lemon,” The older man says and smiles at me.

I scribble it down and turn to the girl.

"What will you have, Ms?"

"Rootbeer,"

I nod, write it down, and then head to the back to get their drink ready.

"Have you guys decided what you want to eat?"

The man nods with his eyes glued to the menu.

"I'm going to have the patty melt and onion rings,"

"Yes, sir," I say, writing it down. Not that I needed to write it down; I have a mind like a sponge, but the cooks like it when you write it instead of telling them the orders.

"I'll have the club sandwich and onion rings with a side of ranch, please,” The girl says.

"You guys aren't from here, are you?" I couldn't help but ask.

The man shakes his head

"No, ma'am. I just won custody of my daughter, and we are on our way to hoover dam to start our new life,"

I nod.

"Well, in that case, to celebrate, you and your daughter milkshake on me."

"Thank you,"

I smile and nod.

I placed their orders, prepared the two milkshakes, and took them back to their table.

"We were out of a strawberry, but I got one chocolate and one vanilla,”

"Thanks again; we appreciate it,"

"It's no problem," I say.

"I'll have your food out shortly,”

"I'm home," I said as I came through the door.

"Hi, how was work?" Sofia asked, coming from the shower.

"Exhausting," I sighed.

Sofia narrowed her eyes.

"Better than my day at least,” She says, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?"

"One of my clients got handsy, and I had to call security,”

“Oh,”

Sofia nods.

"But I did make over five hundred in tips,” She shrugs.

"I made roughly a hundred,” I tell her.

She raises a brow.

"You should consider coming to the club, and you will make more money in tips and your paycheck," Sofia exclaims.

I shake my head.

"I'm okay where I am. Dominic and I make do,"

"Well, we got the electric bill today," Sofia says, handing me the bill.

T252"

Sofia nods.

"We can go on Friday to pay,” She says.

I nod.

"Are you hungry? I saved you a plate,”

"Thanks," I nod.

Sofia walked to the over, pulled out a plate, and set it down in front of me.

"Thank you, Sofia,"

"Dominic, don't go too far,” I tell him as he walks toward the playground.

I decided to come to the town I mail the journals from. As I do once a year, I plan to call Knox to let him know we are okay and ask him how Xander is.

I sat on the bench. Another mother glanced over at her and set her phone down to look at her child. "May I use your phone to make a quick call?"

The lady glances at me and then nods.

"Sure," She says, handing me the phone.

"Thanks. My battery died, and I need to tell my husband,” I lie.

She waves me off.

"We've all been there. And being a mother is a full-time job,” She says.

I nodded my head.

“Its,”

I dial Knox's number, and it rings.

"Hello?"

"Knox?"

The line goes silent.

"Brinley? Is that you?"

Yes"

"What's wrong? Why are you calling? Our usual call isn't for another week,” He says, sounding worried.

"My battery died. I was wanting to check in and see how Xander is doing?"

Knox sighs.

"I got an invitation today from Charles. It seems Xander is getting married,”

My heart dropped.

Is Xander getting Married?

This can't be real.

"Are you sure? It might be one of Charles's tricks to et me out of hiding," I tell Knox.

"I thought so too. Which is why I called and asked Xander, and he confirmed it. Brinley, you never believe whom he is marrying,”

"Who?" I ask, my voice just above a whisper.

"Xander is marrying Julia,"

I pulled the phone from my ear, ended the call, muttered a thank you, and grabbed Dominic.

I can't believe that Julia would do this to me after everything I've done for her. Xander said he loved me, and I was fooling myself, thinking he wouldn't move on.

Xander is moving on, and I'm living the past.

"Let's go home, Dominic," I say and try to catch a cab, so I don't have to walk.

After the news I got, I'm not sure my legs will carry me that far.

I picked Molly up from Betty's and took the kids home so they could play and eat dinner.

After hours of sitting in silence, the door opens, and Sofia comes in.

"Hey," She says, then frowns.

"What's wrong?"

I sigh.

"Xander is getting married to the girl I thought was my friend," I tell her.

"How did you find this out?” She asked.

"I called Xander's brother, and he told me,"

Her frown deepens

"You contact his brother?"

I nod.

"You're hiding from Xander. Don't you think he will run and tell his brother?”

I shook my head.

"He wouldn't do that to me. Knox is the one who helps me get away,"

Sofia mouthed an "0".

"I hate that name Knox," Sofia says

"Why?"

Sofia sighs.

"My husband has a half sister, and she's married to a guy named Knox,"

Sofia shrugs.

"But he is weird. He thinks he is a king because he has a house the size of a castle,"

“Oh,”

Sofia shakes her head.

"Besides, Ruben found me today,”

I gapped.

"What?"

Sofia nods.

"You can't hide forever from Ruben, Bianchi,” She mutters.

"Are you leaving?" I ask her.

She shrugs her shoulder.

"I'm not sure. Ruben can give Molly a good life that I can't on my own,"

"Sofia, he cheated on you," I remind her.

She nods.

"I know. I still love Ruben, and I've been away from him for three years. Is it crazy if I try and work things out?"

I sigh and shake my head.

"No, I still love Xander," I tell her.

"Tell him that,” Sofia says.

"I can't. Xander has moved on," I shake my head.

"Brinley, maybe you should call him,"

I bite my lip and look down at the table.

I know Sofia is trying to help, but she doesn't know the real reasons behind my running.

"No. It's best to leave things,” I tell her.

"Hey, I told Ruben I needed time, and we are going to try dating for a while,"

I nod.

"So, I'm not leaving you yet," She says.

Sofia stands.

"I'm going to take a shower and wash work off me,”

I purse my lips.

"I'll have us some dinner when you're done,” I say.

Sofia and Molly are moving out today, and Dominic and I are moving to a smaller apartment.

I helped Sofia pack her things, and she and Ruben are helping me move are boxes and beds to the new apartment.

"The couch was the last of it," Ruben and two of his men say as they bring in the Sofa.

"Thanks for your help,”

Ruben nods.

"No, problem,"

Ruben looks so familiar with his blonde hair, sunkissed skin, and blue eyes.

I swear I've seen those eyes before.

"We better go. Lucy is expecting us for dinner,” Ruben tells Sofia, and she nods.

Lucy?

"Lucy, Deluca?"

Ruben raises his brow, then slowly nods.

"You know my sister?"

Tes?

My heart starts beating in an irregular rhythm.

"Brinley?" Sofia says.

But I ignore her. I start throwing mine and Dominic's clothes into a suitcase.

"Brinley, what's wrong?" Sofia asked again.

"Brinley, James?"

I freeze at the sound of my name coming from Ruben'’s lips.

I turn slowly.

"When Sofia told me about her friend Brinley, I never thought anything. But when you freaked out about my sister, It hit a bell,”

My lips part but nothing comes out.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Sofia shouts.

Ruben smirks.

"Do you remember the Caputo's?” He asked Sofia.

Sofia nods.

"The ball we went to for the King to celebrate his engagement,” Sofia nods.

Sofia turns to me and sighs.

"I didn't tell you this because I didn't think you would believe me. But my husband Ruben is adopted into werewolves, and I know you must be thinking they don't exist, but they do,” Sofia says, nodding her head.

"She knows they exist, Sofia. Brinley is the girl King Xander was engaged to until she ran away," Ruben says, taking steps toward me.

I wrap my purse over my neck and step backward.

"You have a pretty big bounty on your head. Charles Caputo wants you dead or alive,” Ruben says, stopping an inch away from me.

"Ruben, what are you doing? Brinley is my friend, and she helped your daughter and me. She took us in when we had nowhere to go," Sofia tells him, grabbing his arm. Ruben sighs and holds his phone.

"Since you helped my wife and daughter out, I will give you a chance to run,” Ruben says, dialing a number.

"Charles, Ruben, Bianchi. I'm standing here in front of Brinley James,”

"I'll tell you the location after you put half a mil into my account,”

Ruben pauses the checks something on his phone, and he smirks.

Ruben snaps a picture of me and begins to type.

"The name of the town is Hillspoint,”

Ruben ends the call and looks at me.

"I can't let you go. You have to hurt me as you escaped,”

I glanced over at Sofia and mouthed I'm sorry. Then, as my claws ripped through Ruben’s chest area, he hissed in pain.

"You didn’t have to go that deep,” He mutters.

"It's not deep. It will heal its claw marks. I barely tore through your skin," I tell and grab my suitcase and Dominic's hand.

I hugged Sofia.

"I'm sorry I lied; please forgive me," I whispered and let go of her and ran out the door.

"Brinley, wait," Sofia yells, running up to us.

"Take Ruben's car, go as far as you can, then ditch it," Sofia said, kissing my cheek, and she headed back inside.

I sat Dominic in the back seat and strapped him in before sating the suitcase in the drunk before driving off from the place that was our home for two years.