The Alphas & The Heiress

Syble (Magnolia)

My world stops spinning as I process their words. They’ve scented my family, we’re going to find them.

“What are we waiting for? We have to go! Now!”

I fix my dress and hand Ro back his shirt, hurrying through the suite to the exit. My vision tunneled and focused only on getting to my dad and uncle.

The twins are hot on my heels barking orders to Runidar and the rest of the crew still in the suite. I appreciate how quickly they can flip the switch between work and play. It shows me that they know how important this is to me.

I find Incandis dancing indecently with Kat on the dance floor. His embarrassment is quickly replaced with hope and urgency when I tell him what the trackers have found. The five of us exit the club just as Runidar is pulling up one of the SUVs to take us home.

It’s the longest 15 minutes of my life. Waiting anxiously in the back of the car as Runidar races through town back to the pack house. Varian and Ro run their fingertips up and down my back to comfort me as we drive but I can’t focus on anything but getting back and getting out to find them.

The trackers are waiting for us in the conference room when we get back. Still in our black tie finery, we gather to hear what they’ve found.

“Alphas, Syble, about an hour ago we received a mindlink from two guards on patrol that they’ve picked up the same unidentified scent we’ve been finding this last week. I sent 5 men out there to investigate. The guards that sent us the original mindlink are missing, but their scent leads into a cave on the edge of the south side of our lands. My men picked up not only the unidentified scent but the scent of your colony members as well.”

I stop breathing. “What are we waiting for then? Let’s go.”

“Woah, Syble, wait a second.” Incandis stops me. “It’s the middle of the night, the guards that alerted them are missing now too. Let’s get some sleep, make a plan in the morning and head out then.”

“Incandis is right, spitfire.” Ro says cautiously. “We don’t need anyone else disappearing.” He looks at me like he’s silently pleading for me to stand down.

My skin heats as my flames slowly stoke to life as I find myself not in control of this situation. My family is out there, in my reach, and I’m being told to wait. I know they’re right… but they’ve been gone over a month.

Without another word I storm out of the room, steam trailing behind me as I try to suppress the wildfire threatening to blaze through me.

In my room I slip off my mask and shoes. Steam billows off of me as I use every ounce of my self control to contain my flames.

There’s a soft knock on my door. I’m sure it’s Incandis checking on me, but I’m not in the mood to talk. “Not now, Incandis.”

“Try again, spitfire.” It’s not Incandis, it’s Ro.

“Open the door love, you’re going to set off the smoke alarm.” Varian teases gently.

I tie on my blindfold before opening the door.

Ro and Varian open the door and catch sight of me, fuming and shaking as I continue fighting a losing battle against my own flames.

“Oh, love.” Varian sighs, wrapping me in his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything is out of my control here. It’s not a feeling I’m used to and it’s exceptionally frustrating.”

“Let us help you.” Ro says in my ear, tugging gently at the zipper of my dress.

He slips the straps off my shoulders and lets my gown pool around my feet. It would be so easy for them to take advantage of this moment, I wouldn’t have the energy to say no to them. Neither of them press me though. Ro takes my hand and lifts it to his, kissing me softly. The gesture tugs at something deep in my chest, and this time the tingles and butterflies persist even after he lets go of my hand.

Ro slips off his shirt, “arms up, spitfire.” He drapes his shirt over me. Once again, he could have left me naked and tried his luck, but instead of taking advantage of my rare vulnerability he covered and comforted me instead.

Varian puts one arm around my back and the other behind my knees. He scoops me into his arms and carries me to bed. Both he and Ro lay on either side of me and wrap their arms around me as I lay pressed between them.

“Let go, love.” Varian whispers to me as he kisses my forehead.

I’m starting to understand what Accalia meant about keystones and pillars not existing without the other. Could I really let go? Would they really hold me together if I do?

It’ll have to be a leap of faith because I can’t hold it in anymore. I combust into flames, burning off the anger, fear, and doubt I’ve locked away over the last month.

They don’t laugh or make smart ass comments. Instead they hold me tighter. I breathe a sigh of relief and in the safety of their embrace I burn until I eventually fall asleep.

***

I wake a few hours later to daylight pouring through the windows. I haven’t slept this well in over a month, I haven’t slept this well ever. I look around the room for the twins but it’s clear that neither of them are here anymore.

I don’t let myself ruminate on it for long, I’m focused on one thing and one thing only. It’s time to get my family back. I shower quickly and get dressed in black leggings and a tight black shirt. I strap my blades to my back and head down to find everyone.

No one stops to say hello to me today. Warriors, staff, and various other pack members in the house bow out of my way as I pass them. When I walk into the kitchen Varian is the first to look up at me. He chokes and spits his coffee out after one look, his eyes turning pitch black. Incandis regards me coolly, he’s accustomed to me walking around ready for war.

“You ready?” I ask the group impatiently.

“Let’s go meet with Baron, and then we can head out.” Ro says, his eyes scanning me from head to toe.

Baron and his team are situated in the conference room, map spread wide atop the table. “There’s only one entrance to the cave, here. We picked up the scent of your missing members about 10 meters into the mouth of the cave. We can run up to this clearing here, but past this point we’ll have to hike on foot up to the cave.”

“We will search inside the cave with Incandis, Syble, and Runidar. Baron, I want you and your team to start tracking the guards that went missing last night.” Ro orders.

“Alright let’s head out.” I say impatiently.

Outside the guys start to shift. I hop onto Ro’s back and he takes off into the forest followed by Varian, Runidar and the trackers. I catch a glimpse of Kat’s wolf trailing behind us. I don’t say anything to the twins though, they’d stop and make her go back and I don’t have time for them to waste arguing.

It’s a twenty minute run to the cliff where the cave entrance sits. Ro, Varian, Runidar, and Kat shift back and quickly change into clothes but Baron and his team remain in wolf form.

The twins’ eyes cloud over as do Kat’s and I can only assume they’re arguing over her presence here. After a minute their eyes clear, Kat looks pale but the twins don’t send her away.

“Baron, find the guards who were on patrol here. We’ll meet you back at the pack house.” Ro commands.

Baron’s wolf nods and the five trackers take off into the woods again.

“We’ll have to climb up from here.” Varian says.

“Who said anything about climbing?” I smirk as I shift into dragon form. Incandis can fly up with Runidar and Kat in his arms but I’m not strong enough to carry the twins and there’s no way they’ll tolerate being carried by Incandis. The only way is to shift and have them ride on me up to the ledge.

They climb on my back and Incandis and I lift off into the sky, carrying our passengers up to the ledge. The twins jump off me and onto the ledge allowing me to shift back mid air and join them on the narrow ledge.

“Baron said the scent was picked up about 10 meters in. I’ll go in first. Runidar and Kat, I want you in the middle, the rest of us will light the cave.” Ro commands.

“I’ll go first, I’m blindsighted and can see in the dark better than anyone here.” I say.

“No.” Varian says from behind me in that low, deep voice he saves for when it’s an order, not a request.

I roll my eyes behind the blind fold. He comes up behind me, his breath fanning my neck, his hands gripping my waist. “I can’t see your eyes but I know when you’re rolling them at me, little spitfire.” He whispers in my ear. “Ro will lead, I’ll follow in last.”

I nod quickly, and walk away from him needing to put distance between us. I can’t go into this cave with a clouded mind. His touch alone could reduce me to ash if I let it.

“Alright let’s go.” I say. Ro leads us in, flames in his hand lighting the way. Incandis, Varian, and I do the same. At ten meters in, Ro sniffs the air and turns back to us.

“You smell that, Varian?” He asks his brother.

“The guards.” Varian replies.

“Not just the guards, the missing dragons.” Ro says and my heart begins to race.

A few more yards in Ro comes to an abrupt halt.

“Why did you stop?” I ask impatiently, making my way up to Ro. I don’t have to wonder long, when I’m standing next to Ro I realize that the cave forks in two directions, left and right.

“We need to split up, it’ll be faster than staying as a group.” I insist. Ro and Varian instantly begin to protest but I’m done with their Alpha bullshit.

“Enough! They’re my people, I say we split up. Which way do you want, left or right?”

Ro and Varian look at each other before looking back at me, clearly holding back on saying what they want. “The scent of your members is stronger to the left.” Ro grits out.

“Incandis and I will go left, you guys can go right.” I start heading to the left path when Kat speaks up. “I’m going with Syble and Incandis.” She turns and looks at me with hope, “you’ll need me so we can mindlink the others.” She says.

I don’t give the twins time to protest, I take off down the left path, Incandis and Kat hurrying behind me. Our path leads us deep into the heart of the cave, but there are no other splits in the path, the only way to go is forward.

Eventually we reach a large, cavernous opening. There’s a trickle of water that streams through the middle of the rock floor. Stalactites and stalagmites adorning the ceiling and floor of the space around us. On the far end of the room is another tunnel entrance which will no doubt lead even further into the cave.

We walk further into the clearing when I hear something drag across the floor. My body twists instantly towards the source of the sound and slowly I approach the location.

As we get closer it becomes more clear that the sound came from one of the two men laying seemingly lifelessly on the ground. It’s not my father or uncle, but they do seem familiar. I give them a nudge with my foot and there’s a soft groan that escapes them.

“They’re alive.” I say to Kat and Incandis.

“Oh Goddess! These are the two guards that went missing! I have to mindlink the others!” Kat shrieks.

As soon as the words are out of her mouth, I hear two loud noises from behind us. I spin around, grabbing my blades off my back as I do, and assume a fighting stance as I look around us into the dark cave.

“Kat, tell the others to be careful. We’re not alone.”