The Wanted Alpha

April

I felt the warm, tingling sensations along my face and lips, willing me to open my eyes. Wherever I was, with just enough light coming from somewhere, my mate’s features started to blur into focus. His wonderful, peppery citrus scent encompassed me completely.

“Ethan?” my voice felt so faint and rough.

My head felt like it was about to split and August still felt a little dazed.

“It’s ok, sweet. I’m here” Ethan’s voice whispered against my cheek.

I tried to sit up but instantly regretted it. My head and neck throbbed in protest at my movements. I was trying to recall what happened, remembering a truck following us and then something hitting us… everything was so blurry, I couldn’t focus on any particular memory.

“Careful April, you hurt your head. It looks healed now, but it’ll be painful for a while” he cooed, cradling my neck and back with his large, warm hands to help me sit.

“Do you remember what happened?” he asked, softly.

I weakly shook my head, though I had a vague idea…I was almost taken, again. That thought, how close I may have come to never seeing Ethan again, had my eyes stinging with hot tears. Ethan moved to sit on the bed and pull me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me in comfort.

This place didn’t feel or smell like home and I couldn’t sense our pack.

“Ethan, where are we? Did you bring me here?” I asked, feeling confused.

“No, but that doesn’t matter now. I found you, I’ll always find you” he whispered into my hairline as he peppered my forehead with k****s.

A soft knock on the door broke the two of us out of our moment. A small woman with dark hair and unnaturally bright green eyes opened the door tentatively. She looked to be carrying a teacup and appeared a little unnerved. She looked and smelt human, but my wolf sensed an innate power within her

“Luna, I brought you some herbal tea. It’ll help with any pain you’re in, it’s quite potent so sip it carefully” she held the cup out with a little shake to her hand causing it to rattle a little till I took it from her.

My mate growled softly, causing her to leap back and quickly head out the door before I could say thank you. I gave him a soft glare at his rude behaviour but he ignored me, focusing on the tea in my hand, sniffing it.

“Who was that? Why did you scare her away?” but he continued to ignore me.

“It doesn’t smell like it’s laced with anything, let me try it first before you take a sip” he took the cup without waiting for a response and sipped it.

“It’s fine, here” offering me the tea back.

“Ethan! Will you stop ignoring me? Who was that, where are we?”

I was starting to become irritated, but as I sipped the tea I felt a warming calm slip over me. Every muscle in my body eased, the pain in my head and neck dissipating slowly. The young woman wasn’t kidding about it being potent.

He sighed before speaking “we’re 6 hours northeast of our pack. Apparently these people helped fight off your attackers but I don’t know who they are yet and I don’t trust them. I know there’s at least 4 vampires here along with these humans. The others are here too, they’re fine…sorta. Jude’s a little banged up.”

“…was it Monkshood Moon? That attacked?” I asked quietly.

“I think so, nothing’s confirmed. My priority was tracking you. I’ve got people at the site, searching for evidence. More are on the way here though.”

The tea did indeed make me feel much better. I attempted to stand with Ethan’s help, I felt a little weak but I wasn’t in any pain anymore.

“Let’s go meet our hosts” I said, but I saw how he hesitated with a slight frown and a light pink hue to his cheeks.

I narrowed my eyes at him “what did you do?”

“I…may have broke their door down and possibly raged a little” he said while rubbing the back of his neck “I was just frantic thinking they had kidnapped you and my pack members!” he rushed out.

“Ok…let’s go apologise to our hosts then” I said, shaking my head.

‘Just stay close to me, they may have helped but we don’t know the first thing about them’ he mind-linked as we left the room.

‘I know. But I also know if we don’t make some attempt first, we won’t get anywhere…it didn’t work well for either of us the first time, did it?.’

‘…Ok. You’re right.’

He gripped my hand as we walked out into what looked like a sitting room, it was simple and basic but warm. I noticed the doorway was blocked by a thick piece of plywood with a broken and splintered door leaning by the wall. I guess this is where Ethan burst in like a mad man. The room seemed to be filled with people, three I recognised, Janine, Jaime and Greer. I noticed the young woman who had brought me the tea along with another and three men that held a peculiar scent I had never smelt before, they had to be the vampires Ethan mentioned.

“Luna! Are you ok? You’re not in any shock, or have a fever or anything?!” Janine rushed over, holding her hand to my head.

I laughed at her fussing around me, removing her hand “I’m fine, I swear” I looked over to the green eyed woman “and thank you, miss, for the tea. It really did help” I smiled in her direction.

She returned a humble nod, but noticeably avoided looking at my mate. He really must have scared these people when he broke in here.

“Can someone tell me what happened? I remember us being hit, but then nothing” I asked the room.

“We got t-boned from an SUV on a side road. The Beta covered you and took the main brunt of the collision. Another SUV pulled up behind it and came to grab us out to get to you while we were still a little dazed, but I killed him before they could take you. These guys jumped in to help us fight them off” Jaime indicated the three vampires “they brought us here to use their phone and to keep us safe…well, until our Alpha went Donkey Kong on the door that is” which earned a gentle teeter of laughter from the others.

“So I can see” I chuckled, looking over again at the obliterated door.

“It’s quite alright Luna April, we remember well how fraught Alphas can be over their mates” the tallest, black haired vampire spoke, in a surprisingly deep voice and an accent I didn’t recognise.

I had to admit he was quite handsome and almost as tall as Ethan, though nothing could compare to my mate. His shoulder length jet, black was half tied back and he had the most golden hazel eyes I had ever seen. His left arm was covered in bright oriental tattoos that stood out heavily against his strange pale skin, that had an almost opalescent quality to it. The other two vampire males had that same almost undetectable, muted, colourful shimmer to their skin.

“That’s alright for you. You’re not the one he jacked up a bloody wall” the male with pale brown hair and brown eyes muttered, with a bemused look on his face. He also had an accent I wasn’t quite sure on, but different from the black haired one.

“Sorry, but I was operating on the thinking that my mate had been kidnapped by a very dangerous enemy” my mate said in what sounded like a rather sarcastic apology.

‘Ethan!’

‘I’m not apologising for trying to keep you safe. Any wolf would have acted as I had with their mate missing, including you.’

I wouldn’t be winning this battle right now. Maybe once we got home and this whole thing wasn’t as fresh for either of us, he might reflect on his actions.

“I think what my mate means to say” I gave him a pointed look “is thank you for helping us, who knows what would have happened without you.”

“It’s ok Luna, we were happy to help. How about we get you something to eat, you must be hungry?” the young woman who had brought me the tea asked.

“I’m Acacia by the way and this is Sparrow” she indicated the woman next to her with dark brown hair, tan skin and blue-green eyes. She too had that same innate power.

They both hurried past, through an archway that led to a kitchen. I noticed the blue eyed vampire look after Sparrow longingly as she left.

‘Not to be rude, but don’t expect much…these guys only eat plants, even the vampires’ Greer mind-linked me with a slight grimace.

‘Are they…wiccans?’ I asked, unsure. It would explain the power I could feel from them.

‘Yeah. There’s another girl upstairs, Juniper, and 4 kids, they’re all that’s left of that Family we were going to see. They’re still pretty shaken up about it.’

It was a sentiment I could relate to. Even 15 years later, I could still feel the pain of losing my family and pack.

“Is Jude alright? How bad was he hurt?” I asked.

“He’s healing well, but he had a broken arm, a few cracked ribs and quite a few gashes from the broken glass. His quick reaction saved you a lot of injuries, Luna. He’ll just be sore for a while afterwards once he wakes up” Greer stated, obviously his medical and first aid experience came in handy today.

I nodded at his words. I would need to check on Jude later, he had put his life on the line to keep me safe today.

‘I need to grab my phone, I left it outside. I need to let Carrick and the others know I’m here’ Ethan mind-linked me ‘stay here and stay close to the twins…I need to have a word with Greer.’

With a silent command, he followed my mate out of the makeshift door and into the cold night air.

“Is it safe to come down yet?” A feminine voice spoke from the stairs in amusement.

She was also a vampire, possessing the same skin as the three men. She had wonderful dark hair and grey eyes and practically glided down the steps, with a more nervous looking young blonde woman behind her. She had the same bright green eyes as Acacia, she must be Juniper that Greer mentioned.

“I’m Maeryn Weaver and this is my husband Rhian” she indicated the brown eyed vampire male, the one my mate unfortunately attacked “and this is his brother, Cowyn” she indicated the other man that looked strikingly similar but with blue eyes.

“And this is Christopher Dijkstra, he’s sort of our coven leader. Not that 4 vampires is much of a coven anymore” she finished, sadly. Her husband laid his hand on her shoulder in comfort.

“Oh and this is Junipe…” but her words were silenced as our attention was diverted instantly by the heated shouts coming from outside.

Was Ethan on some kind of rampage today?