Twice Tempted: Between Two Alphas (Mia and Cameron)

Chapter Forty-Seven

MIA

We drive for hours.

Thirty hours.

The benefit of five women in a car is everyone can take a turn at the wheel. The downfall is ...five women in a car.

Who was hungry, tired, bored, thirsty, had to pee.

In some ways it was the most awful thirty hours of my life. In others... I'd never had an experience like this. Singing loud and eating junk food. Talking about dating and mating and what it is like to have pups. After the initial worries of Corinne double-crossing me passed... part of me was actually having fun.

I've lived outside of 'pack' which is a concept none of them have ever experienced. They were intrigued by my job, my boss Alex, and the kind of independence I'd had.

And I learned about them. Rachel migrated into their pack by way of a Chinese pack that settled in the Bay Area. Jessica was born in Cali and had a mate back home. The driver, Lianne, had recently found her mate. They were having a formal mating ceremony in the spring-or whenever things calmed enough. They weren't waiting though, they were already trying to have a family.

Just talking about it brightened the woman's face.

I'd had friends when I grew up but in the aftermath of what happened with Cam, no one reached out or kept in touch. Not that I would've been easy to find, but I feel like someone could've tried.

I'd befriended Morgan... and look how well that turned out for me.

"You feeling sorry for yourself again, Two-fer?"

My hands tighten on the steering wheel.

It's late into the night and my turn to drive.

Corinne smirks.

I'm not even going to mention that two-fer comment. If she keeps that shit up, we're definitely going to fight. Part of me wants the rematch, while the more sensible side of me acknowledges that I probably wouldn't win.

I glance in the mirror, the rest of the women are asleep.

"I still don't know why you agreed to come with me."

"Because my brother told me to protect you."

"And you didn't question it?"

Corinne looks away. Her features fall as she closes her eyes and rests her head against the window. "He's all I have left of my family."

You need to tell me where the fuck you are, Mia.

It's Cam. He's in my head again.

I ignore him.

Eric tries to engage me a few minutes later, but I ignore him too.

"Is that my brother again?" Corinne asks. She's amused.

"Is he hitting you up too?"

She grins. "Only every ten minutes."

"He hasn't demanded you to tell him where we are yet?"

"Of course he has. But I reminded him that he entrusted me to keep you safe, and that's what I'm doing. So he can piss off."

I laugh. Coinne does too. "No, I mean, he hasn't forced you to tell him yet, with his Alpha powers?"

She sobers. "Before Eric rose to Alpha, we were controlled by another Alpha. He...used his powers to force his will. He was cruel. I was only a child, but he compelled me to slap my own face and rip out my hair."

"How old were you?"

"Seven."

"That's horrible."

She looks haunted by the memories. "It was worse for the adults. He made many of our pack to slit their own throats."

"I'm sorry, Corinne."

She expels a deep breath as if she's expunging the memories. "Eric doesn't compel his people often." sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The sun crests over Lake Pontchartrain and she changes the subject. "Have you been here before?"

"No. Why?"

"This is an old city. A dangerous city."

I'm in a car with five Raven enforcers and we're all wolves.

"There are creatures here...older than wolves, older even than vampires." Her gaze slides to mine. "Remember that. Trust no one."

"I'm not here for spring break."

She smirks. "Maybe not, but there is something about this city. You may hear things. See things. Don't follow the voices, Mia." Her voice is somber. "Don't be drawn away or think of going off alone." Okay, that doesn't sound ominous or anything.

"This is a major tourist attraction, Corinne. I seriously doubt anyone is going to try to abduct me in the middle of Bourbon Street."

She sighs. "That's the thing...the evilest creatures aren't the ones we run from. We can fight those... The worst evils are the ones that we seek out. The ones we invite into our homes."

A chill slithers down my spine.

"I know you're here for a reason. And I'm not pestering you for what that may be. You left your kids, so it has to be important. Just..."

"Just what?"

"Don't do anything stupid."

I expel a deep breath. "You do realize how rude and inherently insulting that statement is."

"Uh huh." She points to an exit. "Take that right. It'll bring us into the Garden District."

There are smells and sights aplenty. Old, old homes with bright colors and elaborate woodwork. Grand houses with balconies and wrought iron railings. Bougainvillea blooms on rooftops and pretty flowers hang from giant baskets and window boxes.

Cobblestone streets bisect the major roadways. It's a blend of the Old World dropped into a modern city.

I roll down the window.

The air is balmy here. Way warmer and wetter than in the northwest where we came from. It smells damp and musty and there's something pervading it all.

My nose wrinkles.

"Death," Corinne says quietly. "You smell death."