Alpha's Compromise (Alpha Selection Book 2) Read online

  I hesitated at his words. Anchored my soul? Did that mean I wouldn’t have returned to my body without him?

  No, Adira mentally answered me. It would have been a much longer and more painful process without him though.

  My eyes widened at my wolf’s words as I thanked Tessa’s father for his help.

  “It was no trouble. Are you feeling well?”

  “Yeah, just a little stiff.”

  “Glad to hear it, but that isn’t the only reason I came today,” he said. “I also came to offer my services.”

  “Your services?” I asked, confused.

  “I want to train you on how to use your magic,” he explained.

  My head shook profusely. “No, thank you. I never want to use it again. That was awful.”

  “That is exactly why you need to learn. You burned yourself out because you didn’t know what you were doing. It could happen again if you aren’t taught to properly control your power.”

  I hesitated, fear getting the best of me.

  “I think you should do it, Lily. You need to be in control for your sake and the babies,” Sam interjected.

  I frowned at my mate. “Who are you?” I asked incredulously. “You hate magic.”

  “I love you. Anything that keeps you from ever going through that again is great in my book.”

  I looked from Daniel to Sam and back again as the chancellor gave my mate a look of grudging respect.

  I took a moment to really inspect Sam’s appearance. His face was ashen. His natural tan had taken on a chalky pallor, dark circles dulling the rich chocolate brown of his eyes. He clearly hadn’t slept much as he worried over me. I couldn’t put him through that again.

  I looked at Tessa’s father once more. “Alright. You can teach me.”

  30

  Sam

  I spent the morning with Lily. After Tessa and her father left, Ember came in to examine Lily. I waited on bated breath for what felt like an eternity before the healer had given her and the babies the all clear. All of the updates I’d been given while Lily slept had meant nothing to me. I simply wasn’t able to believe she was in good health until I saw her awake and cognizant.

  We’d vacated my brother’s home and made the drive to my own shortly after. The relocation had wiped out her energy, something Chancellor Warren had warned would happen for the next day or so. Nearly as soon as we returned home, she was snuggled under the covers and sleeping soundly in my bed. I watched her for a while, afraid to leave her side, but I had pressing matters I had to attend to.

  I called Tessa to come over while Lily slept. I wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone. As soon as Tess was situated in the living room, I left to meet up with my beta.

  Nate waited in front of his home, and climbed into my car as soon as I pulled up. I appreciated his efficiency. Now that I knew my mate was alright, anger surged in my chest. I could have lost her and my children. The thirst for retribution was strong, but gaining information had to be my top priority.

  “How are you feeling?” Nate asked as I merged onto the interstate.

  “My wolf healed me hours ago,” I responded in a clipped tone.

  “Not what I meant and you know it. Where is your head at? Should I interrogate him before you go in there?”

  I exhaled angrily. “I want to torture him in ways that make being drawn and quartered sound appealing, but I can control myself… until we get answers. After that, he dies.”

  Nate nodded, but remained silent as he stared at me.

  “If I lose it before we find out who sent him, stop me. You. Ryan. All of you. We need to know,” I said as doubt crept into my mind. Could I really look the man who attempted to murder the mother of my children--the love of my life--in the eye and restrain the urge to kill him? I honestly wasn’t sure I could.

  “I’ve got your back, Sam,” my beta said as I pulled over onto a discrete drive on the side of the highway. I parked the car behind a copse of trees and got out. Nate and I both stripped, tossing our clothes back into the vehicle before shifting.

  Our wolves ran hard as they made their way to the archway that led to the protected lands of Lily’s pack. We slowed as we approached the entrance. Ryan seemed to appear out of thin air as he stepped through the stone structure in his human form.

  “Sam. Nate. Welcome.”

  My beta and I nodded our lupine heads in unison as a show of thanks.

  “Come on in,” he said as he stepped back through the arch and disappeared once more.

  We followed, shifting back into our human forms once we reached the other side.

  “Where is he?” I asked as soon as my change was complete. My emotional threshold had been reached for the day. I couldn’t handle small talk. I needed to get answers, get justice, and get back to my mate.

  “Right this way,” Ryan said as he handed sweatpants to Nate and I. “Bael magicked up a cell to hold him. It’s been spelled to prevent his death… just so you know,” he hesitated as he spoke.

  “Makes sense. Prevents him from taking his own life to keep from talking,” Nate said as we both dressed.

  I remained silent, brooding. It was probably best that I couldn’t kill the bastard but if I couldn’t hurt him? Well, that just wouldn’t do.

  As we walked past the modern apartment complexes and homes Tessa had created, the holding cell came into view. Although, calling it a cell was a stretch. A large metal cage cast an angry looking red glow on the grass surrounding it. The space between each segment was large enough for a man to fit through but the magic threw off such strong waves that no one would be stupid enough to try it. Bael sat cross-legged beside the cage, eyes closed as if he were meditating.

  “You can go in. You can’t kill him, the magic will stop you, but you can bring him to the brink of death,” he said without opening his eyes.

  “Got it,” I murmured as I opened the door and entered.

  I stared at the man as I entered. He was as nondescript as the come--perfect for an assassin. Murky brown hair, dull eyes, mousy features. There was nothing notable about him. Nothing other than his scent.

  “You’re a hybrid,” I hissed. The smell that was not quite a wolf would have never registered in my mind had I not encountered Ben, but now that odor was forever burned into my mind. The aroma was associated with the attempted murder of my mate twice now. I couldn’t forget it if I tried.

  The man met my gaze. His lifeless eyes lit up, glowing with malice as he leaned forward. “Sure am. I’m not the only one either. Your bitch is as good as dead and you’re going down right after. You should really be careful about who you piss off. Too late now though--maybe in your next life cycle.”

  I stayed surprisingly calm, letting his words roll off me as I stepped forward and sat across from him at the table he was chained to. I grinned in an attempt to bait him. “Well if the others are as incompetent at killing as you are… I’m not worried. You had a clear shot at the both of us and couldn’t finish the job. Talk about unreliable. Your alpha isn’t going to be very happy with you... Or do you mixed breeds have coven leaders instead? Doesn’t matter. You’ll be dead before you ever have to deal with them--just like Ben.”

  Chains rattled as he tried to lunge for me before being pulled back to his chair. I threw my head back and laughed. Did I really find anything about this situation funny? No. However, I needed to rattle the man. I wanted him to talk.

  My verbal jabs did the job. He snarled as he glared at me. “You think you’re so smart. My brother and I may have failed but your days are numbered. We’ll be one pack with hybrids leading the way. The Master will make sure of it.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. Brother? So he was related to Ben. That piqued my interest. “Your master sends inadequate assassins. I’m not worried.”

  “You will be. He wants you gone especially. I bet he’ll want to keep your mate for a chew toy though. I bet she’ll be sexy once Master rips your children out of her… if she survives,” he smiled maliciously as a manic gl
ee filled his eyes.

  I was proud of the self control I’d exhibited thus far but I could only take so much. Threatening my unborn children? That was taking it too far. My wolf rose to the surface, causing my fingernails to grow and sharpen to claws. I swiped at his face. Shredded skin was all that was left in my wake as blood began to pour from his cheek. A howl of pain escaped the man as I smiled just as viciously as he had. I shoved the change back down, letting my hand morph back as I stood. The partial shift was the equivalent of blue balls for my wolf and he howled inside of me, begging to be freed. Soon.

  I placed my palms flat on the cool metal surface of the table and leaned forward menacingly. “I’m sick of this banter. Who sent you?”

  “I think you already know the answer to that. Isn’t that why you’re so angry?”

  I stood and turned my back on the man. “Can you stop him from healing?” I asked Bael.

  The witch, still in his meditative state outside of the cage, spoke. “Yes. Just no killing blow or the magic will attack you. I have his magic and wolf tied into the cage’s power so he can’t shift or cast a spell.”

  I nodded and turned back to the prisoner. “Ever heard of Lingchi? Death by a thousand cuts? Every time you don’t answer a question, well… I’m sure you can figure it out.”

  I looked over my shoulder at Nate and Ryan. The pair stood off to the side in silence, waiting for my directive. “Nate. Shift. Avoid major arteries so the magic doesn’t lash out at you.”

  Ryan placed a hand on Nate’s shoulder and took a step forward. I looked at the giant man. I wasn’t short by any means but he was closer to seven feet while I hovered over six.

  “I understand that she’s your mate, but she’s my alpha,” he said in an even tone. I stared at him for a moment in surprise. He didn’t seem like he had the drive for torture, but he was right. As Lily’s beta, he had just as much of a right to be involved as I did and much more of a right than Nate.

  I assented and waited for him to shift. Once he was in his wolf form, I walked around the table. Gripping the chair the man sat on, I ripped it out from under him and sent him crashing to the floor before yanking him up to his feet. He couldn’t move far from the table and Ryan needed access to his flesh. I tore his shirt, leaving his back exposed, as he struggled futilely.

  “Shall we get started?”

  31

  Liliana

  The sound of the bedroom door slamming jarred me awake. I shot up in bed and found Tessa facing the shut door as she weaved a visible magical barrier that sparked blue and gold.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. She ignored me and moved to the windows, erecting the same paranormal blockade.

  When she finally finished, she turned to me. “Get dressed now. We have to go.” She was frantic. Her chest heaved as her wide eyes met mine, her body trembling.

  I got out of bed without hesitation and began changing. “What happened?” I asked as I pulled a sweater on. My body aches were almost completely gone but I still felt a bone deep weariness that made a task as simple as getting dressed much more exhausting than it ought to have been.

  “The Alpha council is here for you. They’re claiming you’re a hybrid and want to put you down. They went to Alex’s first. A.K. managed to hide and text me. We have to go now. They’re on their way over,” she explained furtively.

  My hands shook as I took in her words. “Where is Sam?”

  “He’s fine. He went to your pack lands. Don’t worry about him. Worry about yourself. Hurry up..”

  I exited the closet. “Alright, let’s go.”

  Tessa grabbed my forearms and closed her eyes. She stood in silence for a moment as I waited for her to poof us out of there. It’d never taken her so long to vanish from sight. Worry began to gnaw at my gut.

  “Fuck,” she shouted. “Someone is blocking my magic. They must have a witch on their payroll. Son of a bitch!”

  I stepped back. “Alright, no use unraveling now. What are our options?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know shit about werewolf laws. I don’t even know if it’s within their rights to claim you.”

  She pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and dialed a number.

  “Hey. Get back here with Sam now. The council is here for Lily and they have someone blocking my magic. I can’t transport us out. Have Bael portal you over.”

  My wolf hearing picked up Nate’s response through the speaker. “We’ll be right there. Keep her safe.”

  “I guess we just have to wait for th-,” I began, my words were cut off by a large boom. The house shook around us. Tessa cursed as I let out a gasp.

  She closed her eyes in concentration. I remained silent, afraid to distract her from whatever she was attempting to do. After weighing my options on what to do next, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and sent Daniel a text.

  The alpha council is attacking and Tessa’s magic is being blocked. We can’t escape. Please send help.

  Short, sweet, and to the point. I didn’t have the mental capacity of pleasantries as I worried about the outcome. I didn’t want Sam to come and fight the Alpha council but I also didn’t want to risk my children.

  Ten minutes passed. The attacks on Tessa’s magical shield grew stronger until finally it fell. I looked at my best friend, her limbs shaking with exhaustion, as sweat coated her face. “I’m so sorry, Liliana.”

  “You did your best,” I said. I stood tall, my back ramrod straight as I made for the door. There was no point in hiding. They knew where I was. If this showdown was going to happen, I was going to meet it head on. Adira told me I had to be strong, it was about time I started.

  I walked out the front door, chin tilted up as if I were better than the council and their little minions.

  “You rang?” I said sarcastically as I stared at the foreign wolves in their human form. Six wolves stood in the forefront, clearly leading the charge. I stepped forward, scanning their faces. I hesitated on the last one. What in the actual fuck?

  I opened my mouth to speak but before I had the chance, a blinding white light shone from beside me. It appeared as if a rip occured into the very fabric of our reality as my mate stepped through. Nate, Ryan, and the rest of my pack followed. They all looked so strong, so confident, without a shred of fear or doubt. My heart swelled with pride. My wolves had been through hell. They could have left me alone and let Ryan become their alpha after my demise, but instead they stood with me.

  As the final pack member stepped through, the portal sealed itself. Sam and Ryan stepped forward, flanking either side of me.

  The last councilmen stepped forward. “You’ve been naughty, Liliana. Do I have to spank you like the old days? I remember how much you liked that.”

  I clenched my jaw to restrain my anger as Sam looked at me. I took my own menacing step closer. “Raul. I can assure you that pleasure was fake. Just like every orgasm.”

  My mate growled and I cut my eyes over to him. “We’ll talk about it later. We have more pressing matters at hand, don’t you think?”

  “How can we help you?” I asked.

  “Coming quietly and facing your execution would be nice,” another council member spoke.

  Sam stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with me. The united front it showed, the gesture of equality between us, was almost enough to make me smile. Almost. The fact that my life was in danger brought the fuzzy feelings to a screeching halt.

  “What charges do you bring against my mate, Justin?”

  The man spoke again. “She’s a hybrid. She needs to be put down.”

  Sam laughed bitterly. “Your collective stance on hybrids is a little skewed apparently. Isn’t it, Raul?”

  My ex glared but said nothing. Sam powered on. “She was born human so she is not a hybrid.”

  “She still has magic and a wolf. A hybrid is a hybrid,” a female council member said.

  “Celeste. I’m disappointed in you,” Sam said before turning to face Raul. “
I challenge you for your seat on the council. If I win, Lily goes free.”

  “And if I win?” Raul asked snidely.

  “Then I’m dead and you’ll be able to take my mate… but you won’t win.”

  “You’re right. I won’t win, because I don’t accept your challenge.”

  The oldest looking of the council members spoke for the first time. “Samuel Hernandez, you’ve been found unfit to lead the Knoxville pack as alpha.”

  As soon as the word, alpha left his mouth Sam fell to his knees and howled in pain. I looked at my mate, heart hammering in my chest with fear. How were we going to survive this if Sam was taken out of commission by a sentence?

  32

  Sam

  Hollow. That was the best way to describe how I felt. The bonds that tied me to my pack were gone, ripped from within me. I knew the council had ways of stripping the Alpha power but they had never actually done it to a wolf. Hell, Ben had been a raging psychotic murderer and even he retained his alpha bonds.

  I climbed to my feet slowly, the emptiness threatening to overtake me. My wolf howled within. He was as outraged as I was.

  “You still can’t have her,” I snarled. My skin rippled as my shift began. I launched myself at Raul but I never connected with the man. When my wolf landed, it was in the center of Lily’s packlands.

  I turned around, looking for my mate. She was there, as were both of our packs in their entirety by the looks of it. Alex, AK, and Selena were even in the crowd though I knew they hadn’t been present during the confrontation.

  I shifted back. “What the hell just happened?”

  “My dad just saved all of our asses,” Tessa’s voice came from the back of the group.

  Chancellor Warren stepped forward and inclined his head to me. “I suggest you all stay here until you have a solid plan. I have to go. I’m certain they’ll take this as an act of war from the witches.”