No Alpha, page 2
part #1 of The Alpha Brothers Series
I gasp as a hand bursts through Alpha Bishop’s chest, the movement slow to my eyes which can’t quite believe what I just saw. Blood splatters everywhere, even on my shoes across the room. My alpha female screams, and oddly enough, Alaric is eating his food at the table like nothing happened. He doesn't even care that blood is all over his food now. I stare quietly at Alpha Bishop’s heart in the other alpha's hand as he pulls his arm back from the body, letting it fall. It hits the table with a sickening thud before sliding off to the floor, taking the table cloth with it.
"NO!" my alpha female cries, running from the room, and the three alphas let her go. The one with the heart looks at me in that moment, still holding the slightly beating heart in the air. The sounds of wolves howling and screams fill the night around me, making me more frightened than I could have been before. I make the mistake of meeting the alpha's blue-eyed gaze, which I can only just see through his mess of dark wavy hair that looks so soft. I shouldn’t be attracted to the monster in front of me, but my body doesn’t follow those rules. Everything about the three alphas in here is desirable. It's their nature after all, although I never found Alpha Bishop attractive. I guess that’s why he liked to beat me. Every other woman in the pack would submit to him without a thought.
"I want to keep her and so does Alaric," Letric states while still eating, but I never break contact with the true alpha in the room. I can feel his power rippling across my skin like a heat wave that honestly makes me want to cry and run out of the room, but I won’t. The benefit of not having a wolf to shift into is that I don’t have to argue with my wolf on whether to run or not. I can just stand here, accepting that my death is coming, and I will not run from it.
"She is a good cook as well as beautiful," Alaric comments.
"What is your name?" the alpha asks me; his voice is gravelly and deep. He also has an accent I have never heard before, meaning he isn’t from the two other packs in the alliance. I’ve served enough meals to recognize their accent. Where are these alphas from?
"Elodie," I reply to his question straight away, not leaving a single breath between the end of his question and my answer.
"Come close, Elodie," he demands. My whole body shakes from both fear and a nervous kind of desire as I step away from the wall. Each step towards the alpha is filled with equal parts dread and curiosity because I want to know why he wants me close. I pause a few feet away from him, and he stares down at me. "Closer." The one word is a complete demand, and I move without question until I am stood right in front of him, feeling his breath moving the hair on the top of my head.
"What is your name?" I ask him, regretting it when I arch my head so I can look into his eyes. Alpha Bishop's heart is right by my head, blood dripping from it onto the floor and hitting my hand that I move closer to my body. I block it all out, the blood dripping, the other alphas who I can feel staring at me, and the awful sounds from the rest of my pack who must be getting killed outside.
"Alpha," he replies the single word like it is all I am allowed to know.
"Just Alpha?" I question and gasp as he suddenly wraps a beefy hand around my neck, holding tightly but not enough to really hurt me as he leans his face down to inches in front of mine.
"You call me Alpha. You do as I ask—without question—or I will dispose of you," he warns me, and I don’t doubt for a second that he would kill me.
"Yes, Alpha," I gasp, his hand tightening ever so slightly before he lets go though keeps his face close to mine. Our lips inches away.
"Now kiss me as your pack dies outside, and the blood of your former alpha drips down your pretty little dress," he demands, and I do as I am told without a second thought. My lips press against his cold ones, and he pulls back before the kiss can really be counted as anything.
"Keep her close, Alaric. No one touches her until I say."
"Yes, brother."
Chapter 3
Elodie
The screams of the pack outside haunt me as I stand next to Alaric's chair, where Alpha told me to stay until Alaric tells me otherwise. Letric winked at me before leaving a few moments ago also, and the silence of the room is deafening as it makes the screams from outside so much more frightening.
"So, El, we best get going," Alaric suddenly says, patting the table.
"Where?" I ask him, needing to have some idea of their pasts, plans, and where they are from. Maybe they come from over the seas, where it is said the children of the night live. Though wolves can’t live there, not without becoming prey. All my books I’ve read and the maps in them drift through my mind, and I still can’t come up with an answer.
"To our pack," he states simply, like I should have guessed that.
"I don't know who you are the alphas to. What pack?" I ask for a reply, and Alaric pushes his chair out, standing up and stretching out his arms above his head, revealing his tight flat stomach with ripples of muscle that somehow seem attractive to me.
"Have you heard of the Alpha Brothers? The only pack with three alphas who share the pack?" he replies, smiling when my mouth parts in shock and a little fear ripples through me as I step back on instinct. Of course I know of the pack that doesn’t have an alliance with any other pack, and now they are here to kill their neighboring pack. They tricked Alpha Bishop into thinking he could get an alliance that no one else could, and he welcomed them in, only to have them destroy everything.
"Why are you killing this pack?" I ask.
"Ah, sweet El, that is not my secret to tell," he replies, walking up to me as I keep stepping back, and he only follows until my back hits the door, and he stops right in front of me, pressing his hard body against mine. Alaric places his hands on the door on either side of my head, leaving me no choice but to look at his face as he watches me.
"When Alpha is done with you, you are mine. I want to savour you as I stroke every part of your body. I want to make you beg, scream and plead with me for a release. I want my cock buried so far inside you that you never forget my name and who was inside of you," he says, and I am speechless, my breathing heavy as I stare at him with what I know is desire burning throughout me. I've never desired anyone, but his dirty words and his lust-filled gaze make everything different with him. Alaric moves away from me, leaving me wanting more of him and fearing Alpha's reaction if anything did happen. "See how easy it was to make you forget about the body on the floor in this room, the screams outside, and how everything is changing for you? I'm the alpha you come to for a distraction; remember that sweet El."
"I will," I breathlessly reply, as he is right, and I like his distraction. Alaric waves a hand through the door, and I quickly walk out and head for the open front door. When I walk outside, there is nothing but pure chaos. One side of the house is full of fighting wolves, whereas the forest and houses on the other side are on fire, with wolves running away only to get ripped apart by other wolves.
"If they submit, we let them live. The women and children usually do. We do not waste wolves’ lives, but there can be no resistance in our new pack," Alaric explains to me just as I see Alpha in the middle of the pack square, ripping wolves apart in his human form in almost lazy motions like they are nothing more than soft toys. Every part of him is covered in blood, and from the way he moves, I know he enjoys the pain and destruction he is causing.
I should be scared, disgusted, or at least trying to run away...but instead, I stay still, watching him destroy the world.
"This way, El," Alaric directs me, and I pull my eyes away to follow him around the pack house to the carriage pulled by three horses waiting right behind it. The carriage is round, made of black metal and red fabric that looks worn. The horses are stunning, massive with black fur. Their glowing red eyes lock on me as I walk to the carriage, and I reach out, smoothing my hand down the neck of the horse nearest me.
"How very enchanting you are. Usually, the dead horses don't let the living touch them," Alaric says, snapping me out of the moment, and I drop my hand. Alaric holds the door to the carriage open, letting me climb in first. He then shouts to someone to drive us away before getting in himself and shutting the door behind him. The inside is two leather benches with cushioned backs, and I sit on the one side as Alaric sits on the other. A few moments later, I hear someone climbing on the carriage, and then we are off, leaving behind my old pack. My world has changed in the blink of an eye, and I'm scared of what will be left of me when the Alpha Brothers are done.
"There are dead horses in the forest; I used to play with them as a child as no other children would play with me," I admit to Alaric, wanting to stop the pressure I feel from his eyes staring at mine across the carriage. He leans back, crossing his arms as he stretches his legs out, and he places his leg next to mine. The simple contact makes me shiver.
"I train the dead horses in my spare time. We have over fifty of them which we can ride, and they pull our carriages. Wild dead horses are difficult to train, but perhaps you would like to help me in your new home," he offers.
"I'd like that," I say.
"Only if Alpha allows it though. Dead horses can easily kill wolves...he might not want his new toy damaged," he warns.
"I'm not a toy."
"Oh, my dear, you are. A toy that he will use until he throws you away. Though don't worry, I will be there to look after you when he does," Alaric says and sits back, chuckling at himself.
"I'm nothing; therefore, throwing me away is something I am used to. If this alpha thinks he can break me, he has a big fight on his hands," I argue.
"I know he will break you, but I am interested to see how long you can keep his attention. You are so very beautiful, and that pretty mouth of yours never does seem to stop talking," he says with a smirk and then slowly closes his eyes, looking like he is going to sleep. I glance out the window, seeing my old pack burning in the distance. My pack is gone.
Chapter 4
Elodie
"Wake up, El," Alaric's deep, almost soothing voice drifts to my ears, waking me up. I open my eyes to see his face inches from mine, his hand on my shoulder. He is really good looking this close up.
"Did I fall asleep?" I ask, a little shocked and confused. It was a long day, but with how nervous I was and still am, there is no way I would just go to sleep. There is a blanket resting over me that has appeared out of nowhere. I try to think back to what happened. I remember Alaric giving me a drink of water after we had been riding through the forest for a long time, and the next thing I know, we are here. I sit up, feeling like everything is spinning for a moment until I notice the carriage has stopped moving.
"No, I drugged you as you needed to rest," Alaric admits to me, though there isn’t a touch of guilt in his voice. What a complete ass he is.
"Y-You drugged me?" I question, openly glaring at him, but he just laughs and shrugs his shoulders before pushing the door to the carriage open, letting in a bright light. I hold my hand above my eyes as I climb out, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light before seeing where we are. The smell of salt and the sounds of moving water fill my ears. The breeze blows my dress around, the breeze so strong here that it feels like it could blow me over.
"Welcome to your new pack, El. The Luxa Pack," Alaric says as my mouth parts open at the beautiful site in front of me. We are nearly on an island, which is full of bright green trees, with a stunning beach where waves brush against the soft sand. There are wolves running around and people swimming in the sea. Everything looks so peaceful, relaxing. Where we have stopped is on a long brick bridge back to the mainland, looking like the only entrance to the island. The middle of the island is built up, and huts all lead up to a large grey stone castle that sits in the center. The castle has three towers, each of them facing a different direction.
"This place, it's so different than anything I have ever seen," I whisper, my voice getting lost in the breeze, and the dead horses let out a long neigh.
"As it should be. We worked hard to build our pack home," Alaric says and waves his hand for us to go back in the carriage as he clearly only wanted to show me the island from a distance. They built all this?
"Take us to the towers," Alaric directs the hooded man holding the horses’ reins before we get into the carriage, and he shuts the door.
"Where will I be living?" I ask him, curious about my place in this new pack. I’m not expecting much at all. "I had a small room at my pack, but I can work with any space. I once lived in the stables for a month when I upset the alpha's mother." Alaric narrows his eyes at me like I said something wrong, and I have no clue what it was.
"Okay, let me make something perfectly clear to you. You belong to the Alpha Brothers. All of us. We never let anyone we own live in conditions like that," he spits out. “I hate how any wolf is treated like dirt.”
"But I'm a no claim. I don't have a wolf," I admit to him, though I know he’s already aware.
"And?" he questions, crossing his arms. "We do not follow the old ways here. No matter what you are, if you belong to our pack, you are someone who will be looked after." His words are sweet, and I want to believe them so much, even if my common sense tells me that they are sweet words to get me into his bed. They have all made it clear I am some sort of game to them.
"I've heard rumors that no claims, even outcasts are welcomed here. That you look after them," I say, remembering the one night Lucy told me about the famous Alpha Brothers. I don’t know if the rumors are true about their pack, but Lucy said it was all a fairytale. That no wolf in their right mind would see a no claim as an equal in their pack.
"We do. You will see, and you will be staying in our rooms. I expect Alpha will have you stay in his tonight," he says, crossing his arms. “He always has the woman first.”
"That's what you want me for then," I say in disgust, because it’s clear they just want me for sex, and their poor mates must just put up with it because they are alphas. I don’t want my first time to be with someone else’s mate, but it sounds like I’m not going to have a choice. I'm just going to be a whore to them until they get what they want and leave. Lucy told me that’s what wolf men do best: leave after they catch the prize. Alaric frowns at me, like he can see what I'm thinking before he moves across the carriage and grabs my face with both his hands.
"We will have you in our beds because you are beautiful and smart. We are loyal to no one. None of us has chosen a mate. We never have, and you are not a whore for lying with us. You will be rewarded for your time with us, pleasured by our touch and treated as an equal," he explains to me, but everything from when he said they don’t have mates seems like a blur.
"You've all never claimed anyone?" I ask.
"No," he replies, his blue eyes seem desperate to tell me more before he suddenly goes cold and starts to move away.
"Wait, I have more questions," I say, gasping as he pulls away from me and goes back to sit on the other side.
"Quiet now, we will be home soon," he says, altogether dismissing me, and I scowl at him before crossing my arms and resting back. This pack kidnapped me; they might be pretending to welcome me, but it won't be my home.
Chapter 5
Elodie
When the carriage stops the next time, Alaric opens the door and waves me out first. The warm breeze blows against my lower dress as I look at the light outside. I climb out onto the stone ground, looking around at the large courtyard we are in. There are three big archways that lead to each tower just behind them. The main courtyard has a few barrels, a holder full of different weapons and little else. Alaric climbs out the carriage after me and closes the door before quietly talking to the hooded man. When he is done talking, he steps back as the hooded man directs the carriage around, back out the gated entrance we came in.
"Alpha Alaric! You're back!" a woman happily shouts, and I turn to see an elderly lady walking over, stopping when she gets to us. The woman has on a grey dress with little flowers stitched into the corset part at the top. Her skin is lightly tanned, and she smells like cooked bread. Her grey hair is up in a complicated looking braid, spun into a bun. She turns and looks at me, and her eyes widen in shock. "Who is this?"
"Mary, this is Elodie. Alpha has decided she will live with us for now," Alaric explains, and Mary smiles, coming over and slowly running her eyes over me.
"I can see why. Can she cook? Clean? Be of any use outside the bedrooms?" Mary asks Alaric, as my cheeks light up at her suggestion of why I’m here.
"I tried her cooking, it was lovely. Though she will be helping me with the dead horses during the week also," Alaric says, and I grin. I can’t wait to help with the horses. I never had time to go back to the forest to see my old childhood friends. My old pack always kept me busy.
"Brilliant, I have needed someone to help me with you alphas for a while. I do hope Alpha keeps her around for more than one night like all the others before her," she says, though the long sigh that escapes her lips suggests she thinks he won’t keep me around anyway.
"We will see, won't we?" Alaric muses, his eyes drifting to me for a moment before going back to Mary. "Alpha is on his way back; he wants her in his room for when he returns. I must go and help with our new pack members. Can you take her?"
"Of course, Alpha Alaric." Mary bows before grabbing my upper arm and pulling me towards the middle archway. I look back to see Alaric watching me go, his eyes locked on mine as every step away from him just makes me more nervous. I turn back to see where Mary is pulling me to.
