The Alpha 11, page 26
“Nico Lewis… died seventeen years ago,” I mumbled. “That has to be Colt’s brother.”
A quick scroll back to the top of the file confirmed my theories.
“Nico was Colt’s older brother, so he automatically became the alpha of the pride after their dad died,” I sighed. “So I think it’s safe to assume Aleena was Nico’s omega.”
“Yes, but this is a human newspaper, so they’ve said Aleena was his wife,” Caitlin replied.
“Does the article say how the fire started?” Hailey asked.
“Uh…” I returned to the picture and skimmed through the article. “Firefighters couldn’t identify how the fire started, so they believe it was caused by faulty electrics.”
“But… that doesn’t make much sense,” Arielle said. “Our sense of smell is incredible, and our hearing, too. I’m almost certain we would notice if there was a fire in our own house, even if we were asleep at the time.”
“Yeah,” Blair agreed. “And even if the fire started in their bedroom, I’m pretty sure they could have survived a jump from a window. I mean, look at the picture of the house. I could easily make that jump if it was a life-or-death situation.”
“So… maybe Nico and Aleena had already died before the fire started?” I suggested. “Whoever murdered them then started the fire to make it look like an unfortunate accident?”
“Wouldn’t doctors be able to tell when they died, though?” Hailey asked.
“Not if the bodies were completely charred…” I shrugged. “For all we know, the killer could have set fire to their bed to burn the bodies, and then they could have started another one somewhere else in the house, just to make the blaze bigger.”
Our investigation came to a halt when Benji and Nikita came home. They were instantly invested in the whole story, though, and I explained everything to them, from the mysterious death of the dad, to Nico’s house fire.
“I wonder if the same rival pride killed the dad, and then killed Nico, too?” Caitlin suggested.
“Fucking hell,” Azalea muttered. “This has turned into a murder mystery.”
“Or… the answer’s right in front of us,” I sighed as I covered my face with my hands.
“What?” Nikita asked.
“It couldn’t have been a rival pride, or an alpha out for revenge,” I laughed humorlessly. “Because that rival alpha would have automatically taken that pride. Nico wouldn’t have been able to become the next alpha, and–”
“So maybe the dad did just die in his sleep?” Hailey asked. “And maybe Nico and Aleena didn’t have time to get to safety? It might not have been murder after all.”
“Not quite,” I said with a shake of my head.
A feeling of dread rippled down my spine as I put the pieces of the puzzle together.
“I think it’s quite straightforward,” I mumbled. “Myles added Colt’s family history into this file when a quick explanation would do. He didn’t need to include a newspaper clipping from seventeen years ago, but he did exactly that. Why? To me, it looks like Myles suspected Colt of killing his own father and brother. Perhaps that’s how their feud started in the first place, maybe because Colt knew Myles knew what he’d done?”
A heavy silence filled the room.
“We still don’t know much about this guy,” Benji said a little uneasily. “So we can’t say whether or not he’d be the sort of person who’d… kill his own family.”
“No, but his dad and Nico were alphas,” I said. “Sure, we don’t know anything about this guy, but he easily could be the sort of person who tricks their way to the top. What if he wanted to be an alpha so badly, but he had two people standing in his way of that position?”
“It’s like The Lion King,” Hailey sighed sadly. “Scar was desperate to be king, so he killed Mufasa and tried to get rid of Simba, too. Which is kinda funny seeing as Colt is a werecat…”
“Scar did everything he could to get power.” Arielle shrugged. “And it sounds like Colt did the same thing. If he did kill them, that is.”
The mention of “power” made me think of something, and it felt like a lightbulb moment.
“Nico died seventeen years ago,” I said as I rubbed my forehead. “So is it a coincidence that the CSA was established sixteen years ago… One short year after Colt became an alpha?”
“Fuck off!” Benji pretended like his head was exploding. “You’ve hit the motherload there, bro!”
“Colt is that fucking power-hungry that he shoved his way into a position as the head of an entire damn agency, where he can keep an eye on shifters all over his country,” Azalea exclaimed. “That has to be it! I think we’ve solved the mystery!”
“He killed his own family just to get a bit of power.” Nikita shook her head in disbelief. “Is he that much of a psychopath?”
“If he is the killer, then yes, it looks like he’s quite the psychopath.” I nodded.
“Even though Colt had the same alpha blood in his system, it still takes a lot to kill your own family, right?” Benji asked. “However, I suppose it’s kinda like Max and Aiden Jansen. Max was given half the pride to keep him happy, so who knows what Colt’s capable of doing if he was really that desperate to take control? Colt was the younger brother, just like Max, so it’s kinda like some twisted sibling jealousy.”
“But…” Caitlin winced. “If Colt did that just to gain some power, what if he wants to do the same with the SDD, too? What if that’s why Myles had his eye on him for so long? Maybe Myles was trying to protect himself and the SDD at the same time.”
“And now I have that job,” I groaned. “I mean, Myles was no angel, and he broke the rules on several occasions. But it would explain why he has three packed files on this guy. Because I think the information we have here is only part of the story.”
Still, the file didn’t explain why Colt didn’t have any omegas.
But it definitely made me suspicious of this Canadian dude. Especially as I barely had my foot in the door, and he’d already started pushing to set a meeting with me.
However, I needed to know more about Colt before I did anything. Hopefully this guy would ‘give me the time to settle down into my new role,’ when in reality, I needed time to learn more about him and his backstory.
And I knew just who to go to for those finer details.
My Canadian intelligence agents were going to come in handy very quickly.
I tried to forget about Colt for the rest of the day, and I did my best to stay clear from his file until I was ready to focus on him properly.
So instead of sitting by my laptop, I enjoyed a nice meal with the entire family, and then I decided to call it an early night. I was in bed two hours earlier than normal, and I held my omegas against me as I fell asleep.
Thankfully, due to the extra two hours of sleep, I woke up feeling well rested, and it was like I’d recovered after the non-stop weekend in Manhattan. I had my solo piece ready to show Professor Collins, and I had a meeting with my betas in the evening, so I was ready for a productive day.
I knew I was going to need to call the intelligence agents at some point today, but I also didn’t dislike the idea of being good ol’ Jesse Rafe for a few hours.
However, I was excited to see some of my beta captains again, and I couldn’t wait to tell them everything I’d learned over the weekend. We had all been just as eager to locate the selkie omega, and now I could tell them her name, but I could also tell them about her current location, too.
Even if I wasn’t overly sure what I was doing with the SDD, at least it was going to come in handy when I needed to locate certain shifters. I didn’t want to abuse my new power and position, like Myles Beck had done, but I couldn’t ignore the advantages the job came with.
Especially when it came to the location of a rare omega.
Nikita, Benji, and I arrived at the campus with five minutes to spare, so Benji ran off in the direction of his first class, but I accompanied Nikita to the Russell building before I headed across campus to the Erickson building. Although Nikita said she was fine, I could tell she was still extremely tired, and it was clear that every day proved to be slightly harder as her pregnancy progressed.
“I’ll see you at lunch?” I asked as I placed a kiss on her cheek.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” she agreed. “Save me a seat!”
“Always.” I winked.
Nikita heaved the strap of her backpack over one shoulder, blew me a kiss, and headed into her lecture hall.
Then I sprinted across campus with only seconds to spare before classes started, and I managed to take my seat just as Professor Collins walked into the room. He asked everyone to hand over the rough copies of their first pieces, and while he checked them over, we had to get started on the second track.
“Jesse,” Professor Collins said as he handed over the piece of manuscript paper I’d scribbled my symphony onto. “I really like what you’re doing with this. The only thing I’d suggest is if you move the tempo change just a second or two earlier.”
Collins used the tip of his pen to point out the minute change, and I instantly knew what he meant as I played the notes out in my head.
“Yeah, I see what you mean.” I nodded. “It flows better if the change comes in earlier.”
“Exactly.” He grinned. “But apart from that, I love the pacing and the feel of the piece, so I think you’re doing a fantastic job. There’s a subtle building of energy going on here, like a prelude to something rather intriguing… Have you decided how the entire album is going to play out?”
“I thought about making it into a story,” I explained. “The first four or five tracks will get into the tale, and then there will be a few loud and dramatic pieces before a smoother ending. I’m not sure if it’ll stay like that, but that’s what I’m working with at the moment.”
“I think that sounds great.” Collins nodded. “So track two will be slightly similar to track one?”
“Somewhat,” I replied. “I don’t want it to be too similar, since there is an underlying energy I’m playing with, but it’ll be a subtle build I think.”
“Well, keep doing what you’re doing.” Collins patted my shoulder. “And don’t forget to come to me if you have any questions. I’m already curious how this momentum will continue to build up in your album.”
“I will, thank you.” I smiled.
Professor Collins’ comments gave me a major confidence boost, and it helped me see that I knew what I was doing when it came to music composition. I’d felt confident with my piece, but the fact that Collins told me that, too, showed me that I was on the right track. It also helped that I had experience working with Jack Nolan and his famous orchestra, so I made sure to take advantage of the orchestra tour.
I had a spare hour after that class ended, and I wanted to continue working on my second piece, so I chose to spend the hour studying in the library. I was less likely to get distracted in the library, and I needed to take every spare minute I had at the moment.
However, just as I left the Erickson building, a familiar voice called out my name.
“Jesse!” Hannah Pierce called out again.
I hadn’t seen Hannah since we came back from summer vacation, and we no longer had any classes together now that our schedules had changed. So it was nice to see her again.
“How are you, Hannah?” I asked with a smile.
“I’m so good.” She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger. “How are you? I feel like we don’t see each other anymore!”
“I know,” I snickered. “I’m still trying to get used to this new schedule.”
Hannah barely gave me the time of day before I became a shifter, but all of that changed as soon as she noticed how fucking ripped I was.
The former-cheerleader fucking loved touching my biceps.
But she also loved to wear shirts that were a size too small in order to emphasize her impressive chest.
Hannah had nothing on my omegas and Hazel Wise, but I wasn’t blind.
“Oh, my god, same,” Hannah giggled. “So, like, how’s Nikita doing?”
“Nikita?” I frowned.
Hannah never asked about Nikita. She mainly asked when we were going to meet up and “study” together.
“Yeah.” Hannah nodded. “She has to be, like, nine months pregnant now, right?”
“I, uh…” I paused as I tried to think of an answer.
“And am I right in saying that you’re the baby’s father?” she whispered. “Because I know Nikita hasn’t said anything, and neither have you, but, like… I saw you guys this morning. It’s totally obvious, Jesse.”
It didn’t matter if people knew about Nikita and I, and we’d walked around campus holding hands and sharing sweet kisses, so it was pretty clear for everyone to see. We were just private people outside of the pack, so we liked to keep ourselves to ourselves, especially when it came to humans.
“I get it, I get it,” Hannah laughed as she squeezed my left bicep. “Don’t worry, Jesse, I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks,” I snickered. “Sorry, your questions just caught me off guard.”
“No, no, that’s totally fine, and understandable!” She squeezed my arm again. “But I’m surprised that Nikita hasn’t taken some time off yet. Like, if she’s about to pop, surely she should be at home?”
Nikita still had two months to go before the baby was due, but Hannah wasn’t the first person to mention how “large” Nikita was, nor would she be the last.
However, I knew that Hannah would have continued to ask questions if I hadn’t ended the conversation there and then, and I could only just imagine the questions she’d come out with.
“Look, Hannah, I’m sorry, but I’m in a bit of a rush,” I laughed as I motioned toward the library. “I’ll speak to you later, okay?”
“Oh, god, yeah, sorry!” Hannah laughed as she slapped my chest. “But we have to do something soon, okay? Like, really soon.”
Hannah kept her hand on my chest, but that wasn’t anything new to me.
“Sure,” I replied. “Have a good day.”
“You, too!” She smiled before we split off in opposite directions.
I managed to reach the library without any other distractions, and then I found a desk at the back of the room away from other students where I could continue my work in peace.
But five minutes after that, someone appeared beside my table and instantly took a seat without asking. I felt like telling them that there were other tables available, but that was when I looked up and noticed wild red hair, freckles, and glasses.
“Oh, Parker,” I laughed.
“Hey.” He grinned as he rested his elbows on the table. “Is it cool if I sit here?”
“Of course.” I smiled. “You just snuck up on me, that’s all. I didn’t even realize you were there.”
“You mean, you didn’t hear me with your…” Parker glanced over his shoulders. “Super werewolf hearing?”
Parker was a wonderful friend, and I was glad I’d told him about the secret world of shifters, but he had to remember that it wasn’t some DnD mission we were talking about. It wasn’t exactly something to openly talk about in a public place.
“No,” I laughed. “Now, if you don’t mind, I kinda need to get my work done.”
“That’s cool, man.” Parker shrugged. “I have my own shit to do, so you won’t even know I’m here.”
Then Parker brought out his laptop, and it genuinely looked like he had some work to do. However, I knew my friend better than that, so I silently counted down from ten in my head while I waited for Parker to talk again.
“Oh, Jess,” he said just as I reached the end of my countdown. “I saw something online this morning, and I wanted to run it past you.”
“Sure.” I nodded.
“I saw that it’s supposed to be a full moon tonight.” Parker leaned across the table and lowered his voice to a soft whisper. “Does that have any effect on you?”
“It’s not exactly like that,” I chuckled. “Remember what happened with Azalea in the cabin?”
My human friend thought for a second before his eyes grew wide. “Fuck, yeah! You mean when she… transformed?”
“Shifted, but yes,” I snickered. “So it’s the same with all of us. We can do it whenever we want, and we don’t need to think about it, either.”
“So you could… do it now?” he asked. “Like, right here?”
“Right here.” I nodded.
“Cool, cool…” Parker nodded his head slowly.
I didn’t mind him asking questions, and it was probably better than Parker thinking I was a raging drug addict, but still, there was a time and a place.
“What about vampires?” he asked minutes later.
“Vampires?” I frowned.
“Yeah.” Parker nodded.
“What… about them?” I asked hesitantly.
“Well… vampires and werewolves are obviously mortal enemies,” he explained. “And according to, like, every source, a werewolf bite is strong enough to kill a vampire. That’s true, right?”
“Every source,” I chuckled. “What sources are you scouring lately?”
“Wikipedia.” Parker shrugged. “I wanted to learn more about you guys, so I did some research.”
“I appreciate you spending the time to learn more,” I laughed. “But I’m sorry to say that vampires don’t exist. Not that I know of, anyway.”
“So… your bite isn’t strong enough to kill them?” he asked for clarity.
“I’m sure it would be if they were real,” I snickered. “But I can’t bite something that doesn’t exist.”
“Damn,” Parker sighed. “That’s such a shame, because I know werewolves are cool and all, and I mean no offense, but vampires are so much better.”
I narrowed my eyes for a moment as an immediate rebuttal almost came flying out of my mouth, but then I realized I was literally about to start arguing with a human about whether real shifters were cooler than fake vampires.
