The Alpha

Chapter 11

          When I woke, it was Luca's name on my lips. "Luca."
'Where the hell am I?'
"Luca?" My eyelids felt heavy, a dull pain throbbing in my skull as I attempted to collect myself and sat up. 'I remember running... Then nothing.'
          I groaned, eyes finally opening as I sat upward and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. My eyes skated the barren room and I frowned. I peered at the door with alarm, as it dawned on me that I was no longer in the mansion. 'It's the wolf in me. The wolf I didn't know existed until a few weeks ago.' I shivered, rubbing my hands down my arm, before I took a deep breath. 'Luca! Luca please!' I climbed to that voice that typically invaded my thoughts — the one belonging to my alpha — my soul, but it didn't come. That was when I realized something was seriously wrong. "He can't hear me.. if he could he's say. I'm —"
          The words got caught in my throat, as the painful truth winded me. Finally I spat it out into the empty room where they bounced around causing the walls to begin closing in around me. "I'm alone. Completely."
'Mentally.' I gritted my teeth, scanning the room for windows. 'None.' I knew my best bet was to wait, but how long until I starved to death? What if that was my kidnappers motive to begin with? A million thoughts circled in my head until it was all just noise that made my headache worse. 'Think Rae.' My eyes fluttered closed as I tried to think back about what happened earlier. 'There was a wolf watching me in the woods.. I assumed it was part of the pack... I don't know.' I groaned and buried my face in my hands before I huffed and continued to think back. 'The wolf looked familiar... or so I thought. My mother was right. Nothing good has come from meeting Luca.. but now he's the one I'm hoping will come and save me. The one that I absolutely can't live without. I feel the need for him inside of me, eating and eating until I submit. Until we mate for life. Until I'm his completely.'
I eyed the door again, deciding to pound on it when my thoughts were interrupted by heavy footsteps. 'Someone is coming!' I scurried backward, petrified to see the face of someone in the Amoux pack. Someone that clearly wanted to hurt Luca and my pack. 'And I'm that chip. The alpha's mate..' My legs wobbled, my anxiousness rattled me as the doorknob twisted and the door was pushed open to reveal the face of my kidnapper. 'No way... This isn't real.'
          I gaped at him. Unable to fathom the sight before me. Wordlessly, he stepped farther into the room, closing the door behind him before he finally addressed me. 'Him... this whole time.'
"Rae."
"How could you? This whole time! I-I thought you were a part of the pack..."
'I thought he was someone I could trust.' Jaxon's jaw clenched, tension in his shoulders as he balled his fists down at his sides. "What pack? The pack built on greed and lies?"
'What the hell is he talking about?'
"What?"
"Luca is not the rightful Alpha. He doesn't deserve to rule over our pack... And I will not stand by and let him."
          I was surprised at the pure hatred in his voice. His lip curled upward in distaste, the feral wolf emerging with a disgusted growl. "I will stop at nothing."
"He trusted you!" Jaxon rolled his eyes. "Foolish. Just as his uncle did to my uncle. Deceit. With it his family has won, and now it will be their downfall." My eyes widened. 'His uncle? No way...'
"You're uncle?"
'Unless his uncle is another man from the pack, that means we're -' I shook my head. "M-my father?" He laughed mirthlessly like I had said something funny, but I just remained still, utterly confused. 'If we're related.. then wouldn't he want me to mate with Luca? I don't understand.'
"Your father... was only your father to achieve something. To become Alpha himself by stealing the Alpha's mate."
          Jaxon shook his head and sucked on his teeth, emanating sadistic power as he was filled with amusement from my pain. "Your mother was simply a means to an end. Worthless once he's managed to get her away from Ethan."
'Worthless?' I seethed with hatred. "No. My mother is not worthless. If I'm your uncle's daughter, then wouldn't you want me mating with Luca? Getting a position of power with the pack?" Jaxon shot me an annoyed look and wiped his forehead while signing. "Stupid, stupid Rae. You think fucking the alpha is a position of power. Spreading your legs isn't a job. You understand?"
'I hate him. I fucking hate him!'
"It's more power than you will ever see!" He took a few daring steps toward me and I shrunk backward as he laughed at my discomfort while slowly clapping. "Oh no." I clutched my stomach as I felt cramps beginning to rise. 'I know this feeling..'
          The stabbing pain exploded in my gut before another thought entered my mind. I pressed my hands on my stomach, gasping as the pain took hold of me. I stumbled backwards, falling onto my butt, unable to control my limbs. "You see... the closer to the blue moon, and the more separated you are, the weaker he becomes. As do you... But I will make sure he never has the chance to mate with you. I will make sure that he never transitions and never becomes our true Alpha."
'NO!'
"He will come!" I panted through the pain just to grit out an insult at Jaxon. "He will come, and he will tear you apart for what you've done!"
"Dreams... gentle Rae. You're too soft and naive for your own fucking good." I cringed when he used Luca's term of endearment for me. "You think you will win... you think you will find where you belong but you won't."
          My sentence was broken up by sobs tearing from my lips as the pain heightened, swirling now in my chest until I saw black spots. "Y-ou d-don't belong anywhere." I struggled to get those words out, but when they left my lips, despite my agony, I was satisfied by the way his face fell and anger flashed in his eyes. "And y-you never will." He stalked towards me, his fingers flexing and I knew that he was going to hit me. 'Deep breaths, Rae.' I was immobilized by the pain, unable to protect myself from his assault.
          When his hand finally connected with my face, the slap radiating loudly in the room, I cried out once more, before all the energy drained from my body and I slumped sideways, unable to remain upright. 'So he is going to kill me... That's the only definite way to make sure I don't mate with Luca. And once he does, that curse will take over... because we didn't mate. Luca will she and decay and writhe in the pure agony of the curse.'
          The thought made tears prick my eyes, until I was writhing and crying on the floor. "So let your Alpha come." He spat the word Alpha. "When he does, I will kill you in front of him... And then I will kill him."
"Fuck you." Swearing is typically unlike me, but in the current situation, I loved the way the words tasted on my lips, as I began to fade into unconsciousness, Luca's name was a plead on my lips. 'Luca... my Luca.'
          The next time I woke, I jolted upright at a booming voice in my skull. 'Rae!' His voice was in my mind, pulling me from the depths of pain and darkness until I was panting heavily in the room fully awake, a bearable ache compared to earlier. 'Luca! Luca please! It's Jaxon-'
'I know!' The desperation in my voice only seemed to anger him. 'I know, Anima mea. I will tear his throat out with my teeth! Are you hurt?' I flexed my jaw, aware of how my face screamed with the movement, but I didn't want to worry him. 'Uh-'
'I will fucking kill him! I will tear his fucking insides out with my hand and feast on his fucking flesh!'
          The ferocity in his voice turned my blood cold, but still, my affection for him lingered, unwavering. 'Luca... I-I'm scared.' A heavy sigh filled my head and I knew he was longing for me. 'I will come for you. I will find you. And I will make him pay. Mark my words.'
'Are you close? Please tell me you're close.' The growl that tested through me made me jump and I knew regardless if he was nearby, he still couldn't pinpoint where I was. His frustration was palpable. As if he was in the same room as me. I vibrated with his anger — another example of how connected we were despite my stubborn thoughts about mating with him. 'I need you, Luca. You don't know what Jaxon is planning to do.'
'I know Rae, I know baby. My soul. I am coming for you.'
          I couldn't help but cry. I tried to mask the sound, mask the sorrow filled thoughts in my mind, but I couldn't hide things from Luca. I was practicing one with him. My anguish moved through him as it did me, but instead of tears and emotional depletion, it conjured anger and malice within him, so potent it would destroy anything in its path. 'I am yours, Luca.'
"I will mate with you. Forever." I wiped the tears on my cheeks, blinking rapidly as I was filled with emotions. I was unable to stop crying and wailing, awakening the monster that lurked within the walls, ready to swallow me whole. 'I hope he comes for me.. Before it's too late.'
          I expected to hear Luca's strong voice of reassurance but it went quiet again, and my certainty of his words wavered and fear took over again. 'What if I bargain with Jaxon? What if I tell him to kill me but spare Luca? The thought of Luca hurt...' I gasped, my gut twisting as images of him bloody filled me with dread. 'I would die. The thought kills me inside. Take me.. Spare him.. I know the curse will get him eventually, but... I'd rather him live longer, do more, than be killed by that lowlife. He deserves to live. Even if he knew his uncle killed my father. Even if he lied about his uncle attacking me. I know he will keep me safe. I know we are connected. Our bond is unbreakable. And in that moment, I will put blind faith. I won't sit back and do nothing.'
"Jaxon!" I called him, knowing he would be listening out for me. "Jaxon! Please!" I hated the fact I was forced to practically beg him, but I was out of options. "JAXON!"
          I screeched his name, my throat going raw when I finally felt the vibrations of those same footsteps approaching the door. I braced myself to see him again, as if that would take away the surprise factor that someone I thought was my friend, was an enemy, but even bracing myself did nothing to lesson the pain. "Keep yelling and I'll cut out your tongue." He scowled as he threatened me after opening the door slightly. He didn't wait for a reply as he began closing the door again but I called out once more. "Wait! Please! I want to make a deal with you! Please!"
          That piqued his attention enough to his and enter the room, slamming the door closed behind him. "You think you have something of value? Something that will save you?" He guffawed sarcastically before shaking his head. "Considering we are related, what's between your thighs is unappealing... Sorry to disappoint you."
'I never thought he could be so vile... So completely different than I first met him...' It made me bite my tongue to keep from spewing curse words at him and ruining my chance to negotiate. "Please, look.."
'Here goes nothing.'
"Just take me... spare Luca." He began to shake his head when I held out my hands for him to wait. "Wait a minute, wait. If you kill me, we won't mate and he won't become Alpha... but he will still be able to live for many years until he succumbs to the curse. Just take me. Kill me and spare him."
          Jaxon laughed maniacally, the sound climbed the walls until I was completely surrounded by the madness of it. "You think your life is valuable enough to keep me from killing the Alpha?" He ran a hand over his face, his expression falling and then I knew that he just viewed me as a burden that was taking up space in his precious life. "You are worthless. Killing you in front of him is just the fucking icing on the cake. Don't waste my time with bullshit." He went to leave again but I didn't want to be empty handed. 'I have to do something to help Luca! Anything! If I can get out of this room maybe he'll be able to sense me if I make a run for it... or if I can attack Jaxon with something! Ugh! I hate being helpless!'
"I have to pee."
"I think you can hold it. Mundane involuntary functions won't mean anything when you're dead."
"Please! I really have to go! Jaxon, just this one last time. Please!"
          He snarled and went to grab my arm, lugging me out into the hall, where I glanced around, my heart pounding in my chest. 'Now is your only chance. Run.' I heard him curse behind me before I felt him running after me. The sensation of being chased caused the hairs on my body to stand on end and nausea spike inside of me as I ran as hard and as fast as I could. 'Luca! Can you hear me?! Please!'
          It was silent, so I ran farther. I knew I was running out of time as the seconds cruised by and within the next few meters, I was tackled to the ground, my head smacking against it hard. That was when I heard a growl and another set of footsteps pounding against the creaky floorboards until I saw him as he ran smack into Jaxon, knocking him down the hall to the ground. "L-Luca. You found me.. You found me..." My voice was a raspy sound as I faded in and out of consciousness. 'I will not fall asleep. Not until I know Luca is fine. I will fight. Right alongside him.' I pulled myself upwards, unsteady as I swayed sideways gently.
          Just as I looked up, Jaxon and Luca delivering punches to one another, I cried out when Jaxon managed to kick Luca in the chest as he stumbled backwards into the wall. "You think you're all mighty and powerful. You think you're worthy of being the Alpha? Your uncle thought the same and I almost killed him." Luca growled. "It was you!"
"Now I will kill your mate in front of you, and when you feel the pain she feels as the life fades out of her, I will kill you too." Jaxon hurried towards me, withdrawing a knife from his pocket as Luca tried to straighten himself up and run after him, but the blow had dwindled his reflexes momentarily. He couldn't catch up. Jaxon was hovering above me with the knife. 'I'm going to die.. Luca..' His voice entered my head. 'No!'
"I love you.."
          The words were out of my mouth and they had never felt so true in my entire life. Jaxon grabbed a hold of my hair and pressed the blade to my throat, the steel stinging as he dug it into my flesh and began pulling it across my throat. "No!" I was surprised to see his cheeks coated with fresh tears. A man mourning... and from that, I knew it would be my last moment with him. His scream was the last thing I heard before the dizziness and pain took over and I fell into darkness once more.