The Alpha's Queen

Chapter 10: To Keep A Secret

Beckett

Devany looked at us like we were speaking a foreign language, which I supposed to her we might as well have been. Pulling my hand away was difficult. Like she was metal and I was a magnet, everything in me screamed to go toward and not away from her.

"They look like yours," she said.

The doctor's eyes flicked between us. My marks were on full display since Devany currently had my t-shirt, but he had to be wondering if she'd seen them before tonight to recognize the similarities between our marks. I wouldn't be the first Alpha with a mate to screw around before the official bonding ceremony, but I was probably the last one he would suspect of doing it.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Not quite. Every Alpha Mark is unique. It's supposed to identify the pack you're meant to lead, but besides the fact that you're...well, um..."

"Spit it out," Devany said, the sass in her tone drawing a smile from me.

"Go on, Dr. Adams. I'm curious, too."

"Well, these marks differ from any I've ever seen, and I wonder if it's because she's female."

"I'm guessing women aren't usually Alphas?"

"Never," Dr. Adams proclaimed.

I didn't correct him. We both knew there was a family that used to produce female Alphas, but it was too dangerous to speak of them. The Royal Pack had been annihilated long ago, and they had killed all the direct descendants of the Queen.  Horror rippled down my spine as the truth hit me in the face.

Devany's silver hair was the first clue to her lineage. I'd written it off as having ties to the Royal bloodline. My ancestry tied into it through the male line. The male Betas had been spared during the wars, and since most wolves had not supported the rebellion, they regarded the silver-haired descendants with reverence. Meanwhile, the Council watched us closely, ready to strike us down on any suspicion of trying to bring back the monarchy.

The second clue was the fact she'd survived the shift. The Queens of the Royal Pack had been known for being exceptional in both forms: human and wolf. Pria hinted at it when she said no one had recorded anyone surviving a shift after three days, but if the queens' wolves were as strong as some claimed, then their first transition very well could have taken much longer than others.

Now Devany was Alpha Marked, and the only females who had ever been Alpha Marked were the direct descendants of the First Queen, Neoma. Some claimed Neoma was the daughter of the Moon Goddess, Selene. That would mean all born to her line were descended from the goddess, but that hadn't stopped the rebels from murdering every last female in the Royal Pack one hundred years ago.

"Excuse us for a second," I told Devany as I drew Dr. Adams aside. From the deep frown on his face, he was drawing the same conclusions as me. "What I'm about to ask you is treason, so I understand—"

"No one outside of this room will know," he said, cutting me off.

His salt and pepper hair were the only indications of his advanced age, but for even that much to show, meant he was an old wolf. Old enough to have been alive when the rebels overthrew the Royals. Old enough to know those marks were a death sentence.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, boy." I let that slip, considering he was an elder and an ally. "You've got to keep her alive and whole, and I suspect that's going to be harder than it looks."

"I'll do my best."

"See that you do. That girl gives me hope for the first time in a century."

We shook hands, and he waved at Devany as he departed. A crowd had formed in the hallway, barely held back by Pria. General Lawson forced his way to the front, and I tensed, knowing Pria couldn't stop him from entering; however, Dr. Adams caught his attention.

Shutting the door and locking it, I turned back to Devany. Exhaustion hung heavy on her slender frame, and she looked like she might fall asleep sitting up. She rubbed her eyes when I sat on the bed, and her Alpha Marks shimmered in the low light.

"Devany, listen to me. No one can see those marks. You'll have to wear sleeves that cover them. At least until maybe I can get a witch to make a charm that would conceal them."

That would be pricey. Money wasn't a problem, but witches rarely asked for something that straightforward. No, they wanted oaths and blood, and the bigger the spell, the worse their requests were. But it would be worth it in the long run.

She ran her hand over the arm. "Why? Because I'm a woman?"

"That's part of it. Please, just trust me."

After a moment, she nodded and pulled the t-shirt I used to cover her over her head. I tore my eyes away, but not before I glimpsed her rosy nipples. Immediately, my cock hardened, and I shifted to hide the growing evidence of my desire. Never had a woman turned me on the way she did. Keeping her safe was going to require keeping her close, and I already knew it would be torture.

The sleeves of my shirt hung down far enough to hide the marks, but she would need long sleeves once she left this room. Just to be safe. It was a good thing we lived in the mountains, and most days were cool enough to warrant sweaters.

"You'll tell me why later?"

I nodded. "When it's safe. For now, get some sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she muttered, falling onto her pillow and slipping into sleep before I left the room.

"Alpha Warner," Lawson said, his tone far more official than usual.

"General."

"About the girl–"

"She's resting. Dr. Adams should have filled you in."

"He did. It's a miracle she survived."

"It is. Is there anything else you need right now?"

His sharp blue eyes hardened. "Yes. I'm letting you know that she is to be moved to the Blue Mountain Pack as soon as she is able."

My mouth fell open, and a growl rumbled through my chest. Lawson stepped back, his wolf not nearly dominant enough to take on mine. "On what grounds?"

He straightened, as if suddenly remembering his rank as General. "Because she is my son's fiance, and the future Luna of the Blue Mountain Pack."