Alpha Obsession

Chapter 21

I didn't have to be alone

The meat was cooked terribly. Calling it 'cooked' was more of a misnomer. Half of it was still raw and the seasoning was scarce. Despite that, the Blakes devoured it happily. I watched them eat while I picked at my steak. There was Byron with his imposing build and massive hands. He didn't bother to cut the meat or pretend to be concerned by his appearance; he simply impaled the stake with his fork and brought it up for easy access.

Then there was Emilia, innocent and flawless. I don't think any man could look at a woman like her and not be riled up on some level. Her hands moved with grace and precision as she took the meat apart and brought it gently to her lips. After a bite, she would close her eyes and seem to savor the taste. That was remarkable in itself, considering how poorly cooked the food actually was.

Nicholas was somewhere in the same refined category as the rest of his family. He sat up straight and took his food apart much more viciously than his sister. He seemed bored with the idea of taking his time so he ate quickly and put more on his plate to compensate. Unlike the others, he caught me staring. He smiled slightly in that same restrained way I've seen before. He looked at me with those stunning amber eyes for a moment before deciding that his food was more interesting at the moment. I noticed that his weird aura of desire wasn't noticeable anymore. It was kind of a relief.

"There are many kinds of shapeshifters scattered around this world. There was a time when they were all wild and stupid, so they were easily found and hunted down. That time came to an end and the herd was trimmed down to the smartest. They've learned how to mask their scent and hide from searching eyes. There are very few times where they slip up and allow detection. It's usually new additions to the pack that alert hunters to the scene. We've learned to move fast in response." I recalled the exchange I had where Hunter said that they caught on too fast. Now I realized why he wanted me to stay away from the new kids at all cost. His scent must have stuck to me more than I realized. That warning was for both of our sakes. "Your boyfriend would have to be an alpha shapeshifter, a creature that descended straight from the great wolf himself. Powerful and untamable."

Emilia spoke up once she finished her meal, "they're monsters, Jakey. Smart and dangerous creatures that are always a step away from hurting someone. An alpha like Hunter can look like anyone he wants to. We also believe they can develop telepathic abilities on some level. Can you imagine if every werewolf in the world built a pack of its own and went on a rampage? There would be almost no stopping them if they attacked at that point. They're too strong and too smart to be left unchecked." Something she said was wrong at least.

"The telepathy doesn't work like that, and I've seen him forced under control by someone else so he's not 'untamable'. It's not useful for spying if you can only see one person anyway. It's clear as day when Hunter is watching someone." Their increase in attention made me want to punch myself. These people might still kill me, yet I continued to supply information. "Or at least, that's what I think it would be like. You know... from a scientific perspective." Wow, I'm not doing well today at all.

I was worried that I might be forced to answer more questions, but then a phone rang. It was a text message for Emilia that she looked excited to receive. She turned to her uncle and said, "I've got the home addresses and the store location. The baseball captain just sent them to me." I realized that Chad's resourcefulness probably just gave the Blakes exactly what they wanted. As it turned out, that's probably the only reason I might be allowed to leave. Byron turned to me.

"You'll stay here with us for the night. Nicholas will take your phone and you'll sleep in our guest room on the third floor. I've got errands to run before the hunt and I can't have you alerting your mate beforehand. I hope you understand...but I don't really care if you don't." that last statement told me everything I needed to know about Byron Blake. Bold, broad, and hopelessly arrogant. There would be no point in trying to argue. After leaving the kitchen, I was given a tour of the home by the female twin. She tried to make it interesting and I appreciated her effort, but at the moment it all just felt like a bright prison tour.