Higher Than The Alpha (#Wattys2014) »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

TWELVE

TWELVE – Something Inside [Victoria]

Waking, I wondered how long I would have before the entertainment ran through the room like an electric current again. Feeling around for Lex, I sighed in relief when his hand grabbed mine.

Blinking my eyes open, I saw that Lex was leaning over me in human form. His eyes amber.

"Hey."

"Hey, Vic. How you feeling?"

I went to laugh, but groaned instead as the sudden movement made me want to throw up and my head pound.

"Vic!"

"I'm fine," I said. "Just feel sick."

Suddenly there was pounding, then the door slammed open. I couldn't help the whimper at the thought of the wolves coming into the room. It was like trying not to breathe.

Just as I saw an older version of Lex come into my sights, Lex snarled at the newcomer. Disappearing from my side, Lex shifted mid-jump to his tiger. And that was when I saw the other guy change as well. But not into a wolf. He was a red tiger. Slightly bigger than Lex. The wolves have tigers on their side?

As I saw fangs and teeth from the great cats, I couldn't stop the paralysing fear that held me stuck on the bed. I blinked as that thought made me glance around. Bed? Where am I? The roar from the red tiger made me turn back to the fight that was happening at the end of the bed.

But the quick movement of looking around the room back to the fight caused pain to rocket down my body. Just as I couldn't have stopped the whimper, I couldn't stop the tiny scream of painful surprise that left my lips. As the snarls got louder, I realised that my scream had just made the fight worse.

Gasping for breath from the pain, I glanced towards the door where there were suddenly more men. More that looked like the man who had shifted into the red tiger. Two entered as the fight continued. I saw Lex look at them and snarl before the red tiger swiped at him, catching his attention again.

One of the new guys that had entered was not someone I would want to meet alone. He was the tallest here, and had tattoo's decorating his arms, and up his neck. The other looked like a fallen angel.

The fallen angel moved and crouched on the bed where Lex had been, and I felt a strange sense of safety with him there. The tattooed mountain came around on my other side, crouching by the side of the bed.

"I'm Ink," the mountain said. "That there is Lusan, the dumbass who's fighting your mate is Caine, and then there's JJ in the doorway."

I blinked at the introduction. "Your...?"

"We're Lex's brothers," Lusan said, his voice was light like air, falling into sitting on the bed. "You'll meet Layke, and our father later on."

"How are you feeling?" Ink asked me.

"Hurts."

"Can you tell me where?"

"My– Lex!" I went to move towards him as my eyes caught red on his fur. There was red on Lex's white and black fur. I hissed as the pain grabbed me for my sudden movement.

"Get your ass over here, Alexander," Ink growled at his brother. "Before you're mate harms herself even more trying to get to your sorry ass."

Lex gave a final growl to the tiger who was Caine before backing up and turning to climb into the bed.

"Caine," Lusan's voice was so cold at that moment. I was surprised there weren't icicles in the room.

The red tiger bared his teeth at Lusan.

I hugged Lex's neck as he stood over me. Sighing as the pain lessened.

"Go find Layke, Caine," said a new voice. "I apologise, for my son's behaviour, Victoria," said the voice as he entered the room. "I don't usually let them fight like a couple of kittens."

Looking past Lex showed an older version of all the males in the room. Lex's dad? Suddenly Lex moved, blocking my vision for a moment as he pushed Lusan over so that he could lay next to me, placing his head on my stomach as I was laying down again. Lusan grabbed a corner of the bedding and wiped the blood of Lex's fur.

"I'm Christopher Olde," he said in way of introduction.

"Victoria Evern," I replied. "Why were they fighting?"

"Caine..." Christopher started. "Wants a mate more than any of us. Lex knows this and is afraid that Caine will be able to take you from him before he can claim you."

"Claim me?" Looking down into Lex's sapphire eyes showed that the tiger was watching my every movement.

And that was when something moved. Something inside me moved. Biting my lip, I tried to withhold the scream. But then it was as though it had claws. And it wanted out.

"Vic!" hands grabbed me.

I whimpered as the pain subsided for a moment. "Ow?"

"Did I hurt you?" Lex's voice, who, I suddenly realised was back to his human form, sounded horrified, as he released the grip he'd had on my arms.

"No. Inside. Something inside me." I clenched my jaw as the pain started again.

  

I wasn't sure how much longer it was, but suddenly I felt a prick in my neck. And then a roaring darkness took over.

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