Alphas on the Prowl (9 page)

Chapter Three

“I’m sorry, Kens, I’m not there,” Mariah’s voice sounded worried.

“What do you mean?” She saw her a couple of days ago.

“I got a visitor a couple of days ago in my dreams, and he told me I was in trouble and I needed to leave town.”

“Did you give Lazeros your notice?” Kensi didn’t even know Mariah was gone. “Why are you in trouble? Maybe I can help.”

“Truth?”

Kensi waited, she was very close to her sister, but sometimes she could be a drama queen.

Mariah sighed heavily, “I really don’t know. He didn’t say, only that I needed to leave. So I did.”

“And you didn’t tell any of us.”

“No, if I’m in trouble, I don’t want to bring those problems to your door.”

“We’re family, Riah. That’s what we’re here for.”

“Sometimes we have to face our own demons, Kensi. If I need your help I’ll contact you. I love you.” Mariah hung up the phone before Kensi could say anything else.

Kensi closed her eyes and counted to ten. She was going to have to call her brother.
Wonderful
. She licked her dry lips and picked up the phone. Closing her eyes she envisioned her brother Chase, and sent energy out into the universe to create the connection.

He didn’t answer right away. When he did, she’d already worked herself into a state of frustration. “Took you long enough!” She huffed.

“I wasn’t where I could link with the Akashic.” Chase sounded irritated. “What do you want, little sis?”

“I need your help.”

*****

Trey found his mate sleeping in the back seat of the rental. She looked so peaceful. His finger brushed the black hair back from covering her face and he realized she was wearing a wig. A few red curls peeked out from the disguise. Under her makeup, he could see the faint outline of freckles on her face and neck. She didn’t move from his touch which was worrisome so he checked her pulse. His research into dream weavers told him she was immersed in the sleep realm. Which could be very bad for him. He decided it was time to move his location. He put the car in gear and headed toward the hotel.

He’d already checked into the Bayside Motel earlier that day and was thankful the room had drive-up doors which made it easy to transfer his mate from the vehicle into the room.  She’d probably freak out when she woke up and realized there was only one bed, but it couldn’t be helped. Just as he placed the redheaded, honey-scented woman down, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“What in Hades were you thinking of going on a job by yourself?” His older brother Connor barked into the cell phone.

“Well, hello to you, brother. How is your honeymoon going?”

“It’s being cut short because I have an irresponsible brother acting like an idiot.” Connor sounded pissed and Trey could imagine the smoke wafting from his brother’s nostrils. He wasn’t known for his patience.

“Connor, I have Arabella, Lennox, Alister, Edme and even mother a phone call away if I need them. It was supposed to be a simple job.”

“And now you have my demon wife and me. We’ll be there in a few hours. Do you think you can stay awake that long?”

“I know better than to sleep while hunting a dream weaver, brother.” Trey felt himself losing patience with the overbearing alpha, but Connor was the leader of their family pack. Ultimately, he had to follow orders, unless he planned to compete for the title of alpha, which he didn’t. His future lay in creating another pack, not taking over the existing one. He and his brothers were all alphas which made growing up difficult. They all craved power and authority, it was the nature of their beasts, but they all knew that strength was in numbers and allies. Someday his pack would become an ally to his originating pack. And if his suspicions about the disguised redhead in his bed were true, that someday would happen soon enough.

“And are you sure the dream weaver isn’t sleeping?”

“I don’t know.” He knew Kensi was Mariah’s sister. That meant she was most likely a weaver. Was the girl in his bed an assassin too? The very idea made his heart seize and dread crawl down his spine. He hoped that wasn’t the case. It was going to be hard enough to convince her that he was doing what was right when he reigned in Mariah. It would be impossible if she thought being a weaver was a good thing, if she was a weaver. The very idea that a woman as innocent looking as she was could kill people in their dreams like Freddy Krueger was terrifying.

Connor sighed heavily. “Does she know you’re looking for her?”

Trey chewed the inside of his cheek as a way to contain the fire building in him. Worry and a twinge of fear blended together in his body as the seriousness of the situation dawned on him. He knew very little about the dream weaver demon race.  “Possibly,” he grudgingly admitted.

“Lee says the dream weavers are some of the deadliest demons. You’re playing with fire, little brother, and without knowing everything you could get burned.”

“I see that now.”

“Good. Stay put until we can get there to back you up.”

Trey considered telling him about Kensi and the development, but not over the phone. It made no sense to burden him with another worry. He got himself into this mess, and he needed to work himself out of it. Besides, if she truly was his mate, he’d need to know how to handle her on his own in the future. It wasn’t like he could get his brother involved with his relationship on that level.

“Okay.” He hung up the phone and turned his attention to Kensi. “Are you going to hurt me, mate?” He asked as he contemplated waking her up. The fact that she was sleeping meant she was a dream weaver. Who went to sleep after they were kidnapped? Not that he planned to kidnap her like this. He just wanted to cover her up and talk to her once he got his bounty. Then he discovered she was Mariah’s sister. He had no choice but to keep her as leverage. Or so he told himself. Deep down he didn’t want to give her up. He’d found his treasure, and dragons were not good at giving up their treasures.

He shook her gently. “It’s time to wake up, princess.”

Chapter Four

Just as Kensi was getting out of the shower, their dinner arrived. Small towns were the best at some things, and delivery was one of them. Not that he ever really ate out back home. Their family lived together on the farm, and prided themselves at having the nightly dinner ritual. In an odd way, the pizza made him miss home. He briefly wondered how Kensi would blend in with his family. Lee, Connor’s new wife, did well joining the pack, but would Kensi receive the same welcome, and would her personality handle the affection overload?

Distracted by his thoughts, and startled when the bathroom door opened and steam escaped announcing Kensi’s entrance, he dropped the pizza box on the table with a soft thump. The body paint was removed, glitter gone, wig was replaced with her coppery waves that fell past her shoulders as she ran a towel through the tresses. Her green eyes circled by thick auburn lashes twinkled against her peach-perfect, freckled skin. She took his breath away. 

“What?” She snapped, unable to hold back the furious emotions whirling around in her mind when she looked at him.

“I got us dinner.” He placed some napkins and paper plates on the table.

“Well, if you’re in a giving mood, why don’t you just let me go?” She offered a dazzling but fake smile as she twirled a strand of her damp hair around her finger. A little fake manipulation never hurt anyone, right? She seriously wanted to hate the man, but she couldn’t. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She knew he was dangerous, but that knowledge only made him more attractive.

Trey cleared his throat and averted his eyes from following the drops of water that slipped down the valley between her breasts covered by the white towel. “Sit down. We need to talk.”

“I think I’ll stand.” She cocked her hip, and tossed the wet towel from her hair onto the bed.

Trey shrugged. He’d always imagined things would go better when he met his mate, but if it was easy it wouldn’t be worth it. And he hoped it would be worth it. “Fine.” He considered telling her that he believed she was his mate, but decided against it. “I need your help finding your sister, Mariah.”

“So, in order to get my help, you kidnap me?”

“That wasn’t the plan.” He picked up a slice of pepperoni and jalapeno pizza from the box and took a spicy bite, enjoying the heat as he chewed and swallowed. “Truth is, I didn’t realize you were even a factor in the equation.”

“Okay?”
Where was he going with this?

“I just couldn’t help myself when I saw you on the stage, flaunting your body for the world to watch.” He popped the soda can and took a swig.

“It’s my body to flaunt,” she snapped.

He chewed silently for a moment, eyes piercing into her soul. “For now.”

A frown creased her lips and forehead. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

‘Tell her!
’ His dragon licked his lips in his mind.

“Nothing.” Trey ignored the beast that occupied his mind, and sometimes his body, and refocused on his dinner. “You should eat.”

She wasn’t hungry. “Why do you want my sister?” Mariah had mentioned in the Akashic Records Hall that she was in trouble.
Is this the one that threatened her?

“It doesn’t matter.” He took another drink.

“It does matter! If you want my help, you’ll tell me why you want her.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

“You’re willing to help your kidnapper?” He asked, genuinely surprised.

“Something tells me there is more to this story than that too.” She couldn’t explain it. She knew it was irrational, but she found herself attracted to the man, which was sad because Chase was coming, and her kidnapper would be punished, brutally punished. It was also confusing. It was too soon for Stockholm syndrome to take over. It was simply an instant attraction, one that made her uneasy. She knew he was supernatural, but hadn’t figured out what he was. Maybe he was an incubus demon or some other creature that used pheromones to weaken its opponent. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it.

‘There is. Tell her!’
The beast raged in his mind’s cage.

“There isn’t. My job is to collect your sister so she can answer to crimes she committed against a human.” He figured he could be honest to a point.

“My sister has nothing to do with humans. She can’t stand them. She avoids them like the plague.”
Except when she was dancing, but that was different, wasn’t it?
Kensi defended Mariah. “Whatever you think she did to humans, you’re wrong.”

“The Tribunal is rarely wrong, Kensi.”

The Tribunal? Now that was interesting. The Tribunal was the supernatural authority. They held the power of the thirteen races within their bodies, and could use any one of those powers to enforce the laws set forth by them. The biggest law was to stay away from humans. They all knew this. From the moment a supernatural was born they followed this particular law. She swallowed hard, and reluctantly sat down. Suddenly she realized, if she was going to help her sister out of the mess she was in, she was going to have to be nice to her kidnapper, gain his trust, and find out all the details she could about what was happening. She took a deep breath. “So you know my name. What’s yours?”

“Tremaine MacGregor of the Macgregor dragon clan.”

“So you’re not a demon?” That explained a lot.

“No, I’m a dragon shifter with a blend of minor druid powers.”

“Well, bully for you.” Kensi couldn’t hide the sarcasm from her voice.

Trey leaned forward in the chair and connected his eyes with hers. “Would you please eat something? I know you’re hungry.” His eyes flitted to her stomach when it growled in agreement.

“I suppose I am.” She grudgingly gave in and took a slice of pizza. “Next time, maybe we could get something healthier to eat?”

Trey snorted. “I’ve never met a supernatural that worried about what they ate.”

“So you know. I’m a dream weaver.” She took a bite of the pizza.

“I figured. One of the obvious giveaways was sleeping like a dead fish in my car and the room. Who did you call for help?”

Kensi almost choked on her bite. “What makes you think I…?”

“You, your response. I must tell you that you don’t have a very good poker face.”

“Poker faces aren’t necessary skill sets for my kind.”

“Ah, but they are for exotic dancers.”

“What business is that of yours?”

“You seem awfully defensive for someone in your line of work. You might want to get a tougher skin if you expect to flourish.”

“I’m only doing this to pay for my tuition,” she spat back. She didn’t mean to say anything, but the words just tumbled from her mouth. For some reason she cared about what the oaf thought of her.

He didn’t respond, just went back to his pizza and drink.

“I had some family issues to deal with, and now I’m two months away from going back to school,” Kensi told him. “They want me to become an assassin, and I want to be a dream psychiatrist so they’re refusing to help me pay for the schooling, and have given me two months to make it happen. Otherwise, I’m expected to conform to their ruling and join the family business.” She couldn’t believe she was spilling her life story for the man, but she wanted him to know the reasoning behind her decision.

“It’s your choice.” Trey couldn’t help but respect her a little more for going after her dreams no matter the cost.             

“Is this how it’s going to be?”

“What?”

“The veiled responses, the vague and passive-aggressive comments, the silence. You know, the whole avoidance complex?”

“I suppose so since this is me. What you see is what you get.”

Typical. She meets a guy she’s attracted to, and not only has he kidnapped her, he wants to bring her sister in to the authorities. And now she wants to change him. She shook her head, focused on the pizza, and decided her best bet at this point was to keep quiet.

After painful minutes flew by in silence, he finally spoke. “Do I need to be prepared for a visit from a family member? I really don’t have any desire to hurt anyone tonight.” He wanted to relax.

“If you did, I’d probably not tell you.” She couldn’t help but point out.

Trey sighed. “Look, Kensi, I get that you’re dangerous. I really do. I mean, the idea that you can kill me in my sleep is something of nightmares. But you need to hear me now. I’m a dragon shifter, a very strong, resourceful shifter who has druid magic at his fingertips. I won’t need to sleep for days. Whoever you called to rescue you isn’t going to be able to get past me and my siblings. You’re not going to be able to escape when I fall to sleep because it won’t happen. And while you’re attempting to wait me out, someone else, a meaner someone else, is going to be searching for your sister. The bounty on her head is high. I’m not the only one seeking her head, but I’m one of the few that promises to make sure that pretty head is attached when I deliver her. You understand?”

Kensi stared at him, aghast at his words, terrified they may be the truth, as she processed his meaning. “And I’m supposed to trust you?”

“Probably not.” He finished off his soda, “but I’m the best option you’ve got right now.” His dragon snarled,
‘tell her!’
He continued to ignore the beast. He wasn’t sure, and this wasn’t the moment to be revealing such an intense truth.

Kensi’s thoughts whirled around like a tornado in her mind as she attempted to determine the best path. Dream weavers weren’t warriors in the waking realm, but they were intelligent. They observed, processed, and made decisions quickly. It was one of the few ‘powers’ they held in this world, and she valued it immensely. “Okay, I need to meet with the Tribunal.”

Trey snickered. He couldn’t help it. She was naïve, and he’d need to make sure she learned the ways of the supernatural world once they were mated. “People don’t just meet with the Tribunal.”

“You’re taking my sister to them.”

“Because she is being investigated. Don’t get analytical with my words, Kensi. I’m not a wordsmith.”

“Then how do you communicate?”

He moved so fast she missed how he got in front of her, his eyes intense on hers. “With actions. I communicate with actions.”

Kensi rolled her eyes. “Look, if you want my sister, I want to talk to the Tribunal. It’s a simple trade off.”

“A simple request that is impossible to fill.”

“I’ve learned using absolute statements like impossible or never means you’ll inevitably have to apologize for lying.” She crossed her arms over her chest in an effort to create a wall between them. She didn’t appreciate how close he was getting to her or the way he made her heat with need for his attention, his touch. The way her body was reacting to the man that wanted to capture her sister was inappropriate.

It also made her nervous not knowing what it was Mariah was supposed to be guilty of. None of this was good. Mariah was not one to follow rules, but she was also not one to break the ones with major consequences. Even the predators had safeguards in place to ensure they didn’t hurt a human. To do so could risk exposure for all of them. It was an offense punishable by death.

He tossed her a pair of oversized sweat pants and a t-shirt that she could get lost in. “I think you should get dressed now.”

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, I won’t be responsible for what happens next.” His eyes grew dark, dangerous.

A shiver slithered down her spine. She stood quickly, so fast she almost slammed her head into his chin. He stepped back a moment before they would’ve hit, but stayed inches from her. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “How dare you threaten--”

He possessed her mouth with his own. It wasn’t a tender kiss, full of urgency and need. Forcing his tongue across the threshold of her lips, he deepened the intensity. His hand moved down the towel and wrapped around her waist moments before he pulled her hard against him. The impact of the connection caused her to gasp as her knees went weak and passion flooded her body.

He growled, broke the kiss, and pushed her back to arm’s length before he walked across the room. “I’d suggest you get dressed.” He didn’t face her, kept his back toward her as he peeked out the drawn, burnt-orange curtains of the hotel room.

Kensi didn’t say another word as she grabbed her clothes and rushed into the bathroom. She didn’t even breathe until the door was shut firmly behind her. It was then that she allowed her mind to travel down the path to truth. She leaned against the door, her back sliding down the cold, moist surface as her legs crumbled beneath her and she landed on the frigid tiled floor. “I’m in trouble,” she whispered to the thin air.