The Alpha's Desire 4

The Alpha’s Desire

Alpha’s Desire Series

Book 4

Willow Brooks

Copyright © 2014 Willow Brooks

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher

Chapter One

Talk continued longer than I thought it would, focusing on who would go where on this rescue mission. I stood there anxious, as in trembling from head to toe inside. With my hands grasped firmly together to the point of aching in front of me. I hoped that at least my anxiety laced with mounting impatience didn’t show. I narrowed my eyes to hide a few eye rolls. Not that I could see much other than what the moon illuminated. I didn’t want to appear ungrateful, because I wasn’t, but knowing Lex was in that building as I stood there was creating drama inside of me on epic proportions.

Nira stood to one side of me, in deep debates about what the inside of the building would look like, and what issues it might create. I knew it was important to the safety of everyone involved, including Lex’s, but it was still hard to stand back and listen to as my anxiousness mounted, igniting my power which whirled inside of me. Looking down to hide my clenching jaw, I swore I would begin to spin like a top at any minute.

Looking down didn’t help. The Royal werewolves were all currently in naked human form, and to my side was Alex. He was the Royal werewolf Nira and I were paired with. Muscular, hulking really, in human form, his abs bulging and cut, his arms and legs the same, he was definitely the body builder type one wanted to go into battle with. I could only assume that his human build translated somehow into the strength of his wolf form. My face flushed at the view, and I began a thorough study of the shoes Nira had given me to wear tonight.

As they all continued to hash it all out – the unknowns and the possibilities, along with what they did know from past encounters with these true wolves – I finally glanced up to stare at the small flicker of light that shone and then disappeared, off and on, on the top floor. It seemed symbolic at this point, of not only our chances of pulling this off, but of finding all three of them alive. Just a flicker of hope I had to hold onto. The longer I stood and waited, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, the more cynical I became, rather than the other way around. Had to be the conversation going on around me.

“Most of these abandoned buildings are open floor plans,” a vampire behind Nira said.

I knew he was a vampire because he wore clothes. The whole shirts and skins thing had me reflexively curling in on myself, my shoulders raised but forward, my stomach held tight, as if any of it made a difference. I really didn’t know what my problem was with it. Maybe unfamiliarity, or maybe putting my own unease with being naked in public on them. Either way, it wasn’t like anyone was asking me to get undressed. Rather than let the stupid thoughts continue, though, I marveled at what a completely, unbearably stressed-out mind will focus on.

“Yes, I believe they are,” Nira agreed. “Usually most of the heavy machinery, though, has been left behind, or at least the skeleton of work areas where the machines had been housed, like work tables and such. We need to watch for debris, sunken floors that grounded equipment, and random pieces of wood or metal that may be sticking out. Whatever machinery or desks, or whatever is left, though, will at least provide us some hiding spaces to move between as we move in. Biggest problem I see is the stairs. No matter what they look like, there is no protection when going up them.”

“Right. Expenses in these building were not wasted where they didn’t need to be, either. Most have open, metal stairs at best. We have no protection there at all,” Alex spoke up. “Plus, we have a large wolf body to get up them. Even the best stairs are a challenge on all fours, let alone narrow ones with openings.”

“We are going to have to combine our strengths; rely on each other, as we have done in the past, only now deciding what our strengths and weaknesses are given this arena we were given,” Nira stated, as if stating the obvious, really thinking out loud, from her quieter tone. The command in her voice, that had been there moments ago, seemed to disappear for a moment of vocal contemplation.

It had been the theme of the talk so far, stating out loud what everyone knew, probably to get on the same page, I assumed, or to be overly cautious. I got it. They needed to get a division of vampires and werewolves into groups, hear if anyone had anything to add. I think it had a pep talk kind of feel to it all, a confidence booster rather than just barging in. I did get it, even if my toes were clenched together in my shoes to keep me in place. I was new to the game, and needed to stand my ground, learn the rules. Me going off half-cocked on the desperation of love would only serve to get us all killed. I needed to continually remind myself of this important, actually critical, fact.

Vampire and wolves had different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses depending upon the situation. At least these groups were more than willing to work together. Instinctively, I thought I had nothing, and then something tingled over my skin. It reminded me that I had powers, new and untamed, but magic nonetheless. Yet, the tingling continued, built to more than just my own energy. I think the amount of magic and paranormal here with these two groups was so great that it became actually tangible as their own anxieties increased. The sensation was so strong that I rubbed over my arms as if I was cold, but more to calm it, and stop the feel of a thousand balloons being rubbed over the hairs on my arms. It grew so strong that probably anyone would sense it on some level, but I did more so with my own building gifts, and I was the only one a virgin to this sort of phenomenon.

“You vampires have the speed to get up the steps,” Alex added, seemingly the spokesperson for the wolves. “So, we will let you go up first, and then let us know when the coast is clear. If you find yourselves in trouble, though, we will come immediately.”

“Yes, that sounds like the best plan. We seem to have enough for a few large groups to surround the building, keeping lookout, and ensuring the true wolves don’t get away with Lex, Vivian, or Riker,” Nira continued. “Then, keeping it small, which is probably best at first, I will go ahead with Alex and Christina, up the stairs to get to that top floor. I will go first each time and then signal to Alex when the coast is clear.”

“You need to call on us, if we are needed to help take out the true wolves. There is no telling how many they have up there,” another Royal wolf spoke from the crowd. “I think another group needs to be on your heels, as well, ready to lend a hand, a back-up, once you get up there and scope it out.”

“Right. You are right,” Nira agreed. “It makes more sense. Maybe a trio of vampires should go up at first, with a large group of wolves waiting to follow. No, on second thought, I’ll go first with the two other vampires in wait. I think one blur will be enough. Don’t want to draw unnecessary attention at first. I will flash a small flashlight twice if clear to follow. If it only flashes once, wait. If it flashes rapidly three times, it is an SOS, a cry for help.”

“Got it,” Alex said. “I think once we get up there, the best offensive is to just swarm in on them, take out anyone in our way as fast as possible, using the element of surprise. They may already see us out here, of course. They aren’t dumb. They could have lookouts all over the place, even in neighboring lots. They may be sitting in wait behind the machines themselves. We have to be ready for it all, even the worst case scenarios.”

“Yes, they could be. In that case, we will just give them all we have. We have no way of knowing, either, if we have three or one to save. Lex is the only one that has true value in their eyes, bait for Christina. Riker and Vivian could have already been disposed of. So, if you get one, just concentrate on getting them out. If we are missing any in the end, being positive, we will scope out for the others after the coast is clear, the fight won.”

“We know that they could have killed and disposed of Vivian and Riker already, or could even have them in a different place.” Alex said. “We were not able to get readings on any of them. All we got is Lex’s location, thanks to Christina. Still, they should know that all three are of equal importance to us, and if we don’t get them all, this is not over. We already have four other deaths from the accident to avenge.”

Visions of the man in the black suit, the battles at my apartment as well as on the road, at the car accident, all came back to me in flashes like a bad, violent, music video. I grew more anxious by the minute. Violently so, which seemed to be the theme of most of my days since meeting my soul mate, who now sat in that abandoned building in front of me on the brink of death. Guess I should have asked for more than just someone to love, but to love someone in peace.

I didn’t mean to whine as my stomach balled into a tight knot, attempting to roll against the stressed out butterflies having a war of their own in there. I could get used to being different, to both of us being different, but I was beginning to think that I might not survive the stress. If a heart could be sore from beating too hard for too long, then mine was. The ache in my chest, both physical and emotional, wore on my body’s energy even as it amped up my magic.

I saw both sides. I could commiserate with the true wolves feeling they’d gotten a raw deal. In my still a bit naive mind, I wondered why the true wolves just didn’t ask for magical help. Maybe they had, maybe they hadn’t. Guess it didn’t matter now. For whatever reason, they suffered from a curse while watching others prosper with a gift, with the same end result. I got jealousy. As a bigger woman, I know that all of us suffer from the vanity of asking why some other woman can eat a burger and large fries and still wear teenage-size clothing as an adult. The grass was always greener on the other side. I’d been guilty of being petty myself, so add to that the pain of their transition from man to animal, and it could create some misplaced hatred.

Hatred. Yes, I got that. The animals had taken my Lex and hurt him, kept him in pain, and I wanted them to pay for it. I waffled back and forth between my need to fight for the underdog, my compassion for all, and my all too human need for revenge. A girl could lose her mind in the transition from mere human with a boring job and a dream to magical being put in bloody battles running and from deranged kidnappers.

Pull it together!
I yelled in my own mind.
This line of thinking is not helping anyone.

Regardless of how this came to be, this was the situation we were in. We stood out here on the verge of a probably violent and grisly rescue, with the outlook more than iffy. I grew fully aware that even if this ended in our favor this time, there would be a next time. What worried me, as well as the possible loss of life, was that there just seemed to be no end to this cycle of violence.

Not knowing the horror that lay ahead, just moments away, I couldn’t handle my emotions any longer. My magic raged inside, swirling in my upset stomach and whizzing through my veins, ready and willing to be unleashed on the right bad guy, if we could call them that. The little girl in me, the one that just wanted to cuddle with her wolf in dream land, screamed out,
why can’t we just all get along
?

I’d been the one as a child that came home all upset about a kid being bullied, even when it had no effect on my life. In a way, that fight for the underdog always felt mine, even if I stayed silent. Still, I battled it out in emotions, raw and real. I grew sick of my own thoughts as the voices murmured on around me. I wanted to accuse them of stalling rather than being safe. I just wanted this over. I wanted to be in Lex’s arms again, where everything in the world felt whole and right.

You must trust in them. You much stay quiet and follow their lead
, I coached myself.