Alpha Noah

¬Abella

Three weeks later.

I flip the page of my book, listening to the sweet singing voices of the birds around me.

Things are lonely here, but in a good way. The day I left Thought’s estate, I collected enough of my things, and took a train to an unknown location. I’m somewhere far enough away for me to feel comfortable, giving me enough space to think. I’ve booked myself in an inn surrounded by a small, quaint town. I’ve spoken to very little people, ben under a fake name, and haven’t mentioned once where I’ve come from.

I haven’t heard from Noah, Cian or Stace for these past few weeks, and it’s been a relief. However, my current mission is trying to ignore the tugging feeling that is leaving my stomach feeling hollow. I’m not sure if it’s the mate bond, or this bond to Stace.

Either way, I can’t wait for it to go away. If it ever will.

I’m not going to pretend like every inch of my subconscious mind is begging me to return to my mates, which are no doubt hunting through the mortal realm looking for me. But so far, I haven’t heard a thing.

Turning another page, I avert my eyes from my sentence to the sunset before me, shading the neighbourhood with hues of coral and orange. I feel guilty, of course, that I left in such a way. But what could they expect? One of my mates wants me to leave my life for another realm completely, and another who will kill me if he ends up believing I am what I am.

I don’t even want to admit it at this point. Even if I believe them, I don’t want to admit that I’m anything like them… even if I don’t know what that is. Maybe I have powers I haven’t explored, and maybe this other realm is beautiful, but then I have to think about Cian.

It’s just too much now.

Wincing, I look down at the tiny hurt on my thumb, a simple cut from the page of my book. I watch as blood seeps from the small wound, the brilliant violet colour glowing under the beams of the setting sun. I can’t change that about myself, but I need more time to come to terms with this. I need time before I can look Noah and Cian in the eyes again, and have Stace explain my life to me.

But no doubt they are hot on my tail. Cian has his magic to track me, and Noah is an Alpha with unknown abilities.

Wiping the blood away, I get to my feet, walking back inside off the porch and into my room. My clothes are a mess everywhere, my life in an untidy shambles since everything has happened. I’ve been attempting to do my own research into these daemon creature I am supposedly related to, but nothing comes up. Not even in the local library, as if nothing on this exists. It makes me doubt how real this all is… what if this is some kind of screwed up dream.

No, of course it’s not. But one could hope.

I decided on a walk to get dinner. This place doesn’t have much around, remaining near uncivilised aside from a few nice places. I’m fairly certain we are in a good neighbourhood in the Freedom Pack, but I’ve never had the heart to ask a clerk at a store in case they start asking questions back.

Waiting for my dinner, sitting outside on a bench I enjoy the warmth of dusk. I like how peaceful it is here, as night begins to fall. I’ve never been out much, but it makes me wonder, is it always this quiet out when night falls? For some reason, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up on ends. I know this place is quiet, but it’s unlikely that the sight of night falling would have everyone hiding within their homes.

Loosening a breath, I turn to walk back inside the diner where I had order food to take away. However, the door is locked no matter how much I try it, and the lights inside have gone dim.

I need to get out of here.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Maybe I’m overthinking because being on the run leaves you constantly looking over your shoulder, but I need to get my things and hope on the next train is due soon. I know the fear immortals elicit when they arrive in places, and I’ve played with fate being here knowing Cian could track me down at any moment.

Walking down the path, I see the inn I’ve been staying in in the distance. If I just make it back there, I can get my things and leave. Thankfully the train station is nearby, but no matter where I go, Cian will be able to track me without an issue.

I don’t want to run forever. I don’t want to ruin my chance at having a mate forever, I just needed space without either of my mates trying to manipulate me.

Even if they don’t know they are doing it.

Suddenly, I’m stopped short, as a figure steps out onto the path in front of me, seeming to practically step out of the shadows. Flinching back, I immediately assume it’s either Stace or Cian, however, as they step closer, I realise that there is no way I know them like I know my mate. But I definitely know who they are, from books, from television.

It’s Alpha Grayson.

I figured I was in the Freedom Pack, but it’s one of the largest ones in the mortal realm, so it can’t be a coincidence that he’s standing before me right now. He looks exactly how I expected from the little I’ve seen of him and the way he has been explained in books. Dark hair, silvery eyes. He doesn’t look as feral as I expected, but he does have a wild look in his eyes that I have no interest in exploring.

“You’re here because of Noah, aren’t you?” I say softly, my voice echoing through the street despite my low tone. I figure Noah had all his Alpha friends looking for me, and Grayson finally pin-pointed me here, in his Pack. Now that I think about it, it’s an obvious choice to hide away from your problems. Not many people willingly come in here, even if the Alpha has been more lenient in letting strays into his Pack.

“I think you should come back to my estate,” he tells me lowly, accent so thick I almost can’t decipher what he is saying to me. But I know that despite his warm tone, he’s not going to let me walk away without following.

So I comply.

We walk side by side, through the forest. I don’t know anything about the Freedom Pack, but I doubt there is much here by means of transport, other than the train I came in on. But Grayson doesn’t seem bothered by our traverse through the darkening forest, so I silently pray the walk won’t be too much.

“I’m not ready to go back to them yet,” I tell him uneasily. I don’t know how much he knows, but I assume Noah told him enough. His grim expression tells me enough.

“We need to face our issues, or they will always haunt us.” He tells me slowly, not looking at me once, but straight ahead. “Noah is a powerful man. There is no place you can hide from him without Alpha’s knowing. So unless you want to be Packless, I suggest speaking to him, and coming to an understanding.”

I can’t help the exhale of amusement that comes from me. “For one of the youngest Alpha’s, you appear rather wise.”

He doesn’t say anything, instead ducking under a particularly low branch, motions for me to follow. As I do so, I let the foliage brush my face as a clearing beyond is finally revealed. A massive, beautiful manor which flows brilliantly under the full moonlight.

“Welcome to my home,” he says lightly.

***

~Noah

“You lost her?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Loosening a breath, I stare grimly at the flustered immortal before me. His face is red, making the golden colour in the roots of his hair flare brightly. Cian has always let his emotions get the best of him, but I suppose that’s he curse of being a Sin. Despite having all of time to consider this fact and work on it, he has indulged in his flippant personality. That’s why Abella has doubts about him.

“I didn’t lose her,” I say slowly, tapping the tips of my fingers impatiently on the surface of the table. “She left on her own violation. She needed space, so I granted her that.”

Cian and I have had this exact conversation weeks ago. He still hasn’t come to terms with it, and his anger has done nothing but hinder his search for our mate. It’s made him blind, skewed with his senses.

“Something may have happened to her. Stace may have found her,” he says, digging his fingers deeply into his hair. I haven’t told him I’ve been keeping an eye on her through Alpha Grayson since she arrived in his Pack. My first emotions compelled me to drag her back here, but I pushed that away. If she wants space, then she will be granted that.

But now… now she must return.

“She’s fine. No doubt she ran from your in the first place. You are the one who wanted her species dead for so long,” I tell him. He has known for quite some time about what I am, but due to my position as Alpha, he could never do anything about it. Immortals have killed daemons for as long as I can remember. I can tell Cian knows what she is, but is determined not to believe it, so he isn’t faced with an immortals moral duty to exterminate every daemon.

Cian pales. “I wouldn’t hurt her. No matter what she is. But no one else can know.”

“I know. Which is why I’m going to take her to the new realm. Where immortals like you can’t get to her,” I tell him strictly. He blinks, clearly not believing me.

But I’m completely serious.