Page 26 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

She used to babysit me when Mariya was out of town.

I was also the ring bearer at her wedding.

She has also been the town’s Sheriff for the last two years and the only human who knows the truth about me and my family.

Beside her is Lennox, her Parisian wife, looking elegant as ever. She has bright red lipstick and a long flowing red dress. She always looks so out of place in our town, but I have never seen my aunt happier with anyone. She adores her wife.

I grin as I make my way over to them. “Well, well, well, look who decided to grace us with their presence,” I say, trying to sound casual despite my joy at seeing them. “I thought you were in Morocco checking out the art.”

Alyssa gives me a tight smile, and I can see the concern lurking behind her eyes. “Hey, Liam,” she says, her voice low. “Mind if we chat for a bit?”

My heart sinks a little at the seriousness in her tone. “Of course,” I say, trying to keep my own worry at bay. “What’s going on?”

“Je suppose que ça peut attendre jusqu’après le diner,” Lennox says flashing me a huge smile. “I know she has been dying to get back to work, but at least let me eat first.”

Alyssa shakes her head as she stares at her wife. “Oui, oui. You’re right. How about you come by the station tomorrow morning?”

I nod, not wanting to press her further. “Sure thing. Now, what can I get you two for dinner?”

Lennox speaks up then, her accent rolling off her tongue like music. “I sure have missed your cooking, kid. We’ll have the seafood linguine, please. And a bottle of your finest white wine.”

Alyssa nods in agreement. “That sounds perfect, Liam.”

“Coming right up. On the house, obviously.”

“Liam,” Alyssa begins to protest.

“You know Mom would skin me alive if she learned that I made you pay for dinner. Call it a welcome home present. I’ve really missed you guys.”

“We were only gone two months, you wuss,” she says.

“Be nicer to him,” Lennox replies, “And Liam, you better hurry and get back there. I am hungry and won’t defend you for long.”

I give them a quick smile before heading back to the kitchen to whip up their order.

But as I sauté the shrimp and toss the pasta, my mind keeps circling back to Alyssa’s unexpected return and the worry etched on her face.

I have a feeling that her coming back this early from her trip has something to do with the recent string of blood disappearances.

And if that’s the case, things are about to get a whole lot messier than marinara sauce.

Damn it, Selene! What did you do?

I wake up early the next morning, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach as I make my way to the sheriff’s office. Alyssa’s serious expression from last night worries me. I can’t shake the feeling that something big is about to go down.

When I arrive, Alyssa is already there, sitting behind her desk with a pile of paperwork in front of her. She looks up as I enter, her expression grim.

“Hey, Liam,” she says, motioning for me to take a seat. “Thanks for coming in.”

I nod, and sit down. “What’s going on, Alyssa? You seemed pretty concerned last night.”

She sighs, leaning back in her chair. “Yeah, well, there have been some troubling developments. Two people were found dead yesterday. They were drained of blood.”

My eyes widen in shock. “Dead? But how? I’ve been patrolling every night. I’m supposed to be the Protector. How did this happen?”

Alyssa’s gaze is sympathetic. She is handling this a lot better than I am. The last time she had a brush with vampires, despite it being decades ago, she nearly lost her life. Although, thanks to Mariya’s memory spell, she doesn’t remember it.

Right now, she seems almost detached from the severity of the news she is delivering. “I know, Liam. That’s why this is so concerning. We need to find who’s doing this before things escalate any further.”

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