Page 27 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

I run a hand through my hair, trying to wrap my head around the situation. “Who were the victims?”

Alyssa hesitates for a moment before answering. “One was a bartender ‘Holt Jackson’ at the local bar, and the other was a traveler passing through town.”

I know Holt. He usually serves me most nights I am at the bar. I can’t believe that he is dead.

”I think we’re dealing with a pair of vampires,” I say, my voice grim. “They’ve been lurking in the shadows. They must be preying on innocent people.”

Alyssa’s brow furrows in concern. “Do you have any leads? Any suspects we should be looking into?”

I hesitate for a moment, debating how much to tell her. “I’m still investigating,” I lie. “But I’ll talk to my mom about it. She’s on the council, and she’ll know what to do.”

Alyssa nods, but I can tell she’s not entirely convinced. “Alright, Liam. Just make sure you keep me in the loop. This is official police business, after all.”

“Of course.” I say, suppressing the stab of guilt I feel.

As I leave the sheriff’s office, my mind is spinning with questions. How did this happen? And more importantly, how do we stop it from happening again?

As I step into the kitchen at Mom and Dad’s, Mom asks worriedly, “Liam, what’s going on? Alyssa told me there were two people murdered, but she didn’t give me any details.”

I take a deep breath. “It’s bad, Mom. Really bad. Now, in addition to the blood bag robberies, it looks like they’re attacking people.”

Mom’s eyes widen in shock. “Oh no! But how? I thought we had the situation under control.”

“Apparently not. I feel like I’m failing as Protector.”

“I don’t want you to think like that, Liam. You’re only one man. You can’t be everywhere all the time.”

“I know, but still…”

“We’ll figure this out together, Liam. I’ll call an emergency meeting of the council so we can plan our next move.”

Chapter 10

Selene

Iopen the mini fridge in my room, eyeing the dwindling number of blood bags inside. Only three left.

Damn it!

With school starting in three days, I need to figure out a way to restock fast. There’s no way I can handle being around humans all day with my thirst gnawing at me.

I pour myself a drink from one of the bags and cover the Stanley cup. Sipping slowly, I head to the living room, trying to push aside my worries for now.

Annie walks in, a tired smile on her face. “Hey, Selene,” she says, flopping down on the couch beside me. “How’s it going?”

I return her greeting with a smile, trying to keep my anxiety in check. “Not bad,” I reply. “How about you? Work treating you okay?”

Annie lets out a weary sigh. “Yeah, it’s fine. Just exhausting, you know?”

I nod sympathetically. “Yeah, I get it. You should definitely take it easy tonight. We can order dinner in later.”

Annie’s face lights up at the suggestion. “That sounds great, actually. Thanks, Selene.”

She glances at my cup, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “What’s that you’re drinking? Looks tasty.”

I freeze for a moment, my mind scrambling for an excuse. “Oh, uh, just cranberry juice,” I lie, hoping she’ll buy it.

Annie raises an eyebrow, curious. “Really? Mind if I have a sip?”

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