Page 30 of Marked By the Alphas

“Kai, we are the pack leaders. We happen to be mated to this one girl. Just one girl, out of every option that could be available or out of all the possibilities that could have happened. Fate somehow tied us to her. This isn’t even about the mark or theprophecy anymore. The intensity of what we share is more than anything we’ve ever encountered. I’ve seen you with her, I’ve seen Rhys with her and you both have seen me with her. This mate bond between us blazes like no other. We can’t ignore it any longer. We need to acknowledge it. Only then can we take the right steps forward,” Rowan urged, and I raised my eyes to meet his.

“There’s nothing to address. This meeting is over,” I said, ignoring the look that passed between Rowan and Rhys and instead focusing on arranging the heaps of paper in front of me into piles so it made my work easier.

As Rowan and Smith filed out, Rhys lingered. The idiot was too stubborn for his own good and even as I continued to ignore him and pretend to focus on what I was doing, I could feel his stare boring a hole into my skull. Eventually, I raised my eyes to meet his gaze with a heavy sigh.

“What do you want, Rhys?” I asked, and he smirked, an action that grated on my nerves. I remained quiet, waiting for his response.

“I was hoping you would ignore me for longer. It’s good to know that my stare is still as powerful as ever,” he said teasingly and I rolled my eyes. “You can’t let your emotions cloud your judgment, Kai. None of us have ever experienced anything like this before and we’re all trying to figure it out, but we need to do it together. We need to be on the same page if we ever plan on moving forward,” he said, his tone turning serious.

I respected Rhys and Rowan and valued their opinions more than anyone else’s. We had been ruling together for a long time now and had gone through several challenges together.However, for the first time, I felt alone, which was weird because we were going through the exact same thing together and all at once too.

With a defeated sigh, I pulled myself to my feet. “Not right now, Rhys. We’ll talk about this some other time. Please,” I responded, and although disappointment flickered on Rhys’ face, he nodded in understanding.

Exhaustion settled over me like a leaden cloak as I made my way home. I wanted nothing more than a warm shower and some sleep.

“Good evening, Alpha Kai,” Rose greeted me the moment I walked through the door and I frowned, pulling my phone out of my pocket to check the time. It was pretty late already.

“Why are you still up Rose? It’s quite late. Go to bed,” I said as I moved toward the stairs.

“I wanted to be sure that you ate dinner, Alpha Rhys. Would you like me to bring it up to your room?” she asked and I shook my head.

“Rhys and Rowan are both on patrol tonight, so they won’t be coming home and I don’t feel very hungry. Thank you for your efforts, but you can go to bed now.”

I made my way up the stairs, fully intent on going to bed, but I lingered when I got to the hallway. Soon I found myself outside Elara's room, my hand hovering over the knob. I longed to hold her, to chase away the shadows that clouded her beautiful eyes, but the fear of rejection held me back. It was a bitter pill that I forced myself to swallow.

With a defeated sigh, I turned toward my own room, but just before I could take another step, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence in the house and every muscle in my body coiled with primal instinct.

Elara.

I burst into her room, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Elara sat wide-eyed and frightened on the bed, her face pale and tears streaming down her cheeks. Relief washed over me when I realized she wasn’t hurt, at least not physically, and I rushed to her side, gathering her into my arms. She clung to me when I reached out for her, and I noticed how her body trembled.

“Elara!” The warmth of her body seeped into mine as I held her momentarily grounding me. Her scream had faded, leaving behind ragged gasps for breath.

“What happened? Are you okay?” My voice was a rough whisper, all the anger that I had accumulated in the last week forgotten within a twinkle of an eye in the face of her distress.

She shook her head, unable to speak. Her body continuously trembled, a silent testament to the terror that gripped her. Without another word, I scooped her into my arms and carried her to my room. Gently, I laid her on the bed, and for a split second, the image of her naked and spread open on my bed filled my mind, but I shook my head gently to clear it.

The moonlight streaming through the window cast an ethereal glow on her face, highlighting the remnants of tears clinging to her lashes.

It took a while before she could speak, her voice raspy with fear. “A nightmare,” she finally managed. “A horrible nightmare.”

“It’s okay. I’m here now and you’ll always be safe with me,” I promised quietly, and she nodded her head, squeezing my hand that she now had a death grip on.

I held her close, stroking her hair, my touch a silent promise of safety. Slowly, her ragged breathing calmed, replaced by the soft rise and fall of her chest. My gaze lingered on her trembling lips, and I fought the urge to kiss her. As I watched her sleep, a wave of protectiveness washed over me. It was so fierce it almost scared me.

Suddenly, a vibration began in my pocket, sending a jolt through me that ripped me from his reverie. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to find Rowan’s name flashing across the screen. It made me frown, but I answered the call. His voice came through sharp and urgent.

“Kai, there's been a breach at the northern border. We need you there, now!”

Chapter 16

Rowan

The moon, a sliver of silver in the inky black sky, cast an eerie glow on the forest floor as I stalked through the trees. I knew that sleep would completely elude me so there had been no need to try, especially since the lingering tension from the meeting with Kai and the others still clung to me like a second skin. I felt restless and anxious, and I was itching to let my wolf take over so we could have a good run to help let go of all the negative emotions within me.

But tonight, there was something in the air that had a constant shudder running up and down my spine. My instincts, that were usually just a steady hum beneath the surface, were buzzing with a low, unsettled thrum that made me itch with awareness.

Reaching the border, I was greeted by my most seasoned warriors, Ekon, Lyra, and Micheal. Ekon, who we fondly called Bear because of his huge frame and arms that looked like they could knock a man dead with one hit, dipped his head in a respectful bow as I approached. “Alpha Rowan,” he rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly.

---