Page 11 of Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

Eyeing the bottle, I smirk. Maybe this will shut everything out.

Resting against the trunk of a lodgepole pine, I take a long swig of the clear liquor, relishing the bitter heat searing from my throat to my stomach. I feel it immediately—an instant kick to the head.

To counter the irritation in my throat, I light up the joint. Within minutes I’m high as a kite.

The moments stretch on. The familiar forms of the lake and the trees turn into fuzzy shapes. Before I finally black out, I taste something in my mouth, and it’s not the Everclear. It’s something tart…maybe blueberries.

Blinding light suddenly shines on my face, making me dizzy. My insides churn, threatening to explode out of my body like a bomb.

I try to cover my eyes, but someone rips my hands away. I shoot upright in anger, looking around for the idiot who thinks it’s a good idea to disturb me, but all I see is a blur of vintage honey-glazed patterns on the blue wallpaper. At least I’m in my bedroom.

“What the hell?” I flop back onto the bed as a throbbing headache pulses behind my eyes.

“Oh fuck! Stay still for a second.”

“Luke,” I whisper, letting out a hiss when I feel the needle going in. An icy feeling almost immediately rushes through my veins, and the nausea simmers down in response.

“I found you like this.” Luke stresses “this,” and I exhale another long breath. “You’re lucky I saw your car by the lake when I did.”

I run my hand down the sheets and realize I’m naked. I want to laugh, but that might make me vomit. This is one of the reasons I chose him as my beta. Yes, he’s sharp and hardworking, but most importantly, he keeps my secrets.

“I thought you’d come straight home after dropping off V. What happened?” he asks as I sit up.

An image of Seren’s silhouette in the window flashes through my head and I scowl, massaging my temples. “Nothing.”

“I guess the gala was a major success. I heard V telling everyone about the royal invite next week. She sounded pretty pumped.”

“Everyone?” I ask, ignoring that his sister went home after calling me disrespectful and borderline intolerable, just to present us as a united front the way she always did.

“Yeah, your parents came over for brunch. They wanted to know if we’d seen you, since they couldn’t find you at home, your phone wasn’t reachable, and your mind-link was off,” he replies, reaching for the intercom. “I’m calling for some sunny-side up eggs and toast. I’m guessing you can stomach that.”

Great! The old man gets another chance to remind me how to act as an alpha.

I grunt, pulling on my boxer shorts and freshening up before joining him for the food. My mood today is already ruined.

“By the way, I didn’t know Seren was back,” Luke says between bites. “Is she staying?”

Where else would she go? This is her home.

“Hmmm.” I focus on the eggs, not wanting to talk to him about Seren.

“Did she share her plans with you?”

I put my fork down and stare at him. My head is still throbbing, and this conversation isn’t helping. “Why the sudden interest in her?”

He shrugs, not looking away from his food. “Just asking. She did grow up around us.”

Us?

“I set up a job for her at Blackwood,” I say curtly.

Now he looks at me. “Blackwood? Why? What will she do there? I mean…”

My vision gets darker. A fire bubbles inside my chest. “Why do you care? She’s just some stray my parents picked up eleven years ago.”

He puts his fork down, his gaze sharp. “You can pretend she doesn’t matter, Theron, but the truth flickers in your eyes whenever she’s around. I always thought you two were fated.”

My jaw clenches as my fingers clamp into tight fists.

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