Page 36 of Alpha Scorned

Owen

“Where are you?”

“With Becca,” Lionel answered.

“Yeah, well, get your kit back on and meet me at Shane's. The others are already there.” I ended the call, knowing he’d be there in a few minutes.

“What’s up, brother?” Zander melted out of the shadows near the front of Lina’s house.

I wasn’t surprised. Asking my brothers to watch my back wasn’t necessary. Not because I was arrogant enough to believe I didn’t need it, but because they would do it whether I wanted it or not, even Rawson and Stone. It may take some time to get our relationship back on track, but my brothers and I would protect each other as best we could through whatever shit storm was brewing here.

I stuffed my phone into my jeans pocket. “What do you know about demon mind tricks?”

He huffed a bitter laugh. “It depends what you mean by mind tricks. Different demons have different abilities. The more powerful often have several.”

“What about dream walking, empathy, and seeing the future?”

He dropped in step beside me. My pace was quick but not too urgent. I didn’t want any of the pack to see us rushing and get anxious.

“Devon?” Zander guessed, his jaw tense.

“Yeah. He’s seen some nasty shit recently that no small boy should see.”

“Damn. What?” Zander’s heavy brow dipped.

“I think he’s dream walked.”

“Really? Why do you think that?”

I frowned. “Because he’s been to where Shane is being held, in his dreams, and told me about the monsters who hurt Shane.”

Zander shook his head. “Shit. Poor kid. But he can’t be dream walking, not at his age.” He didn’t need to ask exactly what Devon saw. If Shane had been taken alive, it wasn’t for anything pleasant.

“He says Shane spoke to him.” I exhaled a shaky breath. “Dev also spoke to the demons. He told them that I was coming.”

“Double shit, he spoke to them?”

I rubbed my face as worry for Devon churned in my chest. “Yeah, he did.”

“That’s definitely not dream walking, brother, that’s soul walking. If you are dream walking, only your mate can see or speak to you because that is the only person you are drawn to. Soul walking means he can seek out those he wants to connect with, and talk to them. He can see and feel the world around him, just like he can in this one. Only the most powerful demons...like my father, can do that.”

“Fuck, do you think Berith is Devon’s father, too?”

Zander blew out a heavy breath. “Jeez, I don’t know. Hasn’t Lina ever said anything?”

“No. But then again I’ve never asked.” My blood boiled at the thought of my mate so helpless, and suffering at the hands of that evil fucker. I pushed away an image of her scarred body and unfurled my fists, stretching them out before I gave into my need to smash them into the nearest tree.

“I know it’s tough on you both, but maybe you should. Damn, Dev could be my brother.”

Zander’s quiet words struck a chord in my heart. Selfishly I didn’t want Zander to be his brother by blood. Not when I wasn’t his biological father. Zander would have more of a claim on my little boy than I did if Lina ran from me again…

Zander glanced at me. “It doesn’t mean he’s evil, Owen. I might have done some questionable things in my past but I don’t consider myself evil, and Berith was my father.”

“I know,” I ground out. He’d misinterpreted my silence. “That’s not what I was thinking about, not really.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Listen man, I don’t think he’s dangerous, same as I don’t think you’re evil.” I attempted a smile. “We all have a little badness in us.” A heavy silence dropped between us. “So you might be his blood?”

Zander stopped in his tracks. “Owen, it doesn’t matter if I am his blood.Youare his father, you always have been. Fuck knows you love that little boy more fiercely than any father I’ve ever met. My blood father was an utter bastard, so was Connor’s. Devon is yours, blood or not. I would never, ever try to replace you, or take him from you.”

I exhaled hard, interrupting him. “I’m sorry. I know that, really. But thanks for saying it. I just, I can’t lose him, even if things don’t work out for Selina and me.”

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