Behind The Alpha Book 2 WES

WES

“She's been bit!” I carry Thea into the Falcon Ridge infirmary. Thea is still crying uncontrollably.

Medics meet us with a gurney and I lay her on it.

I hold her hand as we run to the emergency room. The medics take her vitals.

“What bit her?” One asks.

“I don’t know. Lycan? But it was weird. He said she was paralyzed.” I’m sick with worry. Hot with anger and feel like I’m losing control.

“WES!”

I turn to Grey who’s running up behind me.

I lean down to Thea. “Baby, I’ll be right back. I promise. Right back.” I kiss her a few times before letting the medic go.

I meet Grey and he’s bruised and covered in blood. “How is she?”

“I…I don’t know. She still can’t move and…” I look down the hallway. “Grey…What do I do?” The pain on my face is clear.

He slaps a hand on my shoulder. “She’ll be fine. We’ll fix it. Just concentrate on getting her walking again.

I nod and scrub a hand down my face. I don’t know how to deal with this. She’s hurt. So upset. Jesse isn’t back yet.

“Wesley. Where’s Thea?”

We’re joined by Nala, Dieti and Aurora. “In the emergency room. They’re working in her now.”

“What happened?” Dieti asks.

“Artemis burned her tree down.” I sucked in a breath as I remember what I felt while it burned.

“No…” Dieti's eyes widen. “He has us all. Nala?”

Nala puts a hand up. “Do not panic. He still has to remove the nymphs for his plan to work. He only has half the powers.” She places a hand on Dieti's cheek. “He won’t fulfill his quest.” She turns back to me and folds her arms. “Did he have a dagger with him. A black one.”

“Yeah. He didn’t use it, but I saw it strapped to his leg. Thea called it the Reaper. Why?” I cross my arms and scan all three ladies.

“It’s very old. Older than us. It’s called the Reaper because it reaps souls before killing you. Supernatural first then human with the second or third strike.” Dieti informs.

“Where did he get it?” I ask.

“He stole it. Many centuries ago. From a creature so vile, it couldn’t be allowed to walk on this earth. The creature fashioned it out of the rock metal from hells pit. He sold his soul to Hades for it. Because the creature cannot die, he remains soulless.” Aurora holds herself as she tells the story.

Dieti finishes for her. “Artemis heard of the blade. He attached it to his plan. He called on a barbarian who was hunting the creature. Told him where the creature would be. When the two fought, the creature lost the blade and our father acquired it. He laid in wait for many years.”

“That’s when you found your anchors.” I state.

“Yes. We came up with the plan to halve our powers and place one half in a piece of our element and the other half remains with us. That way, if Artemis did reap our souls, he’d only have one half.” Dieti confirms.

“Grey.” I walk up to him and bite back the crushing pain in my chest. “Call Mia and get her in here now…Please.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “On it.” He starts to text as he walks down the hall.

“Do you two have any healing ability at all?” I beg in my mind that they do.

“Very little. Thea is the healer, but she cannot heal herself. Not from this. If the creature that bit her is as you say, she’ll need a real healer.” Aurora chokes.

I nod. “I have one coming. A Phoenix. She should be able to help. If not, we can try the pool.” Both their faces sadden as they nod. I pull them both into me and hug their heads as they softly cry for their sister. “I will get him. I promise you that.” I feel them hug me harder.

These woman are my family and in the Andrews family, you fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us. All of us will make you pay.

****

Thea was calmed down a bit by the time Mia arrived. “I’m going to try and heal the venom. They have the blood transfusion going and hopefully I can speed things up.” Mia strokes the top of Theas head as she speaks. Theas nods.

I hold her hand and rest my forehead on hers. “The minute you can move, you give my hand a squeeze, ok?”

“Yes.” She hitches. Her big brown eyes look so innocent and scared right now, it’s killing me.

I kiss her nose and cheeks. “That’s my little flower. I love you so much.”

I’m trying my damnedist to not show her that inside, my wolf wants to slaughter everything. He’s been ripping and shredding my rib cage since this started and it’s taking everything I’ve got to keep him under control.

He's fucking raging and so am I. I need answers. I need a goddamn plan. I need Artemis off the fucking board.

“I love you too.” I wipe the tears that fall from her eyes.

Mia rubs her hands together and hovers them over Theas abdomen. Red and blue light glows in the space between her palms and Theas skin. Theas veins start to glow blue and red just under her skin.

Thea presses her lips together and squints her eyes. She’s in obvious pain as she whimpers trying to control it.

“Hold on, baby. I’m right here.” I say in her ear.

She lets out a louder yelp and I try to comfort her as I watch Mia’s healing work.

“This venom…it’s difficult. It’s like it has a mind of its own and is running from me.” Mia’s brows come together with concern. “I’ll have to push harder. I’m sorry, Thea. This is going to hurt.” Mia turn her apologetic face to Thea.

Thea nods and bites her upper lip.

Mia bares down and pushes more power into Theas body.

Theas face twists into agony. She screams and I feel her hand tighten around mine.

“It’s working! It’s working, baby! Almost there!” I get excited at the feel of her strength coming back. “Mia, keep going.” I kiss Theas head and wipes her tears.

Mia pushes even more. Theas body is glowing bright as the healing runs through entire body.

“Almost got it…” Mia grits.

I watch the power run around Theas skin like a pack of wolves chasing a rabbit and converge on her chest. They attack in the center and Thea arches back. Her screams crush my chest.

“Thea, we got it! We got it!!” I say as I try to keep her down on the bed.

She’s crying and whining as Mia deals her final blow. The room lights up with blue and red. Theas face turns bright red and her eyes shoot open. Blue light fires out them and Mia clenches her jaw. Her brow is covered in sweat. “Yes! Thea, one more second!” She grits and gives one more final blow of power.

Thea arches right back, forcing me to fall back. Mia rips her hands away and Theas back hits the bed. Her head rolls to the side.

“Thea? Thea. Baby, wake up.” I try to shake her head awake.

“She’s stable. All vitals are normal.” The medic informs. He looks to me. “She’s just out because of the trauma. She should wake soon.”

I nod. “Get her in a room. I’ll be back.” I kiss Theas head and head for the door with Mia behind me. “Thank you, M. I…thank you.” I turn to her and wrap her in my arms.

“Anytime, Wes. You know that.” She smiles.

“I know.” I reply.

“What was that? I’ve never seen anything like it.” She pushes me back and folds her arms.

“I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out.” I turn with a determined look on my face.

I feel like this has a bigger picture here. I’m just not seeing it. We’ve opened a door and I’m not sure what’s just walked through it.

“Grey!” I jog down the hallway to meet him. “We need River.”

“He’s here.” Grey supplies.

“Let’s go.” I tap his arm and we all run down the hallway headed to Bastian’s office.

When we get there, the debrief already started.

“I don’t know much. Only that he needed to get to Thea.” River rubs his head as he sits on the couch.

I fold my arms. “Why is Michael working with him?”

“Mike?” He sits on the edge of the couch. “You found him?”

I nod. “Yeah and he’s got some improvements.” My chin juts out as I chew my cheek.

“What do you mean, improvements?” Bastian asks.

“Oh…The power of 5 lycans combined. The ability to paralyze people with a single bite and although I can’t confirm it, he says he can rip out wolves and turn them into whatever the hell he is now. He may have looked lycan, but that was no fucking lycan.” I told all the Alphas in the room.

Gideon holds out a hand. “Wait. You saying he’s like a super lycan or somethin’?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” I confirm.

“The voice.” River turns his head to me.

“What?”

River stands. “Before Artemis jumped me in the woods. Michael was attacked. The voice on the phone...It didn’t sound from here. It was an old language. Michael knew it too.”

“You remember any of de words?” Gideon says.

River rubs his nape. He walks around, thinking. “Ku…Kule…” He looks around the floor. He raises his head and snaps a finger at Gideon. “Kuleta kifo.”

Gideon types it into the database on his phone. “It’s Swahili. It means…” He raises his head and looks at all of us. “Bringer of Death.”

A chill went through the room.

“So, what? Mike’s working for the Devil?” Luke asks.

River shakes his head. “No. Mike would never…”

“Riv. He didn’t look like he regretted what he was doing in any way.” I know Mike’s his best friend, but I have to tell him the truth.

“Look. I get that it may have looked like that, but I’m telling you, Mike does not have it in him to do this.” River held a hand out as he walks up to me.

“River…He turned the Dragons on us, man.” Jayson says.

“He almost killed you. Almost killed Anna.” Bastian adds.

“No!” River whips around to the room. “No! Mike is not that person anymore!” He growls at them all.

“Ok. It’s fair to assume he may be under some kind of influence.” Grey walks to River’s side. “But man, I don’t want to say it, the look on his face. I’ve seen that look before. This isn’t good.”

“I will not go home and tell his mate he’s a killer. You’re wrong. Michael’s in trouble and we need to save him. That’s a goddamn order.” River’s eyes flair at the whole room.

Bastian raises his hand. “Ok. For now, Michael Dorian is a victim. We will treat him as such until he proves otherwise. Fair enough?” He eyes River.

River nods and rubs his neck.

“This Artemis. What do we know?” Bastian sits in his chair behind his desk.

I step into the center of the floor with the Alphas on either side. “I’m still gathering Intel, but from what I got so far, he’s old. Not William old, but you get the idea. He is hell-bent on killing Thea and her sisters to raise his dead mate. He has a blade. A black one. It’s called the Reaper. It reaps the souls of supernatural creatures and turns them human with one cut. It infects you like a poison.”

I place my hands on my hips and eye them all. “The nymphs split their powers into what’s known as anchors. Artemis has broken those anchors and stolen half of the sisters power. He needs to destroy the nymphs to get the other half. It’s not clear if he’ll actually raise his mate or just absorb the power himself. Either way, from my understanding, both are very bad ideas.”

“Why is he with Michael?” Bastian asks.

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask as he was kicking my ass all over the forest. Whoever has control over him must benefit from Artemis in some way.”

“Hey!” Gideon interrupts. “Listen ta this…”

He holds up his phone. “His strength unmatched. His power of de two. What walks through night, now walks in day. The demon of hell ta destroy de lands and kill crops. To raise hell from de depths of fire. His name is evil. His name is death. His name is Lefu…”

He looks up at us and turns his phone to us. On it is a painting of a giant man killing other men. They bleed from their necks. His eyes were split yellow and green. I point to the painting. “That’s what Mike’s eyes looked like.”

River looks at me. “Just like that?”

I nod.

“So, Mike’s possessed by this guy?” Mica asks.

“If he’s even real?”

Bastian pulls out his phone and dials it.

“Who are you calling?” I ask.

“I think I know who can fill in the gaps here.” He growls.

“Bastian?” The speaker answers.

“Lefu.” Bastian grits.

“What?”

“Don’t mess with me, Jake. Who is Lefu?” He looks at the phone.

There’s silence on the other end.

“Jake?”

“Nothing. We thought it was a threat, but nothing happened.” He says.

“He took my Beta, you dick! You knew he was out there and didn’t tell us?” River yells at the phone.

“We didn’t know. After putting Eternity away, we had no indication there was additional threats. We had nothing to tell.” Jake informs.

I stuff my hand in my pockets. “But you knew…You knew he was a possibility.”

“Miranda may have mentioned something about it.” Jake says.

“Miranda?” Mica asks.

“Yeah. She kept going on about something bad happening if we built the prison. As far as we could tell, when Gia put the cross in the ground, nothing happened.”

“Something happened.” River growls. “She raised Death. That’s what happened.”

“Death…Like The death? White skin, black coat? That guy?” Jake sounds a little shocked.

“Don’t be stupid.” Luke groans.

“Shut up, Jackson.” Jake snaps.

“He’s a legend. An old Swahili story of a creature who rose and killed everything until he was frustrated with the world and walked away.” Gideon informs.

“Theas sisters say he was beaten back by a barbarian.” I offer.

“Either way, he disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. Now he’s back. What does he want?”

“Murder, mayhem, a chance to get laid. Who the fuck cares? Let’s find this dickhead and plant a bullet in his brain.” Luke snarls.

“Ok.” Bastian interrupts. “Luke. Settle down. I need everyone on board with this. I need everything we can dig up on this guy and find Artemis. We will need to know what Lefu wants with him.”

“That’ll be a little hard since I’m snapping him in two when I see him next.” I growl.

“Wes. We need him alive. Once we get the Intel, then we kill him.” Bastian smirks.

“Anyone know how to capture a really old Shapeshifter without getting your but stolen? William looks around the room.

“I think I can help with that.” Jake says from the phone.

Bastian set the phone down on his desk and crosses his arms. “What do you got?”