10. Bexley

10

BEXLEY

“Of course, of course. I’ll be making rounds throughout the night.”

“No, no, no, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m Alpha, okay? I’ll be just fine.”

“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll go hunt you down some. Just let me get everyone else back to their homes safely.”

I embraced everyone who wanted a hug and helped tuck the kids of the packs into their beds. Voss’s pack was kind enough to open their doors to us, housing us and feeding us and letting us crash in their beds and on their couches. Blow up mattresses whirred in the distance as I moved from house to house. One by one, I sent hugs and well wishes in everyone’s direction as I tried my best to give them hope.

“Oh, no. Not tonight. We’re safe tonight.”

“Yes, I promise. How do I know? Because you’ve got me on your side, of course. And I know everything.”

“She really does!” Little Billy said as he shot up from his rested position. “It’s awesome.”

I giggled as I tucked him back in and smoothed his hair away from his forehead. “Now, you get some sleep. Tomorrow’s another day filled with fun and adventure.”

“Can we stay here, Alpha?” he asked.

I stroked my thumb against his small cheek. “As long as we’re allowed. But, you know we never want to overstay our welcome.”

“I know,” he murmured.

“But,” the woman named Merida said as she crouched down beside me, “you’re welcome as long as you’d like.”

I side-glanced her. “Yeah?”

She reached out and patted me on the back as her fiery red hair flew around wild with the air conditioning that kicked on. I had no idea how in the world they had power and shit like that all the way out in the middle of the woods, but I was eager to find out. I mean, watching all of them shift earlier? Watching them wrap themselves up magically in jeans and dresses after defending their turf?

It was just like the stories I grew up with, and I wanted to know more.

I wanted to know everything.

“Yeah,” Merida said with a soft smile.

I looked back down at Little Billy. “Then, we must be on our best behavior, right?”

Little Billy yawned. “Right.”

I bent forward and kissed the top of his head. “Perfect. You get some rest.”

“Thanks, Alpha.”

I stood to my feet and turned to Merida. “I can’t thank you enough for?—”

She held her hand up, stopping my words in their tracks. “It’s the least we can do. You helped protect us. You fought for us. As far as I’m concerned, you’re one of us now.”

I smiled as I held my hand out for her to shake. “Thank you, Merida.”

She snickered before she smacked my hands away and pulled me into a gigantic hug. “Thank you , Alpha.”

God, her hug felt amazing. I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around her. “I’m not your Alpha, though. So, Bexley’s fine.”

She placed her hands on my shoulders and held me out a bit. “Bexley, it is.”

“Guuuuuuys,” Little Billy groaned, “I’m tiiiiiiired.”

Merida giggled as she placed her finger to her lips and pointed to the front door. The two of us slipped out onto the porch, and I watched as Voss and Dom made their rounds on the houses. People stepped out onto their porches and talked in hushed tones, no doubt trying to figure out what their next moves were going to be. And with every person who shifted back into their human form, glowing green magic wrapped around their bodies, clothing them in whatever they wished.

What a talent.

Oh little one, you have no idea what I’m capable of.

As Dom’s words ricocheted around inside of my mind, I wondered what else they were capable of doing. A small twinge of panic rose up in the back of my throat as I remembered back to what happened out there on that rock, because in the right light, Dom may be able to pick out the fact that I wasn’t one of them. I mean, I could only imagine how shocked I was to wound him, only for it to heal right before my very eyes.

That wasn’t very Alpha-like.

“I should’ve kept my face under control,” I whispered.

“What was that?” Merida asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just… remembering.”

“Ah.”

“Merida,” a gruff voice said.

I turned to face it and saw the brutal man with the scar on his face coming up her porch steps.

“Ronyn,” she said from behind me.

“Ronyn?” I asked as he made his way to the top of the steps. “Is that your name?”

All he did was look at me before side-stepping me. “Can we speak somewhere, Merida? Privately?”

I scoffed as I made my way for the steps. “Yeah, don’t mind me.”

“Bexley,” Merida said as she reached out for me, “you really don’t?—”

I jumped down to the ground and turned to face her. “I need to finish my rounds on my pack, anyway. Enjoy your evening.”

Ronyn shot me a look over his shoulder before he followed Merida back into her house. I rolled my eyes as I made my way up the dirt road, no doubt carved out to give them easier access to the front porches of their homes. They were beautiful homes, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. In another lifetime, I probably would have enjoyed living in a place like this. But fear guided me through the rest of the homes as I checked on my pack and tucked them in for the night.

Because I knew my boss sent her cronies after my scent.

When I figured out what my boss was doing, I left. I didn’t quit, but I sure as hell left. I wasn’t going to work for a vampire that attempted to turn anyone into what she was. Not by a longshot. It started out as nothing but a hunch, and it grew into a side project that consumed my waking hours and took up every spare free second I had when I wasn’t clocked in or running nighttime missions with the CIA. That was one of my specialties, assassination by cover of darkness.

And it was one of hers, too.

What started out as a hunch and a theory turned into a filing cabinet of proof on who my boss was, what she was, and what she was doing. That is, until she found out. Until she burned down my home, with the evidence locked away inside. I knew what that woman was capable of. She was one of the most efficient and ruthless women the CIA had ever hired. I used to be in awe of her. In awe of the way she could turn off her emotions while, at the same time, turning them on just to use them to manipulate others.

I can’t believe I once admired a bloodless, soulless vampire of a boss.

And for the smallest of seconds as I came out of the last house, I wondered if I should run. If I should leave. If I should abandon the makeshift pack that took me in now that they found a larger pack to integrate with.

But, as I stood there beneath the pale moonlight, my memories harnessed by conscious mind.

“Jacob!”

Gunfire rained down around us as my boss tugged me back toward the chopper.

“We have to go, Agent Anna!”

“No!” I shrieked as I clawed my hands against the dirt. “Not without Jacob! We can’t leave him behind!”

“Come on,” my boss grunted as she hoisted me over her shoulder.

“No! Please! Jacob!”

Gunfire popped in all directions. Bullets whizzed by our bodies. Blood spilled from a wound in Jacob’s neck as he laid there on the ground, shivering, and alone. I slammed my fists into my boss’s lower back. She grunted softly before shifting me to her other shoulder. But, mid-shift, I flung my legs over her head and slammed down onto my feet, before tearing back toward Jacob.

“I gotcha, I gotcha,” I said as I skidded to a stop beside him.

“Bex—Bex—ly—you—you have ? —”

The more he sputtered, the more blood he coughed up. I shook my head quickly as I grabbed his hands.

“This is gonna hurt,” I murmured.

A bullet came way too close to my head and I threw myself on top of Jacob’s body. He was already so hurt, and he already lost so much blood.

Jesus Christ, how did I get the blood back into his body?

“You can’t do this to me, okay?” I asked as I sniveled with the snot in my nose. “Y-Y-Y—you’re my best friend, Jacob. My—my brother, okay? The only shred of family I’ve got left. You have to relax so I can get you back to the helicopter, okay? Just quit fighting me.”

“Get her home safe, Delilah,” Jacob hissed.

“What?” I asked breathlessly.

“That’s what I intend on doing,” my boss, Delilah, glowered.

“Gods, there you are,” Dom said as he scooped me into his arms and held me close. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

I immediately shoved him away and looked up at him with wild eyes. “Get off me.”

He held up his hands in mock surrender, but his gaze traveled along the expanse of my crooked body. “Okay, okay, that’s fine, too.”

I sneered. “And keep your eyeballs to yourself.”

He grinned as his hands sank back into his pockets. “You weren’t saying that earlier.”

“Hey, you two!” Ronyn barked.

I turned around and found the brutal-looking man heading straight for me. “Yeah?”

I felt Dom’s presence behind me before Ronyn passed by us. “With me.”

I scoffed. “You gonna ask me nicely, or what?”

“No,” Dom said in unison with a few straggling people that were still on their porches.

“Now,” Ronyn commanded with his heavy voice.

I chuckled and shook my head before I fell in line. I jogged up to Ronyn’s side, whose stride alone equaled two of mine, and Dom wasn’t very far behind. He didn’t say anything when we got to him. All he did was continue to walk until we found ourselves mounting another set of porch steps to get inside another home.

And that’s when I found Voss perched at a kitchen table with mugs of coffee to go around.

“Figured we could use some caffeine while we talk,” was all he offered.

Dom, nor Ronyn approached the table, so I went first. I walked up to the four chairs seated around the small, round table, and I took a seat right in front of Voss. The two Alphas, eye to eye as we spoke. It seemed fitting, since I was pretty sure why he wanted to talk in the first place.

Ronyn and Dom took their seats before Voss’s gaze grew hard. “We haven’t been attacked by vampires in almost 4 years.”

I nodded slowly. I knew an accusatory tone when I heard it, and I knew this conversation wasn’t going to end well. I decided to not pick up the coffee, just in case. For all I knew, it could have some shit in it to poison me. Or paralyze me. Or make me tell the truth, or some shit. Jesus, I didn’t know what these three towering shifters were capable of.

And I had willingly sat down behind a closed door with them.

“Pretty impressive,” I said.

Dom chuckled, but Ronyn’s hardened stare sat against the profile of my face as Voss crossed his arms over his chest. “And now, all of a sudden, you show up with your makeshift pack and there’s three of them.”

“Can’t help but make a man wonder,” Ronyn said flatly.

“Knock it off,” Dom growled softly.

I peeked over at him and shook my head. “He’s fine. I’ve got it.”

And to my shock, Dom shut up. So, I turned my attention back to Voss. “There a question in there, Vossman?”

Dom chuckled. “Vossman? That’s a good one.”

I smiled as I peeked over at him. “Yeah, I thought so, too.”

Dom leaned back in his chair. “Honestly, I’m shocked I didn’t come up with it soo?—”

“Who are you?” Ronyn asked.

“My apologies,” I said with a sarcastic nod of my head. “I’m Bexley Anna. And you must be Ronyn, the general commander of the armies who scares everyone shitless when they walk by.”

Dom barked with laughter. “She’s got spunk, I’ll give her that.”

I felt Voss’s unwavering gaze on my face. “You gave her more than that earlier.”

“What did you just say?” I asked as I whipped my attention back to Voss.

“You heard what I said,” he snarled.

“What?” Ronyn growled. “The fuck does that mean?”

I clenched my teeth together before I held up my hand, and I waited until they all shut up before I spoke.

“If the presence of me and my pack makes anyone uneasy, and I mean anyway, we go. It’s as simple as that.”

Dom’s sly smile crossed his face once more. “I’m actually curious to know where your makeshift faction came from in the first place.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Makeshift faction? What, we aren’t shifter pack enough for you?”

Voss shrugged with his arms still folded over his chest. “She told me earlier that she found them.”

“What?” Ronyn asked.

I slowly looked over at Voss as I latched onto his every word.

“When her and I were eating in the meadow earlier,” Voss said with a nod of his head toward the front door, “she said that she stumbled upon them and they sort of meshed.”

“Meshed,” Ronyn said.

“Huh, interesting,” Dom said.

I pinned him with a look. So, the food and the wine was just to get me talking. Just to get information out of me. I committed it to memory. Now that I understood that I wasn’t in the presence of people who were as welcoming as I thought they were, I knew to keep my guard up.

Accept no drink, take no food, and tell them nothing extraneous.

I committed the vow to memory as I crossed my leg over my knee. “You wanna know what I think?”

“No,” Ronyn said.

I didn’t bother looking at him. “Did I ask you, General Grumpadump?”

Dom fell apart in laughter as the brutish man got up from the table. He grumbled to himself beneath his breath as he stormed into the kitchen to refill his coffee mug. And the entire time, I kept my stare on Voss.

“What do you think?” Voss asked.

I tilted my head. “I think it’s been a while since any of you have come across a female Alpha, so you’re trying to figure out how to poke a hole in whatever theories about me you’ve developed in those small brains of yours.”

The twitch of Voss’s eye told me I was on the right track. “That so?”

I nodded. “Yep. Wanna know what my rebuttal is?”

“Oh, yes, please,” Dom said.

A grin crossed my face. “I think it’s your fault that your pack doesn’t get out much.”

“You take that back,” Voss growled as he slammed onto his feet.

I jumped into my chair, standing tall as I towered over him. “You won’t intimidate me, Vossman. Not by a longshot. You think I’m scared of you? Think again. You can go from a useful tool to an inconvenience in my world in a heartbeat. And you don’t want to know what happens to people in my world who become inconveniences.”

He stared me down like a predator from the shadows, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to allow him to tower over me. If he thought he was the only pompous man I’d dealt with throughout the course of my life, he had another think coming.

It was Ronyn that spoke next, though. “If you and your pack are a threat to us and our pack, then we deserve to know why if we’re going to continue housing you. I don’t think you can argue with that.”

And he was right, I couldn’t. In my line of work, had the tables been turned, I would’ve been asking them the same fucking questions in an interrogation room. If I stumbled upon a rogue team in the woods that then brought my team trouble just for rescuing them? Well, they would’ve been abandoned at the first sight of trouble just so I could preserve the integrity and health of my team.

I gazed around at the three men looking toward me for answers, and as I looked past their scars and their tattoos, I found that I wasn’t afraid of them. Curious, sure. But, definitely not afraid. And if I was in Ronyn’s position, there would have been only one thing needed to ease my mind.

Information.

So, I heaved a heavy sigh and sat back down in my chair. “Vampires wiped us out. It’s why we’ve wandered for weeks. We tried to get away from the vampires that wiped us out.”

Ronyn pointed to Voss. “He said you found them. So, how did you find them?”

“With my eyes.”

Dom ran his hands down his face as he continued laughing beneath his breath. Voss eased himself back into his chair, but it was Ronyn that stayed standing in the kitchen, sipping his fresh mug of coffee whilestaring me down through that scar that cut across his eye.

“Answer the question,” he said after taking a long pull of his drink, “how did you originally come across the makeshift pack that bonded to you as their Alpha?”

So, I answered the only way I knew how. “I… lost everything.”

Ronyn didn’t speak, but Dom did. “What does that mean?”

I flopped against the back of the chair and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I lost everything, and everyone, and every single shred of family I had ever pieced together for myself. So, I… wandered.”

I drew in a deep breath before I looked up and around at the three men surrounding me, with their eyes locked heavily on my face.

“I figured I’d wander until I found death,” I said softly as I looked over Voss’s shoulder out the window toward the dark, forest landscape. “Or, until I found a reason for living.”

“And you did, I take it,” Voss said.

My stare connected with his and my heart slammed against my chest. My knees evaporated, as if my bones no longer fucking existed. Even if I wanted to stand, I wouldn’t have been able to. Between the heat of Dom’s body radiating against me, the way Voss looked at me with those curious ocean blue eyes of his, and the shadow that Ronyn’s protective body cast over all of us, I found myself weakening against them.

All three of them.

And I had no fucking clue what to do with any of it.

“Yes, I found a reason for living again,” I said with a nod of my head, before the shrill giggling of a child out of bed pulled my attention to the front door.