The Alphas' Daughter (Alpha Eyes: Book 2)

Chapter 20

"Madame?"

I squinted against the sun to see the resort hostess next to my chair. She'd pasted that fake, polite smile on for this lovely business talk.

"You have a visitor."

Lucas straightened on his beach chair beside mine. "A visitor? Who?"

The woman pulled her lips into a tighter smile. "We don't ask lots of questions, but he said he was from the New Moon pack?"

Lucas and I glanced at each other. The New Moon pack had reported an assassination attempt, but they would not have sent a delegate to us. The message sufficed. Even if they had sent a delegate, no one knew where we were besides my parents.

"Okay." I nodded and turned to rest my feet on the warm sand. We couldn't exactly deny a visitor.

Lucas was standing beside my chair in a blink. He held out a hand and immediately grabbed mine. I returned his grip and rose to my feet. Once I was tucked into his side, we followed the hostess back to the reception area of the resort.

The fake smile woman motioned to the lobby before retreating behind her desk. I shot her a snarl when her back was turned. But when we turned to the lobby, I froze. Someone was seated with their back facing us. Even without seeing their face, I knew something was off.

"Lucas..." I whispered, tightening my grip around his waist.

"I know," he whispered back.

I could feel Amy creeping forward as I let my alpha senses turn on full force, taking a distant scan of our unknown visitor. From the lack of neck mark and scent, he wasn't from New Moon. We already knew that, though. He smelled more like a rogue than a pack member, yet he wasn't a full rogue. I couldn't really figure him out.

Lucas's arm tightened around my shoulders. "I'll take the lead, okay? You stay beside or behind me, and I'll do the talking."

I nodded, perfectly happy with that agreement.

Wed barely taken two steps forward before the visitor rose and turned to face us. My heart lurched at the sight before me.

A towering figure of a man, bulky muscles and power. Yet his skin was sickly pale, more white than yellow. His eyes were clouded over, lifelessly staring at nothing in particular. He almost looked more like a vampire than a werewolf, and vampires had been extinct for years.

"Alpha Karina."

I shivered. Even his voice creeped me out.

"You have become too powerful for the supernatural world. You need to learn to control your powers. If you refuse or are unable to control your power, measures will be taken against you. Others will rise to prevent yours. The attacks on your parents' pack and those surrounding them? Warning shots from those against you."

My jaw dropped a little, shock rippling through my body. Of anything he could have said, that was not on my top list of options. Before I could respond, he added one last thought.

"You have been warned."

Lucas took a step forward, protective power just oozing off him. My wolf basked in the feeling while still maintaining a level of alertness.

The messenger blinked once, his eyes flashing from white to black. He jerked and collapsed to the floor. Foam poured out of his mouth. His body twitched several times before he finally laid still.

A shriek filled the lobby. The echo faded before it registered that the sound had come from me. My knees gave out and the floor rushed up to meet me. Lucas didn't react fast enough to catch me. I hit the floor and blacked out.

#

Lucas dropped to his knees and scooped his mate off the floor. How he hadn't caught her baffled him. His reflexes were usually faster, yet she somehow slipped to the floor.

"Karina, wake up." He cradled her against his shoulder and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "C'mon, sweetheart. Come out of it."

She breathed normally but showed no other signs of stirring. Her pulse beat steadily in her wrist.

"Please, baby... Come back to me." He kissed her temple and tightened his hold around her. "This is scaring me too, Karina. Come back, and we'll figure this out together."

"Is she okay?" the hostess shuffled around the desk and trotted forward.

Lucas's head snapped up as she approached. He didn't even try to hold back the snarl-growl that erupted from his throat. "Just...don't. Go back behind your desk, and let me take care of my mate. You brought this visitor here, so this is your fault."

She gawked and stumbled back a step. "I—I—Sir, I—I had no idea..."

"Get out of my sight," he snarled.

She nodded and tottered into a back room.

Lucas glanced at the now-dead 'visitor.' While clearly not from the New Moon pack, the guy had once been in a pack. He'd wandered into something dark and ended up dead in a hotel after delivering a one-way message. Who would do that?

Karina drew a sharp breath and jerked upright. Her eyes snapped open and focused on his face.

"Lucas..."

He eased her upright and rubbed her back. "I'm right here. You're okay."

She glanced around the lobby. "What happened?"

"You passed out," he murmured. "You've only been out for a minute or so."

She rubbed her forehead. "I had this wave of pain wash over me. It was stronger than anything I'd ever felt before. It was almost like someone wanted to weaken me into submission."

Lucas glanced at the dead werewolf without moving his head. Was it possible? Had the message been two-fold, or was it just a coincidence? Who would dare do such a thing? Was this warning from the moon goddess? Why would she give Karina such power if she wasn't meant to use it?

"Oh gosh!"

He refocused on his mate as she stared at the dead werewolf.

"It really happened," she whispered. "For a minute, I thought it was just a vision or something. But... he's there. Someone died after telling me to check my power."

Lucas wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled her to her feet. "We'll figure out who sent him. Okay? Right now, I am taking you back to our room to rest. Okay? C'mon... Let's go."

She moved on wooden legs, almost robotically. He guided her out of the lobby and through the halls until they reached their room. Once inside, she walked out onto the balcony and stared out at the ocean. For a long minute, she remained silent.

He knew better than to question her silence, even if it worried him. Maybe her guardian Amy was talking to her. Maybe she was calming her wolf. Maybe she was processing everything in her own way.

"I want to go home."

He joined her at the railing before asking. "What?"

She glanced at him before hugging herself, especially her abdomen where their little pup was growing. "This place isn't a hideaway for me anymore. I want to go home...where you and the pack can protect me from horrible things like... like... like that."

For the first time since he'd told her they were mates, he saw tears of fear in her eyes and worry lines on her forehead. She was strong, but this terror seemed to have broken her.

"Sweetheart..." He pulled her into his arms and held as tight as he dared. She still fit perfectly against him, her head tucking under his chin. He felt every quiver and tremble of her body, including her chin.

She clung to him, fisting handfuls of his shirt. Whatever inner strength she'd mustered was now gone. She needed him to be strong enough for both of them.

"Of course we'll go home," he whispered. "I'll call a handful of guards to come get us at the airport. I'm not leaving your side, not even to drive."

She nodded and sucked in a breath. "Thank you."

He kissed the crown of her head. "Let's go pack. Hm? The sooner we're ready, the sooner we go."