The Alpha's Siren Song

Chapter 16

Easton's hands came up in the same form of surrender that his companion had used a second ago. Something in my gut twisted, urging me to lower the gun because there was no way that he was bad, no way that he would ever hurt me. But I didn't know that. He might have smiled at me and offered me water when he shouldn't have but that didn't mean he wasn't the enemy.

"Kaia-" Easton began.

My name sounded like a drug dripping off his lips. I repressed a shudder. A smooth voice and kind eyes wasn't going to be enough to lead me back to that hellhole.

"Stay back or I will shoot. I'm not going to stand here and wait for your alpha, okay? I'm going to leave and if you value your life you're going to let me," I warned, taking one step towards the Honda SUV. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the dark haired man step with me. My gun swung around, pointing right at him in a second.

"Kaia, is that what you're afraid of?" Easton asked. 

As I snapped back to him I noticed that his position hadn't changed. His hands were still up and the distance between us remained plentiful. 

"I'm not afraid!" I snapped.

"You are. You've been afraid of me since you saw me by the river."

"I'm not scared of you," I pressed.

"You're scared of the alpha," he murmured.

"Just let me go. I don't want you to take me to your leader or anything. I just want to live my life, okay?"

"Are you afraid of me?" Easton urged. His hands remained up, but he was brave enough to take a small step towards me.

"No."

"But you're afraid of the alpha?"

I ignored him again, keeping one eye on his friend as I wondered if I would have to actually pull the trigger. I thought that I would be able to do it before. When I looked at the dark haired man who had tried to interrogate me on my driveway the idea of surviving was at the forefront. But Easton was here now and that changed my willingness to shoot the gun. 

"Kaia, I'm the alpha," Easton announced.

"You're lying!"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"So you can get me in the car and take me to the real alpha," I reasoned, narrowing my eyes.

The fear of having a gun pointed at him must have been wearing off because Easton glanced around me, looking at the dark haired man. "What did you tell her, Elliot?" 

"Nothing, I swear. I was talking to Hazel when she came out here swinging a gun around," Elliot explained. 

Easton's attention came back to me. "Have you tangled with Ajax? The king? I'm sure we could just have a simple conversation to straighten things out."

"The king?" I repeated. The barrel lowered an inch. "What king?"

"The king of werewolves, Ajax. You know, big dude with brown hair."

"I'd say red hair," Elliot piped up.

"Sure, sure. Big dude with red hair and one hell of a temper. Is that the guy that you're afraid of?"

I felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath me. It was impossible to be sure that they weren't just toying with me, lying together smoothly enough to convince me. But it was becoming a less likely option. Was it true that there was a king? If there was a king what did that mean for the alpha position? Was there was chance that Easton was being honest and that he was an alpha as well?

"How did you find me this time?"

"You're on my land, Kaia. I knew that you were here the day you arrived. I wanted to give you space, but when you went through heat...I couldn't leave you in the cabin alone for another day."

"How did you become an alpha?" I pressed.

The relief on Easton's face could have been spotted from space, but green eyes flashed to the gun. "How about you put that down and I tell you everything?" I stiffened at the idea of being vulnerable, but Easton just continued, "Keep it near you, if you'd like, but I'd really prefer it to be on the ground."

I complied. As I set the weapon down on the dirt I could almost hear Eddy grunting in annoyance. That was not how a piece of history and a working machine was supposed to be treated, but it would have to be okay for now.

"So I inherited my title, like any alpha," he stated.

"How many alphas are there?" 

"Probably about three hundred, maybe more. Packs split up and merge all the time, it's a lot to keep track of. Especially the overseas packs like the ones in Germany and Slovakia and Poland."

"Werewolves are all over the world?" I gasped.

"Yes, of course."

My legs wobbled. It was a mix of being overwhelmed by new information and the rushing relief of not having to shoot at anyone immediately.

"Kaia, are you alright?"

"Fine," I blurted.

Easton took another hesitant step towards me. When I didn't immediately dive for the gun, he strode until there was only half the distance between us. My gaze snapped down to the gleaming metal and he pulled up short.

"There's a lot of stuff that I would love to explain to you. I know that you're nervous and I know that you must have gone through something, but I will do whatever you need to make you comfortable, okay?"

I swallowed hard and offered up one curt nod.

"My pack is really close by, only a ten minute drive. I can take you to my house and we can talk about this over tea," he encouraged, watching the way my knees were almost knocking together.

"Will Rose be there?"

"No, Rose is in Glasgow. She lives there full time. But my parents can be there if that would make it easier," he offered.

Silence fell between the three of us.

"We have a high population, about two hundred people. You won't be alone," Easton added.

"But they are all werewolves," I pointed out.

"None of them will ever hurt you," Easton said adamantly. Another two steps demolished more distance between us. "I would never let anyone hurt you. You're my mate. I know that you might not completely understand this, but when I saw the river suck you down, fuck, I almost died. I jumped right in, thinking that I could save you. And when you fainted in the alley, I fought the bloody spell you put on me as hard as I could. I would never let anyone, my own pack or not, harm you."

I stayed quiet for two beats. I watched the way he straightened, like the words were being backed by his fit body. The firm press of his lips and the seriousness of his eyes told me just how much he believed himself.

"You two take the Jeep. I'll try to keep up in my car."

~~~Question of the Day~~~

You have five days to explore any city with an unlimited budget. Which city would you pick?