Alpha Noah

¬Abella

I can’t help but be taken aback. Seriously?

If he thinks I belong to anyone, has a lot to catch up on. However, I don’t speak on my thoughts, instead realising that this might be my only chance to get answers out of Stace about my future, and what he wants with me. So with a lasting glance at both Cian and Noah, I turn my attention to Stace letting the two settle into seats around us.

“You’re a King,” I say, tasting the word on my tongue. It’s not a term I’m used to. In the mortal world, and immortal world, there are Alpha’s, Luna’s and Pureblood Immortals. They are the leaders. “What does that mean?”

“It means I rule over a portion of land in our home realm, called a Territory. I personally rule over Territory Two, an expanse of cliffs, beaches and ocean,” he tells me.

I shiver uncomfortably.

“If you’re a King, then what do you want with me?” I question, glancing at Noah, who stares at his feet. He mentioned to me once that he is protecting his kind, that we are still hunted here, by immortals like Cian. But if there is an entire territory, or more of people like me, I don’t understand why he would put effort into me… or Noah.

Stace shifts, his leg bumping mine, reminding me I’m still pantless, underneath this covering. I don’t care if Stace is on my side or not, he put me through enough for me to still not fully trust him. And the way he looks… it’s frightening. Moving tattoos that stop just at his jawline, eyes like an open door, that if you dare look too far into, will shut you in.

“You’re not like others from my Territory. As you know, you bleed purple, which is a trait of my people, or Territory Two. It’s unusual… or should I say, heavily frowned upon to move territories. In some places, if you’re found to bleed another colour, you’re imprisoned.

I gape. “How many Territories are there?”

“Six in total. None that you need to make yourself familiar with, as you bleed purple, therefore you belong to Two,” he tells me assuredly, the slightest hint of a smile on his face. It’s a hint of patriotism for the land he rules over. It only heightens my curiosity about this place. It sounds so magical, a place born out of dreams.

“That doesn’t answer my question. What do you want with me?” I ask him. I happen to look over at Cian, who stares at Stace with an obvious wrath.

“Magic in my realm is separated in the Higher and Lower Arts. One is to be born with magic, but it is more often than not, not inherited. Those with Higher abilities are rare; so much so, they usually become nobility of some kind, depending on the politics and law within that Territory,” he explains.

“So?”

Stace looks toward Noah, as if wondering whether he should impart this information or not. I want to shake him, shake both of them. I don’t want them to hold anything back from me, especially when this about me, and my future.

“Noah and I assume your birth family brought you to this realm to protect you. I can sense that you have abilities of the Higher Arts. Perhaps they were afraid for your future if anyone found this out, and brought you here, where people believe Daemons are extinct,” Stace tells me grimly, waiting for a reaction that even he can’t deal with.

But it hardly sinks in. I know my parents. I know the way I was raised; happy, fine. Maybe I wasn’t wealthy, but that hardly mattered.

They are not like me. They do not bleed my colour.

Yet they weren’t panicked. They never had answers they simply told me to keep it a secret.

They knew.

“Stace is here to help you. To return you to safety, to grow your potential,” Noah tells me softly. I look at him, at those emerald eyes I have grown so fond of lately, and wonder what to do. How to take this information. Nothing is what it should be, and slowly, Stace is unraveling everything around me, and all that I care about is being dismantled.

“This is ridiculous. Don’t you here this Abella? This creep and your so called mate want to take you away and use you. They want your power for themselves,” Cian says, although his voice seems distant in my mind. I look at him, seeing desperation, rage.

And then, everything goes black.

***

I wake in a mess of sheets, my head aching.

Groaning, I refuse to open my eyes. I can feel someone’s hand on my leg, the possibility of sparks muted by the sheets. It’s Noah, I can tell. His scent is soft, brushing against my senses insistently.

Finally, I force my eyes open. It is Noah, sitting right beside me, brushing my hair from my face. For a moment, I feel a blissful peacefulness, like nothing is wrong in the world. My mate – my only mate – sits with me, in his home. And I’m happy. But the moment lasts only a few shuddering seconds, before reality hits me like a slap in the fact.

“Where am I?” I question, sitting up. It takes me only a few seconds to realise I’m in Noah’s spare room, where I have spent a night before. As I sit up, he hands me a glass of water, which I down in seconds. A splitting headache has formed right between my temples.

“I sent Cian home so you could rest. Stace has also left, wanting to give you time,” Noah tells me softly. I blink, letting everything stream back into my mind.

“Wait, I didn’t get all the answers I wanted.”

Noah shakes his head. “You had too much information at once. You need time to process it before we start giving you anymore. Clearly you’re not able to handle it yet.”

“My parents are like me… or I was given to other parents by my parents… I don’t know. All I know, is that everything in my life means nothing. Why should I be so worried? Apparently I’m now bonded to a King, and you both want to take me somewhere and use my powers,” I say, practically all in one beat.

Exhausted, I slump back against my pillow again. I’m saying all this, but it is hard to accept. But I’ve lived my entire life not having the best relationship with myparents.

“Stace and I have been trying to find your birth parents, but so far we haven’t been successful,” Noah says grimly. I let that settle over me, like cold water drenching every pore of my body. “I have no doubt they loved you. We will find them, don’t worry.”

“Don’t bother,” I mutter.

“If it’s worth anything to you, my parents weren’t the best either,” Noah says, peaking my attention. “They new of my power whenI was born, and came here. The sort a powerful position for me, so I would be safe, almost like hiding in plain sight. They killed the entire Alpha bloodline, and put me in there place. I’ve had no other choice since.”

I sigh. “Okay, you win.”

“It’s not that I’m looking for an escape, but I’ve been trying to find out more about my origin, about how important it is to me, regardless of the abilities Stace might think that we possess. I think it might be important for you to find out too, despite who you might chose as your mate,” Noah says softly.

As much as I hate to admit it, I am curious about this other realm, my untold abilities. I’m curious about my other family, about the life I could have led if I wasn’t brought here. But at the same time I’m afraid. I want my old life back, my family, and Sam, my closest friend.

I want to go back to when I didn’t have a mate to worry about. Or two, for that matter.

“I just don’t understand why Stace marked me with this, so I can’t go anywhere. I know you say he is trying to protect me, but I’ll admit, I don’t get that feeling,” I mutter.

Noah’s gaze flickers to my leg, which is bare. Thankfully someone put shorts on me, which I don’t allow myself to think too deeply into. The mark is there, right on my thigh. Why he chose there, I don’t know, but just looking at it, now that it has healed over again, and shiver. Maybe it was a dig at Cian, or maybe a warning.

“You’re powerful. You’re worth a lot, which might not seem obvious now, but you are. Stace is a King, our King. We should at least try to give this a chance,” Noah says softly. I forget how good he can be sometimes, always so reasonable. Despite what Stace says, at the end of the day, I know Noah will respect any decision I make, whether I trust Stace or not.

I loosen a breath, but the burden doesn’t life from my shoulders. “Does this mean I need to choose between you and Cian? As mates?”

Noah appears grim. “It’s your choice, of course. But yes, I think the decision needs to be made.”