The Last Alpha

Book 2 Chapter One

This book will be available to buy in Paperback from A.mazon in November 2023.

Madeline POV

The pulsing bodies thrust up against each other to the beat of the pounding music. The energy was loud and seductive as I weaved my way through the crowds of people grinding on the dance floor. The neon beams darted across the room like swords of light, illuminating people’s euphoric faces. I found a place that felt right and closed my eyes, allowing my body to sway to the music. The feeling was freeing. I started to glide my hands up and down my body seductively as I felt my desire to be touched by someone. No, not just someone. Him. My thoughts filled with images of his strong hands, his tempting lips, his toned and muscular body. Feeling arms wrap around my waist, a man started grinding up against my ass, but my eyes didn’t open. I imagined it was him. My body burned for more, as I ran the man’s hands up and down my body for stimulation. But then the music stopped. Everyone stilled as if they were frozen in time. My eyes flew open as I searched the crowd of statues frantically. Then I locked eyes with those majestic irises that made my heart race. One ice blue, one deep brown. He stood menacingly, glaring at me with a heated gaze through the sea of bodies. I gulped. He took slow, calculated steps towards me as his body towered over mine. I dared to peer up at him through my dark lashes. Smirking with devilish intent, he leaned into me, whispering in his alluring, deep voice, “Ready to make a deal with the devil?”

I shot upright in my bed, my body damp from sweat under my night clothes. It was just a dream. It was always just a dream. Taking deep breaths, I rested my hand over my heart, trying to calm my heavy pants. I looked down and caught sight of the exquisite, gold bracelet with the magical ruby fastened in the middle still stuck on my wrist, reminding me just who I belonged to. This damn thing. This was the reason he could come to me every night in my dreams to torment me.

I tugged at the gold bangle forcefully and tried to snap it off with all my might. It was no use. It was too robust. A constant reminder that he was not going to leave me alone. Studying the blood red ruby for the millionth time, I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful it was. Deep and enticing as black ink swirled inside it, showing off its magical charm. Anger rose in me at feeling so trapped. So helpless.

I contemplated rubbing it and saying his name so he would appear in front of me and I could give him hell for never letting me get a decent night’s sleep or better yet, reject him as my fated mate. Shaking my head and falling back on my pillow, I huffed out a frustrated breath. No. I couldn’t put the pack’s lives in so much danger. He warned me what he would do if I ever tried to reject him again. Suddenly, a knock at my bedroom door startled me from my tormented thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, sitting up in my bed as the door opened and Sloane came in, plonking herself down on my bed. Her pregnancy was starting to show and the little bump on her stomach made my heart melt. I was so happy for Fredrik to have found such an amazing second-chance mate and to start his own little family. It was all he had ever wanted. A family of his own and he deserved all the happiness in the world.

“What are you still doing in bed?” She raised her eyebrows at me and I glanced over at my alarm clock. I groaned when I saw the time. It was already mid-morning.

“Sorry. I’ve not been sleeping very well. It was a rough night,” I yawned, stretching out in the single bed and she eyed me carefully.

“Perhaps, you should go and see the pack doctor. You don’t look too good,” she replied, placing her hand on my forehead. Her pretty face scrunched in concern.

“I’m fine. Honestly, I’ve just been having some weird dreams and I find it hard to switch my mind off at the moment,” I pulled the covers off me and strolled towards the bathroom. I wished so badly that I could tell someone what was really going on with me. But honestly, shame and fear stopped me. How could I tell the people I was working so hard to rebuild relationships with after my wrongdoings, that I was mated to our enemy? To Lucius Romano’s son. A vampire and warlock hybrid. They would never look at me in the same way again. And who knows what chaos it would cause? I had to sort this mess out myself, but I didn’t have the first idea how. Suddenly, I really missed my best friend Emma. She would always be there to listen with no judgement. I was starting to grow more and more concerned as I hadn’t heard from her for over a month. It wasn’t unusual. She was always off doing her own thing and was a bit of a free-spirit but to go this long without answering my calls was strange, even for her. She should be here with our pack.

“Ok, well, as long as you are sure? I came to get you because I realised you were going to be late,” she shouted from her position on the bed. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion before I realised what day it was. s**t. Luna Alina’s birthday.

“Oh! Of course, give me ten minutes and I will be down. Thanks, Sloane,” I poked my head around the door and smiled at our Beta before she left my room.

As quickly as I could, I showered and dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and a black high-neck top before doing my make-up. Applying my foundation, bronzer and signature smokey eye to give me the confidence I really needed today. Just as I was about to leave my room, I looked up at the calendar hanging on my wall. My heart drummed in my chest. Three weeks and three days. Crossing today’s date off, hope blossomed within me. Perhaps, he wasn’t coming for me after all.

***

Racing down the stairs of the pack house to the ground floor, I heard the laughter and happiness echo from my friends in the dining room. I took a steady breath before plastering a smile on my face. Logan had spared no expense to shower his mate and our Luna with a brunch banquet, decorations and presents as my eyes scanned the lavishly decorated room. Everyone was already seated at the large table with the birthday girl at the head and Alpha Logan standing behind her chair.

"Madeline!" Alina beamed as I walked towards her.

“Happy Birthday! You look amazing!” I smiled genuinely as she blushed. If anyone would have told me three months ago that my then boyfriend’s destined mate would turn out to be one of my closest friends, I would have laughed in their face and told them they were mad. But here we are. I stood up straight and nodded at Logan, the man I used to love. He grinned back at me as I took a seat next to Fredrik at the table.

“Now that we are all here, I just wanted to make a quick toast,” Logan’s authoritative voice commanded the room and we all gazed up at him. He picked up his glass of champagne. “To our Luna and my perfect mate, everyone here loves you more than you will ever know. Happy Birthday, Alina!”

He bent down and kissed her lips before raising his glass. We all grabbed our own and joined him in honouring his mate. I could never lie and say that sometimes being in the same room as my ex and his true love isn’t a little overwhelming, but I am dealing with it. It actually helped to see them so happy together, knowing they belong with each other. And now they were expecting a child. It was like a fairy tale. Whereas my love life was more like a nightmare.

“Madeline, you will back me up on this...please, can you tell Chloe that wearing matching outfits tonight is so...” Chloe lowered her knife and fork, glaring at Darius as he tried to find the least offensive word. “...unnecessary.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes before looking at me.

“It is not matching, I just bought him a suit that is the same colour as my dress,” she explained and I tried to hide my smile. That sounded pretty ‘matchy’ to me. Chloe was the only one in the group who still seemed a little wary of me, so taking Darius’ side on this wasn’t the best idea.

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” I shrugged, stabbing my fork into a piece of fruit.

“See! So, will you stop your moaning and trust me? I know fashion and you will look great!” She grinned back at Darius cheekily, who glared at me for not having his back.

“We will look ridiculous! I bet Logan and Alina aren’t even matching!” He raised his voice so the other end of the table heard him. Logan turned his head with a smirk, always looking for any excuse to irritate his cousin.

“I am wearing the same colour and style masquerade mask as Alina,” he shoved a mouthful of his breakfast in his mouth before smirking. He knew how to wind a situation up so well.

“Did you hear that? The same colour masquerade mask, not the entire suit! They are practically married and were not even...” he quickly stopped as the whole table went quiet and the atmosphere tensed.

“We’re not what?” Chloe hissed. “Not even together?”

She threw down her napkin on the table and stood up abruptly. Before storming out of the room, she said, “Sorry, Alina. I have suddenly lost my appetite. I will meet you in your room when you’re all done.”

Darius leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands through his messy auburn hair.

“Just great,” he gritted through his teeth.

“Well, you handled that like a pro,” Logan chuckled and Alina hit his arm, tutting. Darius glared at him across the table as Alina stood up.

“It’s your birthday! Stay and enjoy your brunch, plus you have presents to open,” Logan held onto her hand, keeping her at the table. She looked torn, wanting to stay and celebrate her birthday but also worrying about her best friend.

I stood up abruptly and nodded at her. “It’s alright, you stay. I’ll go and check on her.”

Alina’s features flickered with uncertainty, knowing Chloe and I were not particularly close, but she nodded and sat back down all the same. Darius gave me a grateful look as I left the dining room. Standing still in the lobby, using Nina’s wolf hearing to try and pinpoint exactly which way Chloe went, I sensed the faint sound of her footsteps and her human heartbeat at the back of the house. Strolling out onto the veranda, I found her sitting with her arms folded across her chest on the swinging bench. I cautiously approached, not wanting to startle her. She looked up at me; surprised to see me, of all people, coming to check on her.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked softly. She shrugged and I took that as an opportunity to sit down. Sitting in silence for a few moments, we enjoyed the serene view, looking out over the lawn and into the forest. We were now well into autumn and the trees were beginning to look bare with only a splatter of vibrant orange and yellow leaves hanging on.

“Has he always been like this?” Chloe asked in a clipped tone. I turned to regard her pretty face as she continued to gaze ahead. I tried to think back to a time when Darius actually had a meaningful relationship in his life, but only one stood out. His mother. He was such a mommy’s boy growing up, always following her around, needing her attention. Logan used to tease him about it all the time, but I always thought it was sweet. When we escaped the vampire attack on our territory all those years ago, he not only lost his mother that day, but also, the only stable relationship he had. I thought about all the string of short-lived affairs or one night stands he had when we were in London. He even had a fling with Emma at one stage. That was weird. But he had never been committed.

“Like what?” I questioned carefully, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

“So detached. So closed off...It’s like we take one step forward and two steps back on a daily basis. It’s exhausting,” she confessed and wrapped her arms tighter around her body.

I stared out across the lawn again. “Yes. I guess he has always found it difficult to form deeper connections with girls. Sorry, I know that’s probably not what you want to hear.”

She sighed, “Why though? What is he so afraid of?”

“Getting hurt,” I said without hesitation. I realised that was actually what I was most scared of too. After the heartbreak of Logan, I wasn’t sure I would ever survive losing a love again.

She laughed in frustration, “Aren’t we all? But you can’t live your life in fear of getting hurt. You will never experience love that way.” She quickly turned to me with wide eyes, “I am not saying I love him! God, we barely even like each other!”

I chuckled, knowing that is a lie. “I think you like each other plenty! If it is any consolation, I have never seen Darius like this about anyone before. You challenge him and scare him, but it’s a good thing. He needs it. And yes, he can be immature and a d**k sometimes, but if you have even the smallest feeling that it might be worth it, don’t give up on him.”

Her face softened on my reassuring words. “Thanks. The funny thing is...I am not even sure what I want from him myself. We fight like cat and dog but, my god, the passion we have for each other. I have never experienced anything like it. But I’m scared too, I guess...” She glanced down at her hands and she suddenly seemed so vulnerable and small.

“What are you scared of?”

She met my gaze as she replied, “Of letting him in. Getting close to him and then losing him. I’m not a wolf. What if he finds his true mate?”

I saw all the worry and fear in her eyes and it reminded me of my own when I first found out Alina was Logan’s destined mate. I sighed heavily, “I don’t know, Chloe. I am probably the wrong person to ask.”

“No, you are the only person I can talk to about this. You have been through it. It happened to you,” She said quietly and my heart dropped when I saw pity in her eyes.

“I suppose, but every situation is different. Logan and Alina are truly perfect together. I can see that now. Not all mates are though...” An image of my own mate entered my mind and I shook my head. The three weeks he had given me to ‘come to terms with the fact that I was his’ had only made me more certain that we could never be together. He is my enemy. Our species are at war. I could never love him.

“Do you think you will ever meet your own mate?” Chloe’s question surprised me and I gulped down my panic. But when I looked into her eyes and realised how vulnerable and open she had been with me today, I felt the urge to tell her. To reveal my secret. Could I trust her?

I pushed a lock of my icy blonde waves behind my ear.

“I already have,” I muttered quietly. She gasped and her eyes bulged. “It is complicated, and I have struggled to understand why the Moon Goddess chose him for me. He is not a good person. It has been really hard to deal with and I need to find a way out of it. So, please, can you keep this between us? You are the only person I have told.” My grey eyes pleaded with hers.

She grabbed my hands and squeezed them with care.

“Of course. I am so sorry, Madeline. After everything, I always hoped you would find happiness one day with your fated mate.”

I smiled at her sadly, “So did I.”