Alpha of the Dead

Chapter 23

(Tiernan’s P.O.V)

Are you sure it’s a good idea for us to be going to the hotel? Artemis may show up.

That can’t be helped. As you said, Steele, we will have to tell her eventually.

He nods his head before curling up in the back of my mind, though I can still feel his nerves and anxiety. The meeting wraps up, hopes are at an all-time low right now with the information that Preston brought back from Eferhile.

“Do you still want to go on our date tonight? I know you may not be feeling up to it after the news we got today.” I ask, pulling Si towards me.

“We can go on our date; nothing is going to change what was discussed tonight and stewing in it isn’t going to help my mood.” She states.

“Okay, kitten. I’m going to pack my overnight bag before we head out.”

She nods her head stiffly, obviously annoyed that I’m inserting myself into her life like this, but I don’t really care. I wasn’t going to be leaving her side any time soon, not until my mark was on her neck.

Why don’t you just pee on her instead? That would be quicker than trying to convince her to let you mark her.

Ha. Ha. You are so funny. I can hardly contain my laughter.

Steele lets out a bark that doubled as a laugh before turning his back on me and going to sleep. I quickly pack my bag to stay for a few nights at the hotel with Siobhan; I grabbed a few of my favorite toys to see if she would be inclined to play again. I couldn’t help the shiver that overtook me as I thought about our “hunt” earlier. It was probably the best hunt I had ever had, and the reward was the look of pure ecstasy on Siobhan’s face. I was giddy at the idea of hunting her again, and so was Steele. It was difficult for me to keep him from taking control when we were in the forest. After I finish packing my bag, I make my way back down to the conference room, where Siobhan and her team were still waiting for me.

“Let’s get going,” Siobhan says, slightly annoyed.

We all follow her out of the packhouse and to the SUVs that are waiting out front for us. Patrick comes over to me, a serious expression on his face.

“Are you sure you should be going there? The news that Arawn and Scàthach are at odds means that you’ll be pulled into this.” Patrick whispers to me.

“I have it under control. I’m already prepared for Artemis to show up at some point, I know that it’s inevitable.” I whisper back, happy that my Beta cares so much about me.

“You may think you do, but you will be with my baby sister, and I don’t have as much faith in your control as you do.” He says, pointedly.

Well, alrighty then.

“Ouch. And here I thought you cared about me. I see how it is Beta Patrick.” I sneer, trying to hide the smirk that was trying to crack through my façade.

Patrick rolls his eyes and claps me on the shoulder, before going to talk to his sister who is already impatiently waiting in the car. I can see her body is tense and that she is uncomfortable with his proximity. I really hope that her coming back home and really talking with her family will help heal some of her wounds. I walk to the driver’s side of the SUV Siobhan is in, she has her arms crossed over her chest, pouting. I couldn’t help the smug smile that comes to my mouth at her attitude.

“I don’t know why you’re smirking over there, Alpha, but I would suggest you stop it.” She snarks.

“I’m not smirking at all, kitten. Just happy that I get to spend some time with you.” I say with a chuckle, as I pull away from the packhouse.

She huffs and turns to look out the window, and I can feel that it is taking every ounce of her control to ignore me like she is. We make it to the hotel within a half-hour, and we walk up to the suite where I put my things in Siobhan’s room.

“Umm, what do you think you are doing?” She asks, leaning against the door frame of her room.

“Well, all of the other rooms are filled, and I would like to share a bed with my mate,” I answer.

“You can sleep on the couch. You weren’t invited, so you don’t get to be in my bed.”

“Not really asking for permission, kitten.”

She stomps back into the main room, then I hear the door to the suite slam.

“You really need to calm it down by inserting yourself like you are. She’s used to being alone and prefers it that way. To her, you are a wrinkle in her plans. She didn’t want a mate, and if she hadn’t gone into heat, she wouldn’t have mated you. You need to check yourself here, Alpha, or you are going to push her away. Consequences be damned.” The werewolf agent says from the doorway.

See? I told you to take it slow, to give her a chance to accept us. You need to go apologize to her. I’m pulling all the weight here because you keep f*****g up.

What do you mean by that!? You aren’t doing anything!

I’m the one calming Tala because you are pissing off her human. Tala wants us, she’s at war with her human and you aren’t helping matters. She hasn’t spoken to Siobhan since she rejected us that first night we came here.



I run my hands down my face, I really didn’t think her aversion to the mate bond and to me was so great. Steele was right, I needed to fix this and quit being the stereotypical Alpha-hole. I just couldn’t lose her, not when I loved her like I had all our lives.