The Alphas Cursed Mate

The Trespasser

Cam

The compound was quiet as everyone stayed within the safety of the castle walls, having the warmth of each fireplace and the kitchen that continuously kept a blaze. The Alpha, his Beta and two of the guards were away on business, closing a deal on the other side of the North Mountains. Left within the castle were the servants, cooks and handful of remaining guards, along with myself, his Gamma. The storm had come on suddenly and delayed the Alphas travels. It wasn’t until the weather broke that they were able to head out this morning.

I walked around the east side of the compound, inspecting the fence line for damages or fallen trees. Three members of the guard roamed the other ends of the large area. It had been a quiet morning. So far, the storm left only beauty in its path, no destruction. The snow glistened off the hills within the fenced in area. The castle looked beautiful, topped with snow and icicles hanging from the rooftops on each level.

With over 2,000 acres, it was a lot of ground to cover and it was much quicker to do on all fours. My paws left large imprints in the snow as I made my way around the fence. The east end covered the front of the property. Lightly covered in trees, but mostly hills consumed this portion. Hopefully the others don’t report any damage where the forest begins to take over.

It was around two o’clock in the afternoon when the call came over mind link.

“Cam, please come to the south end. I will meet you in the clearing.” I recognized the voice of Dustin, a loyal member of the guard.

I quickly made my way to the clearing, running swiftly through the thick snow. Dustin waited eagerly, pacing back and forth.

“What is it?”

“We have a trespasser.”

A low growl slipped through my gritted teeth as Dustin turned and darted through the trees. I followed, close on his heels as we dodged trees and leaped over logs. Finally after almost ten miles, Dustin came to a stop and lowered close to the ground. I recognized where we were, close to the old hunting cabin. I sniffed the air. Smoke.

“I heard a loud noise and came to investigate. It wasn’t until I got closer that I smelled the fire.”

“Who is it? How did they get inside the compound?” I asked as we slowly inched closer, careful to stay out of eye sight.

“I saw a girl. She was chopping firewood. I don’t know how she got inside, I can’t find a breach anywhere.”

“A girl? What do you mean a girl?”

“That’s all I know. I couldn’t get close enough to catch a scent. I called you after seeing her and checking the perimeter. She appears to be alone.”

I nodded in response. We were within eyesight of the cabin where light shown through the window. Smoke billowed out the rooftop chimney. We crouched down and watched. Two hours passed and no movement. Whoever was inside must have retired for the night.

“It’ll get dark soon. I want two on watch rotating every six hours. I’m going to phone the Alpha and will send Travis back down to take my place. Stay out of sight and do not make yourself known.”

“You got it.”

I quietly exited the forest and ran back to the castle. I stopped in the garage along side the west wing, where I quickly shifted. I retrieved my clothing and cell from the locker, got dressed and made my way into the castle. I was greeted with the smell of roast and vegetables, along with an apple pie cooling in the kitchen. Silvia was hands down the best cook there was. She had been on staff for as long as I could remember, and how she managed to keep everyone fed was a mystery to all. Ignoring the temptations brought on by the aromas, I continued towards the front of the castle.

“Travis, come to the foyer.”

Within thirty seconds, Travis stood before me.

“You rang, Mr. Gamma Sir?” Travis greeted me, a smug smirk on his face while twirling a glass of whisky on the rocks. His long blonde hair fell around his face on one side, the rest tucked behind the opposite ear, exposing a scar that ran the length of his cheek bone.

I sighed, at both him and the drink he held, which was guaranteed not to be his first. He was always pushing my buttons, poking fun when he knew we were to be serious. Drinking while on the job and being reckless was his way and he knew it got under my skin. But damn, he was good at what he did, drink or no drink. He was ambitious, loyal and fierce. Also incredibly dark, some would say almost evil.

“We have a trespasser on the premise. Go meet Dustin near the hunting cabin on the south end. Stay out of sight. Dustin will catch you up when you get there.”

Immediately the smirk left Travis’s face and his light blue eyes turned black. I barely caught his glass from shattering onto the ground as he ran out the front door.

I pulled out my cell from the pocket of my jeans and dialed my Alpha. After one ring, he was on the other end.

“What’s wrong?”

No sense in formalities, calls while he was away were only made when something had taken a sharp left turn. I repeated all that had happened and all that I knew so far, briefing him within a short minute.

“She could be a hunter or a rogue. It could be a trap. Let’s watch to see if others join or if she can lead us to where she entered the compound. Listen closely. If anything gives you serious concern or imposes immediate danger, act as you deem fit. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

I heard an exasperated sigh on the other end.

“Cam?”

“Yes, Alpha?”

“How many times do we have to go through this? We learned to walk together. We learned to hunt and fight together. Hell, we learned how to s**t together. It’s Desmond, not Alpha.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I replied. It was true. Like most of the Alphas guard, including his Beta, Brent, and myself, we have all known one another since childhood. That’s part of the reason we all live so well together within the confides of the castle, even though it’s massive enough to give everyone their own wing if they wanted it.

We are a brotherhood, all loyal to Desmond. For Brent and I, we vowed more than the others to create a stronger bond with our Alpha in order to protect him and our lands from danger. A small vial of his blood runs through our veins as part of a pact, a unison that ties us closer. Pact or not, we have been best friends our entire lives.

“Yes, Desmond.”

A responding chuckle sounded before the line went dead. Now time to deal with our little pest.

**********

Alpha Desmond

Still laughing, I hung up the phone and stared out the window of the hotel suite we were stuck at for the night. My mind went over all that Cam had said. How did a girl get past the fence? They’re over fifteen feet high and made of stone. There’s no way she could have climbed or jumped them, even if she had shifted. There has to be a weak link somewhere.

Luckily, Cam and some of my best guards are back home to keep an eye on the issue until my return tomorrow. If the girl proved to be a hunter, I would deal with her myself. I smiled at the thought.

“Hey, Des, you ready?” Brent mind linked from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, let’s get this over with.”

The meeting seemed to drag on forever and I returned to my room feeling drained but accomplished. My phone had been quiet all night, which was a good sign that things back home were well. Shedding off my jacket, I made my way to the bar that sat against the window. I poured himself a double and landed in the leather chair next to the table.

My curiosity went to the girl as I swirled the brown liquid in its glass. I couldn’t help but wonder where she could have come from. How did she get onto my land undetected?

I shook my head as my mind continued to implode on itself. Sleep was what I needed. I could deal with the rest when I got back tomorrow. I finished the glass and went for one more, downing it before it had time to settle.