Alliance of Shadows, Book 3: HUNTER

The Depth of Chosen Family Bonds

Another shiver went through me, and I glanced up to see Maria watching me from across the room. Her stare was unwavering—intense, sharp, full of something I couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t just casual observation; it was calculated, as if she were analyzing every move I made.

A sudden tug on my arm pulled my attention downward, and I found myself looking at the little boy Logan had brought with him. He barely reached my waist, his wide, curious eyes locking onto mine with an openness that only children possessed.

Frowning, I mentally sifted through my recent interactions, searching for anything that might have triggered Maria’s scrutiny. Had I done something to make her wary? My gaze returned to the boy, and the realization of his parentage struck me—he was a carbon copy of his father, the Grand Alpha.

Then, it clicked. Maria’s protective glare wasn’t misplaced—it was deliberate. She wasn’t just watching me; she was guarding him. She thought I might be a threat.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax, even as a dull weight settled in my chest. Did she really believe I would harm a child? Was that how she saw me? Or maybe… she wasn’t just relying on perception.

Maybe she was relying on history.

Smirking, I dropped to his level. "Hey, kiddo, what's up?"

"Logan said to ask if I got hungry, so I am," he said bluntly, his directness catching me off guard for a moment.

The heat of Maria’s gaze intensified, but it only made my grin widen. Her worry was for nothing.

"Would you like to go see what’s in the kitchen, Lorne?" I asked, keeping my tone light.

He stared at me, his dark brown eyes filled with a mixture of wonder and quiet understanding, as if he were measuring my response carefully. "Logan talks about me, huh?"

"Yes, all the time," I laughed, shaking my head slightly. "Well then, let’s go find you something to snack on, shall we?"

Gleefully grabbing my hand, he let me lead him out of the entertainment room and down the hall, his small fingers wrapping around mine with unwavering trust. Logan really did talk about his family all the time—so much that, at times, I thought he was exaggerating. However, after speaking to Beta Colton, I learned he intentionally kept things bluntly truthful as a way to show his little brother that honesty was, in fact, the best policy.

Lorne's stomach growled slightly. He frowned as he looked up at me. “Do you have any sweets?”

“I would rather feed you something more solid than sugar, little one."

He scowled at me, his expression a mix of frustration and determination, and I nearly laughed.

Logan had warned me about Lorne’s love for sweets. He also made it clear that I could not give in to him—or Luna Clara would have my head. Since meeting her, I knew without a doubt that she was one woman who could turn me inside out without a second thought.

Thinking about the Breakwaters, I suddenly recalled the girl from my past—the Mate I lost before I even knew what she was to me. Her presence lingered in my mind like a whisper, just out of reach, an echo of something I had never fully understood. The questions that haunted me held no real answers, lost not just to time, but to the shadows of a past I couldn’t bring myself to forget.

A past that began the moment I first witnessed Father’s destructive behaviors for myself.

The memory pressed against the edges of my mind, unrelenting. I could still see it—the way his fury shaped the world around him, turning warmth into fear, trust into uncertainty. I had been too young to grasp the full impact of his actions, too naïve to understand the depth of the loss I had suffered.

Getting to the large kitchen, I propped Lorne up onto the counter and rummaged through the cabinets. He watched me with a frown, his small legs swinging slightly as I pulled out ingredients and placed them on the island space. His expression remained skeptical until I had gathered everything I needed to make a meal.

Looking over at him, I grinned. “Want to help me?”

Despite the small flash of fear in his eyes at seeing my fangs, he nodded eagerly. “Yeah! Mom lets me help in the kitchen at the house too. She says Izzy is the best cook in the family, though, and so do my big brothers. Logan had to promise Mom he would bring me back in one piece, and that's the only reason I was allowed to come. Selene was scared, though. I'm not. I'm a big boy, and big boys are brave.”

Laughing at his sudden burst of thoughts, I turned on the stove and started melting butter in a saucepan. As the heat worked its way through the pan, I stirred some cornstarch into the melted butter before adding shredded Monterey Jack cheese and diced jalapeno pepper. The sharp, smoky aroma of the peppers blended with the creamy cheese, filling the space with an enticing warmth.

I glanced at Lorne as he watched me, his focus locked on the bubbling mixture with an intensity I hadn’t expected.

He eyed it like he understood exactly what I was doing. “Is that spicy cheese sauce?”

“It’s for the quesadillas I'm planning to make,” I answered. "Do you like spicy food?"

“That’s awesome. Yeah, I like spicy, but my tummy doesn’t. Mom made Old El Paso quesadillas a few months ago. Logan says the best ones are from scratch like the ones his Madre used to make,” Lorne replied as he handed me the flour, his small hands gripping the bag with careful determination.

It made me grateful to know that the family who took in my orphaned cousin never allowed him to forget his roots.

Feeling the weight of someone’s gaze, I turned toward the door where Logan stood with Maria. He leaned casually against the frame, arms crossed, his sharp eyes surveying the room with familiar calculation. Maria, beside him, remained effortlessly poised, a knowing glint in her gaze that hinted at something just short of amusement.

"Good evening, cousin."

"Forgot to let you know that my Gamma is a woman. No issues, right?" Logan asked, his voice light, but measured, like he was testing the waters before assuming anything.

Laughing, I shook my head. "Logan, my favorite Lieutenant is a woman. You know I have zero issues with a woman being in power. One as beautiful as your Gamma there must be strong to put up with the rest of you, however."

Logan gawked, clearly caught off guard, his confident stance faltering. He blinked, mouth opening slightly as if grasping for a response that refused to come.

Lorne immediately burst into laughter, the sudden sound breaking the moment. Logan snapped his attention toward him, fixing him with a glare that should have been intimidating—but Lorne only laughed harder. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked up at his brother, completely unfazed.

"You're not as scary as Mom, Logan."

Maria snickered, arms folded as she tilted her head just slightly, her expression sharp with amusement. "Looks like you're not the most frightening thing he knows, after all, Boy Genius."

Her words carried more bite than casual teasing—a deliberate jab, well-aimed and effortlessly delivered. Logan stiffened for half a second, jaw tightening before he exhaled, the faintest flicker of a smirk betraying his irritation. I wondered why for a moment before Lorne suddenly made a comment that put it all in perspective for me.

“She says that 'cause big brother is in all advanced classes at school. He’s smarter than other people his age. At least, that’s what Momma says,” the eight-year-old explained, his voice full of unquestioning certainty.

“Oh?” I asked, curious to know more about my cousin’s academic escapades.

Logan looked ready to vanish into the surrounding shadows as his cheeks burned red. “I don’t like to talk about my Intelligence Quotient, but yes. I’m in all advanced classes in school. My friends are all in Academic, however. It’s why they look to me for tutoring and why I secured a job tutoring at Alliance Academy.”

I blinked, the realization settling in—he truly was the spitting image of our Abuelo, not just in stature and presence, but in intellect, strength, and the sheer force of will that echoed in everything he did and said.

“An enigma is what you are, Logan. Your mother knew you were meant for great things, as did our grandfather. Yet, do remember that you’re still a child in many ways, and there is still much to learn about the world.”

“Always,” he murmured, his voice quiet but firm, the word carrying an unspoken weight—heartbreak, determination, and something else lingering beneath the surface, something neither of us said aloud.

Maria scoffed, “Ease up on the soul-deep prophetic talk, Playboy.”

Just hearing her speak did things to me I wasn't sure I liked just yet. The smooth confidence in her voice curled around me like smoke, impossible to ignore. I had to bite down hard on my cheek to keep from moaning as her intoxicating scent filled my head, sharp and dangerously sweet all at once.

Noticing my control slipping, even if only slightly, Logan opened his mouth to say something. He never had the chance.

Another scream from Stanley shattered the moment, dragging all of our attention toward the other door that led to the kitchen.