Her Forbidden Alpha Mates

Chapter Three--Five Against One

* * * Daxiel * * *

When we saw her it was as if something possessed us. It was tunnel vision; there was only Kira. She was beautiful, magnificent, really. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her eyes--so blue and dazzling--were wide; we caught her off guard. The feeling was mutual, but the primal instinct took over and we rushed her. Before she could even respond she was pinned to the wall. My nose was buried in her neck as I savored the sweet Earth scent of her emanating from her pulse. I could breath it in forever. I wanted her right then and there.

I was only vaguely aware of my brothers there, too, but all I saw was Kira. She consumed me. I wanted her, needed her, had to have her.

"Get the f**ck off of me!" She screamed.

It broke the spell. Her hands were balled into fists that swung wildly and struck Max and then me in the face. It didn't hurt anything but my pride. The same seemed true for Max.

She stood against the wall breathing heavily and clutching her chest.

Max rubbed the side of his jaw and gave a smirk. I was still trying to slow my own breath.

Arex, my wolf, would not stop. Mate, mate, mate!

I know, I told him, but in case you haven't noticed, she isn't there yet.

She will be, he said, her wolf will arrive tonight. She'll shift for the first time and the bond will become known to her. She needs space right now.

"I'll never be your mate. I don't know how long you think you can keep this little charade going, but my father will be looking for me. I would be shocked if he wasn't already on his way here."

"Actually," Father interjected. He appeared around the corner with that damn smirk on his face--the one I knew all too well, "your father and I have spoken as of ten minutes ago. He'll be sending his Beta shortly with the remainder of your things. I'm sure a talk with Alazar will clear this up for you."

Kira seemed thrown off her balance for a moment. The fiery anger with which she'd used to wield her aggression fizzled at the mention of Beta Alazar coming. What could that mean? She trusted him enough to take it at face value?

She seemed to be looking around the room wildly, searching for one object after another.

I think she's trying to relieve a panic attack, Max told us over mind-link. I hadn't paid much attention to Jaxon. He leaned against the gleaming silver counter of the island with his arms crossed and a pained expression on his face.

Are you okay, Jax? I asked.

He glanced over at me but only gave the slightest shake of his head. No other response came.

"I need to be alone," Kira said quietly. Her hands dropped from her chest and dangled limply by her sides. She seemed so small in that moment. It hadn't occurred to me just how petite she was. We had rushed her with no thought of how it might affect her--how trapped it might make her feel.

"Kira, I'm sorry," Max said softly. He took a step forward, but Jaxon's hand struck out and held him in place.

"I think that's enough for right now. We haven't made a great impression," He said with darkened eyes.

Kira gave him the first kind look I'd seen--relief and...gratitude? Yes, I believed it to be gratitude.

"We'll give you all the time you need. Your first shift...it's tonight, isn't it?" I asked.

Kira's head snapped up and her eyes met mine; they were wide with fear.

"How did you know that?" She hissed.

Father laughed. He stood at the entryway in his classic pose: hands clasped behind his back as he stood straight, tall, imposing.

"You think this exchange occurred without information? Of course we know that you shift tonight. Happy eighteenth birthday, Kira. Once your wolf arrives, the bond will be known to you, as well. Perhaps you won't judge my sons too harshly for their lack of control once that occurs."

I could smell the fear wafting off of her. She was terrified. Her eyes shifted around the room; she was an animal--trapped--waiting to escape. I could only imagine how she must feel in a room of unfamiliar wolves with no wolf of her own. She was alone, cut off from her family, and expected to take up this mantle with no information. Stop worrying so much, said Arex, she will be ours soon enough.

I don't know how much longer I can take being in this room with her, Max said to us.

Get your s**t together. You'll deal with it as long as we have to. We may never get her to love us. That's a harsh reality that you must face, Jaxon said.

Arex seems certain that she'll be unable to relist the bond, I said.

Kira took a deep breath and, without warning, ran past Bex and Father to the stairs.

* * * Kira * * *

The panic was coming and going in waves. I rushed up the winding staircase as I tried to remember the exact room I had been in. There was no point in trying to escape; that much I knew. I had no wolf, and I was in unfamiliar pack lands. Though, being truthful, I knew the layout of their packlands as well as I knew my own. Years of studying had seen to that. Regardless, it was completely foolish to attempt an escape. Alpha Xavier was no incompetent alpha; he'd have found me in no time.

Besides, I had to wait for Beta Alazar. He could explain this. I knew he would tell me the truth. Surely, this was some misunderstanding. I still couldn't believe that my father would allow this to happen. We'd spoken of revenge for years. I was brought up on the yearning for it--the certainty that we would reclaim our title and see to the end of Cold Moon.

My chest was still tight when I reached the floor of my quarters. Being away from them provided some relief, even if only a little.

Those were my mates. They were completely barbaric. They'd thrown themselves on me even with their aunt standing right there. What would they have done had I not surprised them with violence? Taken me right there? I felt violated by their touch, as if I had betrayed my own pack. One of them had buried his nose in my neck as if he had planned to mark me right then and there. I didn't even know those men.

I found my room after trying several locked doors. I slammed the door behind me and twisted the bolt. I wasn't sure how effective that would be in keeping anyone out, but I had to at least try. A small sliver of dim light peeked out from beneath the black out curtains across the room. Night was falling, and that meant that I had to prepare myself for my first shift. I had always thought I would be home when it happened; my father would be there to give me wisdom beforehand. But, instead, I was in enemy territory and facing it alone.

"You can do this," I said out loud, "You're an alpha's daughter and a future alpha yourself. You don't need to be coddled. You'll get through this. Once you have your wolf, things will be different. They went after you while you were weak. They will regret it." Despite the confidence I wanted to give myself, I realized I was whispering.