The Oddball Alphas

Chapter 2

Jake

My speed is ten mph (miles per hour) above the posted speed sign. It makes my heart race faster than it already was. I could feel the urgency to get to my little sister, pushing me to want to put the pedal to the floor. I would love to roll down the windows for my Lycan, so he can smell the woods that surround this town. There are so many things I would love to do, but I cannot do them. I cannot look like an alpha enraged by his little sister’s disobedience, no matter if I am seething inside. I grit my teeth to try to contain it, hoping for relief to take over my senses.

Emily knew not to go to the mall without protection. She is the daughter of an alpha and a target for political reasons or just vengeance. Then, there are the hunters who are bat s*** crazy. They are not trying to solve the so-called rogue problem. They kill aimlessly and mercilessly, caring very little for the human population. On top of that, my little sister lied to her big brothers, which is the biggest no-no she could have ever done.

Mom better ground her this time, and I don’t care if she is almost eighteen or thirty. I want her punished for risking her life. And if she doesn’t, then I will take charge and train her hard. She wants to go freely to places, then she is going to learn how to fight.

“Calm down, Brother,” Ramsey said from the back. “I think you dropped your speed, because you’re so angry.”

“Emily’s fine, Jake,” Ted stated calmly. "Robbie mind-linked and said..."

“I know what he mind-linked!” I snapped, tightening the grip on the steering wheel. “What if that rogue wants to kill her or worse… It could all be a ploy to lower our guard so that he can enter our pack and destroy us from the inside out.”

“Like a Trojan horse,” Ramsey scoffed, then laughed. “Yeah, like any alpha around would have the balls to do that to us.” He huffed his derision. "They know better."

“It does not mean that Jake’s worry is unfounded,” Ted pointed out with a frown to our younger brother. “Things like that have been done for many years, and it is also what crumbles any government.”

We are triplets that bear the same features, such as our blonde hair that is nearly white, our light blue eyes, and our tanned skin. The difference is Ted’s hair is parted to the side and swept back with gel or something. Ramsey’s is a little long. It is almost to his ears, while mine is shaved down.

We are all muscular from our training. Ted is a little more than lean and Ramsey lean. I am wide. It must be measured to see it, especially when we stand beside each other wearing the same suit. We do that without thinking about it or asking each other, but I am the only one who wears it correctly. It is like now with our light blue suit. I am wearing it with a light blue tie, where Ted has it unbuttoned a little at the neck and Ramsey’s is unbuttoned to show his chest. We all have the Southern drawl, too, except Ted’s drawl is thicker than ours for some reason. I think he spent too much time with great Aunt Millie. He even sits upright, keeping his composure through everything like I do, minus a few details. Ramsey slouches a lot.

Between the three of us, I am the more uptight one, people say.

“We will find out what this… rogue wants since he saved our sister,” Ted said firmly. “Then, we will see if it is reasonable.”

I pulled onto the freeway where I could go faster without drawing attention. I could hear my mind urging me to rush there, but strangely, my Lycan was urging me, too. He usually stays out of it when our sister becomes a problem. He is pacing in my head, and anger is surging from him, too. Occasionally, I hear him mutter that I drive like an old woman. I want to say that he is going to make me shift over this incident. It feels like my bones are ready to snap and reform into my beast, but still, I don’t. It is like he is waiting for something that requires us to take our form.

This is strange, and I want to ask about it. This gut feeling that I needed to get to the mall was eating away at my nerves, making me snappy unlike my brothers. It is like I was drawn to that place, believing that it was my sister’s life that was in jeopardy. It does not ring true, though. I know that the warriors can handle anything thrown their way. They train hard and are merciless, especially when the alpha’s family is in danger.

Are my brothers’ Lycans not misbehaving like mine?

I flicked a glance at them, noticing how calm they looked on the surface. Ted, though, is playing at his wrists. He is pulling down the cuffs of his sleeves for the fifth time. And Ramsey is like a cuckoo clock looking around with his beast flitting in his eyes occasionally. It is like he expects something. I hope they are wrong, especially as I pull onto the exit ramp and right into the mall.

The traffic was medium, which meant I had to go slowly, but when I finally got to the location, I was p***ed. They made a U in their vehicles that shielded whatever was on the other side. That will only draw attention. I was no better as I parked beside two of them. My car is red, too, and will stand out.

Then, I got out of the car and smelled the most intoxicating scent of my life. It hit me like a dump truck, freezing me in place. I could not move for a few seconds while relishing the sweet scent of honeysuckle and banana bread. I nearly drooled while my Lycan was salivating in my head. He wanted to go to that smell, knowing exactly what it was about and who was waiting for us. And I cannot wait to meet the woman that is destined to be ours for the rest of my life.

Ted

My brother is moving his Mustang as slowly as a d***ed snail. I wish he would move faster so we can see if our baby sister is hurt. I know he is angry at her for disobeying, but there is no reason to neglect her safety. And now, there is traffic blocking our way into the mall, which added to my anger.

Do I show anything?

No. If I let one ounce of what I am feeling through our triplet bond, then I know all of us will be shifting. We are not going to lose control because of one incident that has us on edge.

However, I don’t think the reason for my irritation is Emily's near k********g. My Lycan is huffing and stomping like he is driving the car. I want to say that he should be the one behind the wheel, like when we had to escape the police in Oregon that one time. I think if I let him out to drive now, Jake would die of an angry shift. None of us need that, especially not Ramsey, who is currently hiding the fact that he is jiggling his leg behind me. Our eldest brother will have him reddened the next time we train.

“We’re here!” Jake called loudly.

My brother did not need to say that, as Ramsey and I could see the five black SUVs where Jake parks. They were curved around the area where the fight took place. It is the only reason our people park so noticeably in public. The men could be seen lifting something and putting it into the back of one of the SUVs. That is a neon sign that draws in curious onlookers to wonder what is going on and call the police. We need to get it cleaned up and quickly before someone does that.

Then, I got out of the car at the same time as my brothers and took a deep breath. I needed to see what I could scent in the air and if there were more assailants lingering around. I could only smell one thing, though- honeysuckle and pumpkin bread. It was the most intoxicating smell that has hit my nose in... ever! My beast was salivating over it before going bonkers in my head. He wanted to find the source as much as I did. Our hearts are beating heavily with the yearning building in my veins. It urged me forward with my eyes turning red. My beast was trying to get control of me, but I had to look at my brothers to see if they smelled it, too.

Mate is here!

Jake’s mind-link sent me over the edge. The mere announcement of it made it too real for me to control myself. My mind went fuzzy. I did not recognize it was telling me something important. I could not think of anything else other than she was here. We have finally found the woman that was meant to be ours. I could not feel happier than I do now about meeting her - our mate.

I rushed forward along with Ramsey, who slid over the hood of one of the SUVs. He fell off and rolled before managing to come to a stand. He dusted himself off as Jake rushed forward, too, elbowing me in the side to be the first to see and claim our mate. A growl slipped out of me from my Lycan, who wanted to be first this time. Our brother was delivered first, so I could meet our mate first instead of him. He always gets the good things first.

She is going to have the shock of her life seeing that she has three mates who will love her, care for her, and protect her. She will want nothing while going around our pack helping every member as their Luna. This woman, made for us by the goddess, will have our hearts and be like the North Star and guide us right. She will be the one that makes things better when we screw up or have a hard task to accomplish. The meals she will make and the smiles that she will give when we make her happy are nearly in reach.

However, the sight that greeted us was not one we expected when finding our mate. Emily was applying pressure to a wound of a young woman with ginger-colored, wavy hair. It curved around her face, highlighting it. She was very pale, almost white. Her eyes were closed to the blazing sun. Her dark pink lips were parted and dry like she needed water from her fiery fall from the sky. She looked like an angel- a dead angel - which broke my heart.

“We need to get her to a hospital, Robbie,” Emily shouted, hysterically. “She is not dead!”

I did not want to believe that the one destined for us was lying on the filthy ground dead. I recognize everyone’s scent here except hers. The gammas’ scents, the hunters’ scents, and even my sister’s scent… I smelled them all before, which makes it hard for me to have a slither of hope.

This is too cruel. We have waited for a long time to have the woman that was meant to be ours. And now… Our mate is dead, and I feel the pain stabbing me in the heart, as do my brothers. I can tell they feel just as hurt over her death as I do.

Why give us a mate only to take her away?

Our Lycans took over, roaring out, “Mate!”

Ramsey

My brothers and I were only standing there for a few seconds, maybe thirty, before we went to our mate’s side. We knelt at the same time. Jake and Ted grabbed her hands and felt the sparks and tingles flowing through them. I could feel it through the triplet bond while I was at her head looking down, refusing to touch her. I could not. If I do, I know I will lose everything - love, my great life ahead, and my sanity. One touch and I know that I will go crazy with the need for my mate’s warmth. I need her to tell me that she is alive.

Sadness coated our eyes and thumped our hearts heavily. I had been sure that the melon and honeysuckle smell was coming from her. And when I got close, I smelled it. She is our mate and dead.

The hope that I had of finding her is no longer there. It is gone with this fiery fox lying on the ground bleeding out the wolfsbane in her body. We were too late getting to her. I was too late to save her, and no one here had attempted to do so.

It breaks my heart that she is dead, and now, nothing matters. The sky does not even seem bright like it used to. I cannot see anything good around me. My soul feels like it is withering inside me, becoming hollow.

I look at this woman who is paler than the moon and whose lips are dark pink like a rose in bloom wishing for a kiss. They would never truly feel mine on hers, even if I were to try. I could have been her knight in shining armor, but no. I was too late because my brother drives like an old woman.

I do not care. I do not care that the pack is giving us disrespect right now. My mind has drifted to darker places where misery dwells. And it is all over the pale woman lying on the ground.

A few gammas recognized us from the pack bond and gave us respect. Mostly, they were focused on cleaning up, or Emily’s and Robbie’s arguments. And now, they gawk at us in shock over our proclamation, even Emily, who was pulled away from our mate. Her tears dribbling down her face halted while looking at us. The silence echoed, while in the distance, cars sounded on the freeway. No one knew that we had our hearts breaking into pieces.

“Brothers!” Emily cried with her breath heaving in her chest. “Please listen to me. She’s alive. We need to get her to our hospital.”

“Alphas,” a brunette-haired man called from behind Jake with his head bowed. His hazel eyes look closer to orange than brown, especially with the sadness coating them. “I’m sorry. If I had known…”

“Shut up!” Emily screeched at him. "She's alive!" Her eyes implored us to listen to her, but we were not listening to anyone. "We need to get her to the hospital. Brothers, she saved my life. Please, listen to me."

Just then, my fiery fox took an audible breath that drew our attention and hope to flood my heart. It pounded in my chest with what I knew I had to do. I needed to save my mate no matter the cost and I looked at Jake and Ted, who looked back at me with the same look. We have a mate that needs healing, and, be d***ed the consequences, we will get her back to the living.

“Gammas, get this mess cleaned up,” Jake snapped his orders quickly. “Ted, carry our mate to the car. Emily, follow him. And Ramsey,” he pulled out the keys from his pocket as he stood up. He put them in my hand, giving me a stern look, showing how much he meant what he was about to say. “This is the one time that I am going to tell you to get us home quickly, no matter what you must do. This is for our mate…”

“I am putting my foot down on the gas and not letting up,” I said eagerly as I moved for Ted to carry her to the car.

Jake must be losing his mind. No one allows me to drive their cars as I have done a lot of crazy stunts in mine. They all know that I love speed. Even my Lycan is fast, and I help push him to be the fastest of all our kind. That was my goal, and I intend to hold the record. Now, I get a chance to prove to my mate that I can be her knight in shining armor and get her to the pack house and doctors. I can make sure that she gets healed.