A sirene mate for the Alpha

Crashing in Texas

*Hadley*

“When are we going to be there?” I look out the window of the bus, but there isn’t much to see. We are in the middle of nowhere, somewhere outside Austin, Texas, and it’s as dark as the pits of hell outside.

There had been a big accident on the freeway, and after being stuck for hours, our driver suggested taking the back roads around the traffic jam to get us there.

“Patience, sweetie,” my manager and personal demon, Calix, says with a sleazy grin. “We will be at the hotel soon enough.”

Suddenly, I have no real desire to get there, nor to have to deal with what his eyes tell me will happen when we get there. A chill runs down my spine.

You would think being the most famous pop star in the world would be great, right? Nope, it sucks… not just a little but big time, at least mostly.

We're on our way to Austin to shoot my new music video, which means another week or two of being cooped up in a hotel when I'm not on set, surrounded by security because, let's face it, I can't go anywhere in peace these days.

Suddenly, there's a loud bang, and the bus lurches hard to the side. The next moment, I'm thrown to the floor, showered in glass from a broken window.

I get to my feet, staggering slightly, and call out, "Is everyone okay?"

Mumbles and confirmations come from around me, then Calix's annoyed voice cuts through: "What the hell happened?"

"Sorry, Mr. Davis," the driver says. "I think the tire blew out... I suddenly lost control... I think we hit the ditch."

"It's okay, Mario. it wasn't your fault, and luckily, everyone is okay," I say, smiling at him. He is a nice man and normally a very reliable driver.

Calix comes stumbling through the debris. "Okay, everyone, outside... Let's have a look at things."

We get outside… Calix, Mario, my three dancers, and I. Everyone looks okay, aside from small cuts and bruises, for which I am grateful.

The bus is, as Mario predicted, stuck in a ditch, and the right front wheel is in tatters; it undoubtedly exploded. I am grateful it didn’t happen at full speed on the freeway; I'm quite sure we wouldn't have gotten away with just scratches then.

"What do we do?" Calix looks at Mario as if he expects him to single-handedly pull the bus out or something.

*Zayan*

“What the f**k was that?” Our tranquility is interrupted by a sound like a small explosion up on the road about a mile away.

We are sitting around one of the fire pits in the backyard, and our enhanced senses make it no problem to hear the sound from this distance, especially at night with only the flickering flames to obscure it.

Thiago turns his head toward the sound… right then, a new noise emerges. “Sounds like something crashing, an accident maybe.”

“I think we'd better go check it out,” JZ says, standing up and stretching as if expecting to see something. “Someone could be in trouble.”

I nod in agreement. “Yeah, you're right, let’s take the pickup.”

We hurry out to the car, my dog Blue at my heels. I let him come along, sitting in my lap as Thiago takes the wheel. It would have been faster to change into our wolf forms, but then we'd arrive naked, which tends to raise a lot of questions, also someone Could be hurt and need transport.

“It’s a bus,” JZ comments as we draw closer. “Looks like... a tour bus or something... it’s in the ditch.”

“Thanks, JZ, we do have eyes, though,” Thiago mumbles. “Holy… does that say Hadley King? Like in that doll-like girl who won 'The Star'?”

I look closer at the large picture on the side of the bus. He's right, she does look almost like an anime character, not really my style, but I remember her from the show, the few programs I saw and she has an amazing voice when the producers don’t mess it up. “Yep, probably part of her crew.”

We park on the other side of the road, and a middle-aged man approaches. “Sorry for the commotion. I'm Mario, it seems we've had a small accident here.”

“Is everyone okay?” I ask, and when he nods, I extend my hand. “I'm Zayan and this is Thiago and JZ. We live just down there, the only house nearby. Do you need a hand with anything?”

“Well, I guess we need to arrange some transport and help to get the bus out; maybe you know who to call...” he says, looking a bit uncertain.

Suddenly, a sleek-looking man in expensive slacks and a dirty polo shirt steps forward. “Wait, I know you, you're Zayan Walker.”

“Um, yes, I am... and you are?” I don't much like him; he has an unpleasant aura and a smell that makes my nose itch, but I remind myself not to judge him without giving him a chance. Maybe he's shaken by the accident.

“Calix Davis,” he says, as if expecting me to be impressed, and shakes my hand. “The girls can't stay here; it’s dark and cold. We need to take them to your house to wait for transportation.”

I dislike his demanding tone but wouldn't leave anyone stranded, especially not girls. “Sure, we can walk back to my house, it's less than a mile. Thiago, could you help Mario get their things on the pickup and drive it back?”

“Sure, Z, no problem,” Thiago replies with a nod, then goes to discuss logistics with Mario.

“If you get the girls, and JZ and I will show you the way to the house,” I say to Calix.

He looks as if he's smelled something bad. “Um... just take the others. I’ll stay and help load the car. Girls, come out now!” he yells toward the bus.

Four people scramble out: three young blonde women who could be triplets, dressed similarly in boots, tight skinny jeans, and puffy jackets of different colors, and a kid in a cap and hoodie, his hands buried in his pockets.

“Hi, I'm Zayan, and this is JZ. We're going to take you down to the house. You can stay warm and have something to drink, but it's about a fifteen-minute walk... okay?”

The triplets, looking slightly discouraged, line up to shake my hand, introducing themselves as Laila, Sindy with an S, and Barb… all appearing to be in their early twenties, pretty, but honestly nothing special.

The young guy comes over, hesitantly extending his hand. It's small, even for a kid; he may be younger than he appears. It's hard to tell since he keeps his face down and his voice is barely above a whisper. “Lee.”

“Hi, Lee, nice to meet you,”