The Alpha and His Mermaid

Chapter Three

Adrian

"WHERE TO ADRIAN?" MY DRIVER, MAX, WONDERED AS HE PULLED away. He looked at me through the rearview mirror. Max has been driving with us for over a decade. I've known him since I've joined the pack. He was a vampire who basically has nowhere to go with no family. He was in his late thirties with light brown hair and light blue eyes that almost looked gray.

"My house, please Max," I told him and he nodded and drove to my house. The drive shouldn't take more than a half hour. I kept my eyes out the tinted window most of the time. I almost forgot what Manhattan looked like. The snow sticking to the ground outside, the real crappy trees, the infinite amount of taxi cabs. Los Angeles was indeed beautiful, but it was all fake. From the people to the environment. Sure the people were friendly, but it was clearly just for show. Everything in LA was green. Just green. There was no other color. I missed New York and all of its features. From its polluted water to its crisp weather. At least the weather actually changed here. It was always hot in Los Angeles, and I hated it.

Ring! Ring! My stupid phone made me snap out of my thoughts. Seriously, what was the point of a phone if I had a mind link?

"Hello?" I picked up the phone not looking at the caller ID. I couldn't care less.

"Hello, Adrian," Blake, my best friend greeted me in a serious manner. Blake may have been my best friend, but he was also the Alpha of our pack: The Moon Stalkers. When he became Alpha, he made me his Beta or right-hand man. We were friends since we met in kindergarten. We had an instant brother connection and I knew we would be great friends until death.

"Alpha," I acknowledged back. This wasn't a checkup type a call, but a business one.

"You're on your way I presume?"

"That's correct, I just had to make a pit stop."

"Oh?" he sounded interested. That was a first. Blake was hardly interested in what we did. Especially when it was personal.

"Yeah, I ran into a girl whose best friends with Andre's wife," I explained briefly. I didn't want to explain to him the encounter we had on the plane. Just in case.

"Wow. Third in command Andre?" I was just surprised as he was when I found out who she knew.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Interesting. Does she know about us?"

"That's a good question. I think she does but I'm not sure."

"So you don't know," he basically summarized.

"Correct again," I laughed and Blake joined in. I noticed Blake had calmed down into a more friendly manner since I last saw him. Of course, I called him over my break, but it was mostly business calls.

"When are you arriving?" he asked after we have calmed down.

"Give me a second." I turned to Max. "Max? How much longer till we arrive?"

"About 15 minutes," he answered immediately, knowing I'm speaking to the Alpha.

"Did you hear that?" I returned back to Blake. I knew it was a rhetorical question to ask because of his enhanced hearing, but I still wanted to make sure.

"Yeah. I'll be there when you arrive. See you later."

"Bye Alpha." I hung up and sat back, and enjoyed another 10 or so minutes in silence.

Finally, we arrived.

"You’re home sir," Max announced. I sighed and looked outside the window. My childhood home was made completely out of stone and dark wood. It was two stories tall and settled on an acre of land. I had a mother, a father and when I left, my mother was pregnant. She was carrying a girl around her eighth month of pregnancy. I missed them all.

"It's good to be home," I muttered to myself getting out the car. Max unlocked the trunk and I removed my suitcase. I thanked him and watched as the limo vanished. I continued staring until I heard voices.

"Adrian! Adrian, you're finally home!" I turned around to see my mom running towards me with her arms out. I dropped my luggage just in time to be strangled by my mother. I put my arms around her back as well and rested my head on top of hers. I've been taller than her since I can remember.

"I missed you, mom," I said as I let go.

"Oh sweetie, I missed you too. And I'm not the only one." As she said that, she turned around so that way her back was facing me.

"Mateo! Adrian's home!" she called into the house. Mateo was my dad and my mom's name was Anna.

I looked around my mom to see my dad. People have always said that I was my father's splitting image since my mom and I looked nothing alike, except for our shared skin color. My dad and I are like twins. I had his eyes, hair, and height. When we walked next to each other people would always stop and ask if we were twins. Ok, maybe not twins since he's in his early 40's and I just turned 21 about a week ago, but brothers, absolutely.

"Adrian!" my mom snapped in my face.

"Huh? I'm sorry mom but what were you saying?"

"Look," she pointed to my dad, whose attention was focused in his arms. I looked down as well and melted when I saw what was in his hands.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered in disbelief. My assumption was right; my mom had my sister. And she was beyond beautiful.

"I know right," my mom agreed, walking over to my dad. She replaced my dad's arms and walked to me.

"Would you like to hold her?" I nodded without hesitation. I cradled my arms and my mom placed her in them. She was in a white blanket, had dark bouncy curls, soft fluffy cheeks, and warm brown eyes. She smiled as I gently stroked her cheek.

"She's so beautiful," I murmured.

"She is," my dad agreed.

"What's her name?" I wondered.

"Mariana," my mom whispered.

"Mariana," I repeated in complete awe. "Her beauty is mesmerizing almost.".

"And if any boy tries to touch her we got you to beat the crap out of them," my dad joked.

"Mateo!" my mom scolded slapping him on his arm, yet he didn't notice. Wolf genes were great to have against an angry mate.

Mate…, my inner wolf thought.

"Yes?" he asked innocently and we all laughed. Even Mariana. She was so adorable. It wasn't until I heard a yell that I was brought back to reality.

"Adrian!" I turned around to see Blake coming towards me with his arms out.

"Blake!" I began moving towards him when I realized that I was still holding Mariana. I gave her back to my parents and turned my attention back to Blake. We did our bro hug, then the secret handshake that we did every time we see each other. It wasn't really a secret since we did it in front of everyone, yet no one could master it like us. You would have to be us in order to do it, that's how complicated it was.

"I'm glad you're home. How was LA?" Blake asked after we're finished.

"Hot," I answered and we laughed. "I'm glad to be back."

"Me too. I see you haven't unpacked yet," he pointed behind me at my suitcase that hasn't moved since I arrived here.

"Well, I just got here."

"Well, let's get you unpacked. We're going out tonight!" he announced carrying my suitcase past my parents, who they nodded to, up the stairs and into my room and I followed him. I knew it was only been a few weeks but it felt like an eternity. I sighed as I climb the little stairs.

My room hadn't changed at all. It was still messy from how I left it: Clothes on the floor, a messy closet, and claw marks on the walls. Blake placed my suitcase down in the middle of the room and jumped onto my queen sized bed.

"Your bed is tiny," he complained as I laid next to him, with my arms behind my head while his arms were resting against his chest.

"No, you're just huge," I laughed and so did Blake. "So, we're going out tonight?" Blake nodded. "You never go out; you make too many pack excuses."

"Well, my best friend is back and this was my way of welcoming him home."

"I've been gone for three weeks," I pointed out sitting up. "You're making it sound like I've been gone for three years without any contact. You checked up on me every day."

"It felt like three years."

"Whatever, so where are we going?"

"A club," he answered vaguely.

"Called? I've been to almost every bar in New York." I have not yet found my mate in any of them.

"Not this one. This one was building while you were gone and was having their grand opening tonight," he explained getting up as well. "Get ready. We have reservations at nine."

"It's only 1:30."

"Oh really? I thought it was so much later than that. See what you being gone has done to me?" he growled out.

"But I'm back now," I pointed out.

"Shut up," he said punching me lightly in my arm and I punched him back. "You want to hang out? We haven't faced off since the New Year's," he reminded me. I shrugged but my wolf agreed inside. I haven't shifted in so long. Not once did I shift the entire time I was in LA. I guess I kind of owed him. But he was a problem. The problem.

"Sure," I agreed. "But no fighting. Just patrolling or running around. I want to have some fun."

"How is patrolling fun?" he wondered laughing.

"I haven't let my wolf take control since I left," I answered looking down ashamed. When I shifted, it was like my wolf has over 100% control and doesn't want me to take over. That was why I didn't shift unless it' was necessary.

Blake didn't know that I didn't shift in Los Angeles. I told him I wanted to attempt to find my mate across the country. He surprisingly allowed it.

"Oh come on. You're coming, you don't have a choice."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, more like forcing you." I knew he was joking, but I knew behind it he was being serious.

"Fine," I gave in. We race down the stairs, informing my parents that we were heading out, who had settled inside playing with Mariana, before shifting into our wolves.

So what's the name of the club? I asked through our mind link. We have been running around on our land for at least an hour.

It's a surprise, Blake responded.

Can you at least tell me who's going?

Fine, he gave in. Just me, you and Andre. I groaned. What now?

If Andre's coming he's bound to bring Emma as- I paused.

What is it? Blake asked only with concern and worry.

If Emma was coming, then so was Sam! I realized. I didn't know why I was hyped to know if Sam was coming or not. She wasn't mine, but it was something about that plane ride that made her special.

Who’s Sam? Blake questioned, obviously reading my thoughts.

That girl I was telling you about, I answered.

Oh, the girl you don't know if she knows we’re shifters or not? he teased.

Shut up, I joked. It was a good thing we were best friends, cause if we weren't and I told him to shut up, I would be dead.

Is she your mate?

No, she's not mine. I'm still looking. Why?

Just checking. We better head back now. Something told me he wasn't ‘just checking’, but I couldn’t let him know that. He would just retaliate. Blake's wolf, Shadow, started heading towards the main house, leaving my wolf, Hunter, alone in the woods.

Sure. Pick me up?

Sure, see you later.

Bye.

There was something in his voice when he said he was "just checking." I couldn't detect it but it was like he was grateful that Sam wasn't my mate.

But why?