Alliance of Shadows: NEIL

Clara's Intervention

A few months after she moved in, I finally let myself get a little closer to her. Clara and Dad left for work, and I thought I was alone in the house. Ladies and Gentle-beasts, the keyword in that sentence is “thought”.

Duh, I know it’s a mansion, but to me it was home. it was MY house. Not Clara’s and definitely not some… little… uh… I’m off track again! What the hell was that girl doing to me? I was losing my ever-loving mind trying to figure out everything without actually approaching and talking to her. Yeah, I know, asshole move, but I didn’t want some clingy little brat hanging off of me.

No sooner had I secure my place in the supposedly empty kitchen to eat my bagel and drink my coffee did I realized I wasn’t alone. As I lifted my gaze to check the time, I locked onto a set of… um… wow. Those are some gorgeous blue eyes.

The bottle of water in her hand slipped, falling to the countertop with a dull thud as she fumbled with the cover. The mix of emotions that flickered in her eyes, ranging from fear and uncertainty to recognition and dread, told me that she had thought she was alone in the manor, too.

I felt like she was hiding something from everyone around her. The truth was hidden just behind the oh-so-obvious façade she put up for the benefit of her oblivious Aunt and my equally oblivious father. I decided right then and there that she would be mine no matter what. It helped that she was – drumroll, please – my Mate.

Shit, s**t, s**t… the one person I’d been actively trying to avoid was the one I’d been hoping for years to find. Goddess, that…

I inhaled deeply, letting her scent fill me as I finally understood where the Hyacinthe and sugar cookie smell was coming from. It was her.

The sense of there being more to her was clearer once I finally got past the stark realization that neither my father nor Clara had mentioned to either of us that they were going out. Neither of them mentioned that we would be alone for the day, either. She’d been the source of the scent from the very beginning.

Yet, instead of being an adult about it and talking things over, I chose to, again, actively avoid her. She wouldn’t be harmed. I would make sure to dispatch any threats to her safety, but I would approach with a heck of a lot more caution next time we were alone together.

“I… Hi,” she finally said.

You’ve probably already guessed where that led.

“Okay, and?” I replied.

Her smile faltered, and I could feel my wolf beating the inside of my skull with his. He thought I was being stupid, but there was something he forgot. Dad had effectively silenced me using his Alpha command.

“Look, I’m busy, okay? I don’t have time to take you out doing things, so just go back to your room or something.” I said.

She huffed, her nostrils flaring angrily as she threw the bottle in her hand at my head. Too stunned to react, it hit me square in the forehead. She was seething, her words filled with unrequited pissed-offness. “i***t! I don’t want anything from you, you pompous windbag! Go play in traffic, for all I care.”

Suddenly, as if she realized what she’d just done a little too late, she paled. It got to the point I thought she was going to pass out or something. Taken aback by the unexpected burst of anger then the scent of her terror filling the air, I managed to asked, “A… Are you okay?”

“I… I’m sorry,” she breathed out before running out of the room.

That was… strange? No that wasn’t the word I was looking for. Geesh, where’s my walking Druid dictionary when I needed him? Oh, right, he was cuddled up with the Mate he was hiding from everyone else. Problem with Dre was that he was smart, a nice guy, great friend, but he couldn’t hit a social cue with the broad end of a Cricket bat.

Both Colton and I knew he was probably boinking the guy he was with, but we didn’t care. It was the will of the Gods, and nothing could come between them. He held the same respect for us, so we just allowed the secret to remain where it fell within the group. He would tell on himself when the time came anyway.

If not, I’d sure as f**k be doing it for him. Yup. Full-on embarrassing scenario and all. Just because he was my friend and my father’s Godson didn’t mean I wasn’t game to drive him bat-s**t crazy sometimes. Asking Dreson’s brother would not end well for me either. Kaden would laugh and point me in his brother’s direction. Little jackass.

When Dad did get home, I blocked him. Again, he hit me with his Alpha command, bringing me to my knees when I wanted to keep standing tall. The power of his command was overwhelming, crushing my will to resist. My body obeyed, but my mind screamed in defiance. The weight of his authority pressed down on me, a constant reminder of the expectations and responsibilities I could never escape.

Dad's eyes bore into mine, cold and unyielding when he finally found me. I could tell he was pissed. The little priss probably tattled on me.

"You need to learn your place, Neil. I am the Grand Alpha, the King of all Canadian packs. While you have the brain, you obviously don’t use that little thing call common good manners. Alia told me what you said to that poor child. You could have handled the encounter better than that. ‘Tis time to grow up and handle your duties properly," he said, his voice a mix of frustration and disappointment.

There was a lengthy pause. I was fighting to break the hold he had over me, but even my wolf was exhausted from the effort. I struggled to speak, the weight of the command leaving me as weak as a newborn pup. When I did speak, my voice was barely above a whisper. "I know my duty, but I won't be a puppet at the beck and call of every little snot with a sob story."

His expression softened for a moment, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. "Ya stupid boy! Being an Alpha is about more than just power, it’s how you wield it! It's about protecting those you care about, even if it means making yourself uncomfortable. Our needs are secondary to those of our people, brat!"

“I’m not you!” I finally snapped, watching him weaken for just a moment.

“Aye, you’re not me. I knew my path when I was your age, and you remain lost in the past. Trapped by memories nothing will erase. Ya need to learn to live with it, Neil. That pain is part of you, whether you like it or not. You may not walk my steps. You may not even be a paper-pusher Alpha, but you are my son, my heir, and you will damn sure act the part before I show you the real reason my father, Christopher Dane, handed me the throne after only one match.” Dad’s quiet anger was ten times more deadly.

Why?

Simply because the calmer an Alpha was, the more lethal they were. He was bordering on beating me to death, let alone submission.

He took a measured step toward me, stopped, then looked over his shoulder. “What is it, Love?”

I felt the push, and, deciding I didn’t want another headache that day, opened my end of the family link. Why couldn’t she have done this when the brat was on her way?

“Alia didn’t recount the whole story, Henry.” Clara’s voice rang out, bouncing off the trees hiding us from the view of the mansion. Yet, it wasn’t physically her voice, but the echo over the mind-link. “Izaria overheard her telling another she got Neil in trouble again. Her… insight has revealed she also gave attitude, but then was startled by the unexpected burst of courage and ran from him.”

She… she defended me? And Clara was speaking on my behalf? I really, really, really hoped no one I knew had a camera in that moment. Suddenly, she cut the link and stepped from the shadows to face us.

“Are ye sure, Clara?” Dad asked, his tone taking on a humoured edge.

“Yes, Henry. Ask him what she told him to do,” she encouraged.

Before he had a chance to say anything, I spoke. “She told me to go play in traffic.”

He. Lost. It.

Like, full belly laughter that had him wiping tears from his eyes. Eyes I inherited, just like my build, hair, and my Alpha power. From my mother, the ability to hold my own in verbal combat. Regaining what sense he had left after that, he stood straight. “Well, I guess your hide got saved from a spar match with me. Keep what I said in mind, Neil. Nothing lasts forever. Lives are short, and death is a constant no matter what species you hail from.”

As he walked away, Clara smiled knowingly at me. Her hazel eyes seeing something I didn’t. “Neil, I was a bit upset when I heard what happened, but your father and I share in the blame. We left so fast this morning we forgot to warn you both that you would be alone most of the day. Thank you.”

“What for?” I was stunned to say the least.

“For not escalating it, Neil. Like I mentioned before, she’s fragile right now. Sooner or later, we will slowly introduce her to the world of supernatural people. Right now, I need her to heal mentally and physically from the wounds she’s accumulated over the years. She really isn’t what you think, Neil. Please, stay cautious. I know your father wants you hands-on, but I need you to just stay in the shadows for a while longer.” She said.