My Rival Alpha Mates

Chapter Six : Dante's Secret

Chapter Six

Lyra - POV

A few seconds of silence. He says, "You know Isabel Beckett."

I heard her name back in college. I recall being a cheer captain then. A popular girl on campus. Too much gossip surrounded her; I don't even remember everything.

"I do know her," I answer in a small voice.

"She was my sister." His voice cracks, his hands trembling. "You know what happened to her?"

"No. I don't know," I answer.

Dante looks at me as if I were lying to him. Maybe the news about his sister was something most people already knew. His eyes stay on me for a beat.

"What a nerd. You have no clue about popular girl Isabel on campus." His left eye is half-lidded, a one-sided smirk pulling at his face. It makes me feel smaller.

"Campus popularity never interested me more than books did."

His mouth goes still. His eyebrow lifts a fraction before he pulls it back, settling his expression, but his eyes find mine with venomous hate.

"Isabel was killed." He drops the words after a beat of silence.

"Who killed her?"

His jaw clenches. His lips press together.

"No need to show your fake concern."

"I am not. Who could be so cruel as to kill someone? Wait, could it be the Ferals?"

"No. The Ferals didn't kill my sister," he answers quickly, cutting that off.

"Who did?"

"My sister died at Alpha Caden's hand."

"Why would he do that?" I trail off, shock swallowing the rest of my words.

"I have no answer to that question. I need to know if you are his mate."

"So you can take your revenge by killing me." I manage to voice the fear out loud. His dark onyx eyes glimmer with such danger that my whole body shakes.

"No. I am not a killer." Dante answers without a flicker of feeling, but it does nothing to convince me.

"Why would you want to know if I am--"

"So I can find that asshole's weakness and use it against him. Make him confess to his crime. Prove to everyone he is not the prim and proper Alpha people think he is." Dante's voice carries such darkness that I sense he has far more in store for Caden than a confession.

"I am not his mate. Believe me," I say. "Even if you hurt me thinking it matters to Alpha Caden, it won't." I try to reason with him. He looks back at me with eyes so dark I feel the danger of being alone with him pressing in from every side.

"Then why does he have his men keeping an eye on you?" he mutters.

I can't tell him the truth. I need to give him something, anything, enough to make him drop this hostility he aims at me because of the rumors Alpha Caden spread, rumors designed to keep his men on campus and make sure no one ever reported his sin.

"My father was planning a match," I lie. "Alpha Caden needed his future wife to believe he had no mate, so we dated for a few months. His men followed me on campus to keep up appearances." His eyes move over my face and I pray he takes the bait.

"You kept dating him," he says. Not a question.

"No. We ended things after his graduation."

"You think I am a fool." His hands closed around my throat in an instant, not choking, but enough pressure to make the point. Enough to remind me he can kill me if I lie one more time.

"No, I am not lying," I say.

"Then why, after you broke up, does he still have his men watching you for three years?" he asks.

Damn. I didn't think that part through.

"I think my father must have spoken with Alpha Caden. He may be planning to make me his wife regardless. Honestly, I have no idea why my father agreed to any of this arrangement."

"Then what about that trick you pulled? That mate bond pulls. Who told you to do that" he says.

"I didn't pull a trick. If you don't believe me, so be it. No one told me to do anything."

He scoffs.

"That trick is the reason our hands were forced into marrying you. Because you might be mated to all three of us." He looks at me as if the words sounded ridiculous even to him. Why shouldn't they? It is ridiculous.

"I am telling the truth. I didn't pull any tricks, even if it sounds like garbage to you." I met his gaze and held it. He studies me for a long second. He pulls his hand away from my throat.

His lips pressing together, that hatred dancing in his eyes the way it always does when I look into them.

"Get out of my sight," he hiss.

I get to my feet on weak legs. Beneath the fear, something heavy settles in my chest. No one should carry that. Did Alpha Caden really kill her? A chill moves through me at the thought his secret has lived in my nightmares long enough. I lock the door and face the mirror. My eyes are green again. I touch my throat and wince. The bruising is worse than I expected. I tend to it carefully, hissing at the sting, then pull on a turtleneck against the cold that won't seem to leave my bones.

Dawn is already bleeding through the dark. I head downstairs. I need to eat before going for a job interview with Pack doctor.

I nearly jump out of my skin when I find someone already in the kitchen. My foot catches and I go down hard on the floor.

A woman steps forward, guilt written across her face. Black braided hair, an inch taller than me, brown eyes looking down at where I landed.

"Oh, I am sorry, Luna. I didn't mean to scare you." She extends her hand and helps me off the floor. "I am Laura, by the way."

Right. I had nearly been ready to wake the whole mansion and raise an alarm to Alpha Dante about an intruder.

"It's okay," I say. "I just came down to get some breakfast."

"I already made breakfast for you." She nods toward the counter. Warm scrambled eggs, toast, coffee still steaming. My stomach growls before I can stop it, loud and completely unladylike. I feel my face heat and look away from Laura, who is doing her best to hide a smile.

"Thank you," I murmur, grabbing a plate and carrying it to the dining table. We both take our seats.

"I didn't hear you come in," I say, taking a bite.

"I have a habit of moving quietly and making my presence known only when I choose to." She stops just before the word that I think she actually means. Spying. Working for Alpha Dante, I imagine that skill got plenty of use.

"You're married to Alpha Caden so what is it like--"

"She is not married to Caden alone." Dante's voice cuts across the kitchen. Laura's relaxed posture shifts instantly, her eyes snapping to him, composure pulling tight.

"Alpha Dante. Of course she is married to you and Alpha Landon as well."

"Glad you remember that." He moves to the coffee machine and starts making himself a cup.

Laura turns back to me, her voice dropping into something calm and even. "I heard you are applying for an assistant doctor position with this pack." A redirect. I think she noticed I flinched when Alpha Dante walked past me.

"Yes," I answer.

"In that case, you should meet Alpha Roacher. He has been wanting to meet the Luna of the strongest pack." The weight of that settles over me immediately. What does a Luna say when she never wanted to be one?

"I think that is a good idea," Alpha Dante says, cutting in before Laura can add anything else. The look she gives me says she had been about to tell me there was no pressure. Too late now.

***

I dress to look the part. Turtleneck, formal skirt, warm boots. This place runs colder than my pack and the bruising on my throat is not something anyone needs to see. At the front entrance, I find Alpha Dante already waiting, a warmer fitted over denim jeans, jacket on, boots laced. Laura stays behind at the mansion. I suspect that was his decision. Easier to question me alone in the car.

The ride over is silent. I feel his gaze settle on me more than once, but I keep my eyes on the window. Alpha Roacher meets us at the entrance with his Luna beside him, Mari, if I remember what Laura said correctly. "Welcome to Red Crescent Pack. Alpha Dante, Luna Lyra."

"Thank you for your hospitality in opening your home to us," Alpha Dante says. His tone shifts into something measured and diplomatic that catches me off guard. I didn't expect that from him.

"The pleasure is ours, Alpha Dante." Alpha Roacher smiles. "You and Alpha Caden have done a great deal for our pack." He gestures and we follow him inside.

"No one should suffer at the hands of Ferals," Alpha Dante says. "Please let me know if there is anything more I can do to help with the Feral situation."

"You have already done more than enough, Alpha Dante. Our pack is in your debt."

"Yes, thank you, Alpha Dante," Luna Mari adds.

"have you heard my luna here looks to work as an assistant Red crescent pack doctor," Alpha Dante says, turning slightly.

"You want to apply for the position here?" Luna Mari asks, a note of surprise in her voice.

"Yes," I say.

"Alpha Caden mentioned you were interested in the role," Alpha Roacher says. His expression shifts, something careful moving behind his eyes. "Luna, working as a pack doctor carries real risk."

I feel Alpha Dante's gaze land on me.

"They are serious risks, Lyra," Alpha Dante adds. His voice carries something that sounds almost like concern. "Treating Feral infection patients has cost doctors their lives. I have been trying to make her understand that," he says to Alpha Roacher.

"Please think it through, Luna," Luna Mari leans forward slightly. "I don't want you to get hurt. This territory is neutral ground but

we see more Feral attacks than most packs. We cannot have the Luna caught in that."

"I want to save lives," I say. My voice comes out smaller than I meant it to. The pressure in the room is already wearing me down.

"Luna, your role is far more important in giving the pack an heir than in saving lives," Luna Mari says gently.

The words land like a door closing.

"I want to let her pursue this. I would never stand in the way of her dream." Alpha Dante's tone is soft in a way that makes the back of my neck prickle. "I only need you to understand my concern for your safety is the reason I want you to rethink it." He glances at

Alpha Roacher

"Excuse us a moment," Alpha Roacher says.

The two of them step out together.

I watched the door close behind them. Luna Mari keeps talking about pack life and how meaningful the Luna role is, but I have stopped hearing her. My eyes stay on that closed door. I feel something going on behind the closed doors.

They return less than two minutes later. Alpha Roacher's expression has settled into something I cannot read. The easy openness he had when we arrived is gone.

"I want to be an assistant doctor," I said before anyone else could speak. "I will stay away from any danger."

Alpha Roacher looks at me. Then past me, just briefly, at Alpha Dante.

"I am sorry, Luna." His voice is even and final. "The assistant doctor position has already been filled."