Alpha Bound

by Holly Hook

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Alpha Bound (The Alpha Legacy #4)

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  There's More!

  The Dragon Born Trilogy

  The Abnormals Underground Series

  The Alpha Legacy

  Book 4

  By Holly Hook

  Alpha Bound

  The Alpha Legacy #4

  By Holly Hook

  Copyright Holly Hook 2018

  Chapter One

  “Where is he?” My heart thuds as I search the clearing for any sign of Cayden. Only a few birds chirp in the surrounding trees. My gaze only lands on old snow that's lost all its sparkle, leaving crusty ice molded by old footprints, both human and wolf.

  “This clearing might remind him too much of Wyatt and our parents,” Remo says in a low voice. He shuffles and stuffs his hands into his pockets. “He still feels bad and he can't take it.”

  “Or he might be nervous,” Aunt May says. The false fur around her hood blows in the wind, tickling her vibrant blue eyes.

  The mid-January chill hangs in the air. Today it's cloudy, and even though those days are a little warmer in the winter for some strange reason, today's an exception. The cold bites my fingers whenever I poke them from my coat sleeves. I'm tempted to shift early so I can have the protection of fur, but I want to talk to Cayden when he gets here.

  “This is on the opposite side of our territory from where we lost them,” I say. “It's why I chose this spot. I should have known he'd try to duck out of my challenge.”

  The entire pack is here except for the most important member: our current alpha, Cayden. I sniff, but I can't detect him in the air, though his scent lingers on the tree trunks from where he marked his presence hours ago. The fresher wolf prints must be his. Cayden must have come here earlier, debating on whether to accept my challenge for alpha.

  It's a challenge I delivered this morning, because I'm tired of seeing Cayden suffering under the pain curse. Not being able to protect me infuriates him. His anger shines in his hazel eyes. He wants nothing more than to give in to his alpha instinct.

  His only hope of surviving to the end of high school is to take that away from him.

  Because the next time he protects anyone, he might die. Mr. Hayde's dark spirits will close in for the kill. Cayden only still lives because the Savage Wolves haven't tried to come back yet. But they're biding their time, waiting. Perhaps for a replacement warlock, perhaps not.

  “Cayden doesn't want to pass his burden to you,” Everly says. “Every time you're not around us, he says that.”

  “But if he doesn't, he's going to die,” I say, voice rising. “Brett's not coming back and I can't blame him. The Russells aren't any closer to removing his curse. They haven't seen anything like it.”

  “Maybe once they get all the old coven members together, they'll come up with a way,” Aunt May says.

  “They're scattered all over the country and Leonora's parents disgraced them a long time ago. Good luck,” I say.

  “We need to have hope,” she says.

  Maybe I don't deserve that. I did what no Noble Wolf should do. I killed Brett's father to save Cayden. But even that didn't stop the dark spirits from tormenting him. And then Cayden's curse protected itself by bringing Brett, the one who could have removed it, to the death scene.

  “He might just need a little more time to come to terms with it,” Everly says with an eye roll. “He's only had two weeks to think about it after he came up with the idea.”

  “Could you give him a break?” I ask.

  She levels a glare at me. “Cayden needs to show up.”

  “This won't completely stop his problem.“ Challenging him is just a band-aid when he really needs surgery. He'll still want to protect me, though the instinct will weaken. But me becoming alpha might buy us enough time to rid him of his curse.

  “There's no room for breaks,” Everly says. “We have to find him and hold him to his word.”

  “You don't know what it's like to feel responsible for everyone else.”

  Everly laughs. “Me? You're saying that to me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let's not fight,” Aunt May says.

  "What I mean is that you don't know what it's like to have to be in charge," I say. "Or to feel like you killed someone." I push those last words out.

  The air thickens. Everly takes a step back, showing her submission. "I know Cayden's torn up," she says, "but I don't want to lose him any more than you do. Maybe we should look for him."

  The others look at me, waiting for me word. With Cayden gone, I'm in charge. The decision weighs down on me. I nod. “Maybe we should. We all know he doesn't want to do this. But we need him to.”

  If I challenge him and win—and with the first Noble Wolf's blood in my veins, I will—I'll become responsible for the entire pack and Cayden. And that's not what he wants for me. Aunt May looks at me with fear blooming in the depths of her eyes. She fears for me, too, even if I'm not the too-nice niece of hers anymore.

  Or perhaps it's because of that.

  It's not like I enjoyed the killing. It still haunts me in my nightmares. So I'm still Noble, right? The Savage King hasn't started the process of making me Savage yet. If that part Mr. Hayde mentioned is even true.

  “Cayden shuts down when I'm around,” Everly says.

  “I can't imagine why,” Remo says, poking her arm.

  “Shut up,” Everly says.

  “So, translation? I need to look for him," I say.

  “Well, yes.”

  “At this rate, I won't have better luck talking Cayden into this than any of you,” I say. “We've been discussing this for weeks. Cayden thinks if I become alpha, I'll become more visible to the Savages. Since, you know, I'll be doing more for the pack. And he thinks the Savage King might want that. That's why they're waiting.”

  “It could be,” Remo says. “But if you don't do this, Cayden will die the moment he has to protect us.”

  “We can't win,” I say, turning away. I ball my fists. I'd feel better if I took his place. Much better. Doesn't he realize that?

  “Let's split up,” Everly says. “We find him. I'd challenge him myself, but I know I don't have the strength to beat him in a fight. And it's not like he can let me.”

  “And he refuses my challenge,” Remo says.

  “You challenged him?” I ask.

  “Cayden won't let me do it.”

  “Then I need to talk to him about that.” Remo would overtake him with his size, no issue. But I know why Cayden refuses to fight him. He knows Remo hates being a werewolf, and as the one who turned him two years ago, he'll never let him get more entrenched in this life than he already is.

  “I'll find him,” I say. “Both of you can make a huge problem much better and he's giving us a hard time.”

  Then Everly gives me a rare smile. “Thank you, Brie.”

  * * * * *

  I stay in human form as I patrol the woods, searching between all the snow-flecked tree trunks for any sign of Cayden (or Brett.) My phone buzzes with a text, but it's from Ellie, asking if I'm goi
ng to the weekend rehearsal for the play. I tell her maybe, which means probably not.

  Come on. Olivia's not being as bad.

  I'll try.

  I don't want you to fall out of the Drama Club.

  Me neither. I'll be there.

  I love Ellie but I wish she'd stop, as she's the only one in my tight circle who doesn't know what I am and about the pack. Even Olivia is more enlightened than her, thanks to a dumb mistake. And I don't want to turn down my role.

  It's tonight. Remember?

  Great. I eye the sky and the sun's getting low on the horizon. That doesn't leave me much time to challenge Cayden. But there're no traces of him in the woods. Everything's just cold and death at this time of year. The snow and ice muffles any scents.

  It's not until I get closer to town I smell Cayden's forest scent for the first time since leaving the Lowe house.

  He's in town. Not in the woods where he should be.

  I up my pace as I crunch ice under my feet and balance on rocks. At last, I break into downtown, where his scent, along with dozens of others, rides on the wind. It's hard to tell one smell from another in our rustic town. Tourists descend on the area this time of the year, making the place alien for a while. Aftershave and polyester fibers fill the air and rental cars occupy the spaces in front of the coffee shop. People mill up and down the sidewalks. A bunch, including families with children, disembark from the small bus station at the end of the street.

  Cayden's scent comes from there.

  My heart leaps into my chest and I break into a run, crossing the street and dodging the happy people. Three buses sit behind a chain-link fence, and a guard shack has a guy reading a magazine. He waves me through the gates and to the low gray building labeled Breckenridge Station. Cayden's scent intensifies. A lump forms in my throat.

  He's trying to slip away.

  That was his real plan.

  I yank open the glass doors. I've never been in the Station before—it's meant for tourists—and get greeted by large portraits of skiers and snowy peaks. Four rows of black chairs wait in the long room and a bored-looking receptionist flips through her phone. She doesn't even look up when I enter.

  Cayden rises from the end of his row before the door swings shut behind me. He faces me, expression blank. His hazel eyes are dull. His shoulders, slumped. It's as if he's already died inside.

  “What are you doing?” I demand, balling my fists. Pure anger replaces the choking despair. “You can't just leave like this.”

  “No matter what I do, I'll hurt you.”

  The woman continues to scroll through her phone as if she's seen this at a bus station many times before.

  “Can you argue with that?” Cayden continues. His words are flat like soda that's sat out too long.

  Then a dam of emotion breaks in his eyes. They shine and redden. Once again, he's helpless.

  “You can't leave,” I say, careful to stay vague in front of the woman. “We need you. You need to let us do what we need to.”

  “If you take over for me, they'll come after you. That's what they want.”

  The woman looks up from her phone. Cayden waves me away from her and outside. I'll take it. It's better than being in the station and dragging someone else into this.

  We step outside and back into the bitter cold. Cayden waits for the door to swing shut to speak again.

  “The Savage King hasn't made another move or sent another pack yet,” he says. “I think he's waiting for you to become alpha. If that warlock was right, he wants to take you as his mate, and maybe he only wants an alpha. Or he wants you to prove yourself first. Strength is what matters to him. What that will do to all us Nobles, I can't guess. But if you can turn Savage, it might not bode well for us.”

  “That's a stretch,” I say, grabbing Cayden's arms. A horrific weight descends on my shoulders. Since Aunt May's too old for children, everything about the Noble line rests on me. And that thought punches me like a stone fist to the heart.

  “No, it isn't,” Cayden says. “You're different from other Wolves. Who knows what becoming alpha will do to you? The Savage King has been around for thousands of years if Mr. Hayde was right. He's immortal and killed his immortal twin. I doubt he's as stupid as the Savages he overlooks.”

  I maintain my grip on his arms. Even under his coat, Cayden's body heat simmers through. I don't want to let him go, because if I do, I may never see him again. My whole body shakes and I tighten my grip. “We need you more than ever, Cayden.”

  “For what? I'm useless. I can't protect any of you without keeling over in pain.” Facing the ground, Cayden grits his teeth.

  “You're part of the pack. And you killed the last Savage Alpha who came in. You avenged your parents and your brother. Stop calling yourself useless. We'll fix this curse, eventually.”

  Cayden dares to look up. I lean forward and kiss him before he can dodge. Our lips meet, and Cayden surrenders, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his body. He's hungry. Desperate. We melt into each other as tingles rush through my mouth. Cayden tastes of the wilds themselves, of the beautiful parts of nature I don't want to go. He's the opposite of Savage. The tingle spreads through my entire body. I'm very alive when I kiss Cayden. I can only imagine how it would feel to go all the way.

  But the curse...he'll want to protect me even more…

  As if thinking the same, Cayden pulls away. “You're too amazing, Brie.” He's breathless. “I'll do anything to protect that. That's why I need to leave until we find a solution to the curse. I can't protect you or the pack if I'm far away. That means the curse can't get me. I stay alive. But if I die, you'll never see me again. And I refuse to leave you alone forever.”

  His words suck all the life from me. “You can't go,” I plead, chest collapsing. “We need you here. And you're the alpha. You said so yourself it's not something you can just walk away from. It's part of you, right? Let me challenge you and take it. Then you can step aside.”

  “That might not even be enough,” Cayden says. “I'll still want to protect you as beta of the pack.”

  “But the urge won't be as strong.”

  He leans against the building. “I don't know about that.”

  “But with the Savage King coming, you can't just leave. We need the numbers.” I swallow the pain. Cayden's taste remains, but it's more like a mockery, not a comfort.

  He looks at the sidewalk. “I haven't said this to anyone yet, but maybe the reason the Savage King hasn't tried to take you as his own yet is because we're still mates. In the Wolf world, that's sacred, even among the Savages. Nothing can break it but death. Even us challenging each other can't destroy our bond. Romulus is waiting for me to die, but so long as I live, it may protect you.” Cayden sweeps away from the building and pulls me into his arms again.

  He leaves me no time to react. His lips press against mine, then travel down the front of my neck, opening flowers of tingles and electricity. I arch my head back, taking in his touch as he kisses my collarbone and inhales my scent.

  “Don't leave,” I beg.

  “Take my money so I can't come back. Please.” He slips his hand into mine.

  And inside are several bills.

  “You want to get stranded somewhere?”

  “It's our only hope. Lead the pack in my absence. As beta, that's your duty.”

  “No, Cayden. You're just making this worse!” I open my palm and drop the bills. They skitter on the sidewalk.

  “Romulus is waiting. He won't expect this.”

  I can't deal with this. No matter what, I lose Cayden. The tremor races over my body again. “There has to be a better way! Leading the pack alone—”

  “You're stronger than me and you even had the guts to end that warlock. Your aunt says the same. Killing him had to happen and most Nobles couldn't bring themselves to do it. There's something about you that might help us survive.”

  “It was wrong. Mr. Hayde was trying to protect his kids.”

  “H
e could have found other ways.”

  “Don't change the subject. You're not getting on a bus.”

  “Yes, I am,” he says with force. “We have to stay mates. Distance can't change that. But death can.”

  “Let me challenge you.” A bus engine floats up the street. Terror seizes my guts. “Right now. Your sister's terrified. So is Remo. Even he's willing to challenge you.”

  “I won't do that to him or her. To anyone. You don't understand. The life of an alpha is not an easy one. I'm doing what's best for the pack, even if it's not best for me.”

  “Don't get on this hangup again,” I say. “Wyatt and your parents weren't your fault.”

  “I'm realizing that.” Cayden lowers his voice. “But I don't want you to be. Let me do this one thing, Brie. Please. If you drag me to the pack, they'll never let me leave. And we won't have a happy ending.”

  The bus rolls up the street and pulls into the parking lot. It stops and the doors open, expelling a group of guys in full winter garb. Joints pop as they stretch their legs after a long trip. With the bus turned away, I can't see the destination on the front.

  “There might not be a someday,” I say. “There wasn't one for Wyatt.” My vision blurs. I'm losing it. Great.

  “Brie. Please. We'll see each other again.” He backs away and towards the bus. The driver, an older man, watches us with a sad look in his eyes. He's seen this before.

  The doors stay open.

  “Cayden! No!” My heart races and my whole body begs me to chase him and pull him back. “You'd vanish without telling us? Without telling me?”

  “Leonora and I are keeping in touch,” he says without looking back. “I would have told you later.”

  And then he leaps up the bus steps and vanishes into the dark. I can't see him through the tinted windows.

  “Cayden! You ass!” I scream my lungs out. I can go onto the bus and pull him off, but he's made it clear he won't stay. The money on the sidewalk rolls away in the wind. I don't even care about picking it up. If I drag him off the bus, the driver might call the police on this crazy girl. Cayden will find the next opportunity to leave. We can't keep him prisoner.