ALPHA (Mackenzie Grey #3)

by Karina Espinosa

  I hopped up off the floor and waddled to the common room.

  “Get me Jonah Cadwell,” I told one of the guards. He got confirmation from Ranulf through the microphone in his sleeve and left. I only had to wait fifteen minutes before a dressed up Jonah walked through the doorway.

  He had on a white button up tucked into gray slacks. Definitely not the flannel I was used to seeing him in.

  “Whoa, who are you?” I quirked a brow.

  He laughed. “I can’t work with the council in casual wear.”

  “Right. Because jeans keep you from working hard.”

  “You know what I mean, Kenz. There are standards that have to be met,” he said, widening his eyes knowingly. “What do you need? Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” I shrugged. “Everything’s cool, I was bored.”

  His jaw dropped. “You pulled me out of a meeting…because you were bored?”

  “I thought we could start our dance lessons,” I tried to smooth things over. I knew how immature I sounded, but damn it I needed to see a friendly face.

  “Why?”

  “I miss hanging out, Jonah. You no longer sleep here and I only see you at dinner. What the hell man, we’re supposed to be a team!”

  Jonah grabbed my arm and hauled me into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us.

  “I just saw you last night! We are a team, Kenz.”

  “Then why did you leave?”

  “Because I can’t be here, Kenzie. I told you I loved you and you shut me down. I can work on anything with you in regards to the Lunas and trial, but don’t ask me to hang out like we’re friends. I just…can’t. Not right now.”

  “You think this is easy for me? It’s hard for me too but I’m not giving up on us!” I was going to hell. Straight to the abyss of sinners in a two piece bathing suit with third degree burns.

  His milk chocolate eyes melted as his gaze fell on me. “If I’m going to protect you, I need to keep a clear head. I’ll take the dance lessons and escort you to your birthday party, but I think we need some space. It’s the only way you’ll miss me.”

  I already did—but not the way he wanted me to. I stayed quiet.

  “Is there anything else you need, Kenz?”

  “Any news on who ordered the kill on the Lunas?”

  He bit his lip, his one dimple peeking out. “We don’t know for sure, but after last night’s attempt we think they’re the same person—all the Lunas who worked the kitchen checked out. Whoever is trying to kill you might have been the one who ordered the massacre. We don’t have many leads, but we’re interrogating most of the people closest to the King.”

  I knew it. Unfortunately, the King’s Council was looking in the wrong direction.

  “Do you think Cosima did it?” I muttered.

  Jonah took Scarlet home after we left Alexander’s office. I reassured Scarlet that just because her mother was the last to open the safe, didn’t make her guilty—suspicious yes—but not guilty. The poor little witch was a nervous wreck.

  “I don’t know, Kenz. It could be, but what is her motive? Someone could be controlling her. You did say it appeared like her mother was kidnapped.”

  “True,” I sighed. “We won’t know unless we find her.”

  ****

  After dance lessons with Jonah and afternoon tea with the King, I had four hours before dinner. I wasn’t going to make it until then. I’d most likely poke my eyes out. Speaking of eyeballs, I needed to go see Scarlet. She was freaking out, and here I was counting shit in my closet and taking dance lessons like a pompous princess.

  I dug my cell phone out of the bottom of my duffle bag and turned it on. A few messages were from my brother Ollie, which I didn’t bother to open—it would only make me homesick—but the texts from Amy were the important ones right now. I dialed her number, roaming charges be damned.

  “Kenz!” she shrieked.

  “Hey,” I whispered while I sat in the empty tub with the bathroom door locked and the water in the sink running. Hopefully no one could hear me.

  “Why are you whispering?” she mimicked.

  “I’m under house arrest. Guards are right outside my door.”

  “Shit, babe, what happened?”

  “Someone tried to poison my pudding!” I exclaimed. The line went quiet. “Amy?”

  “Uh…yeah, I’m here. Just trying to figure out if pudding is some sort of slang I’m unaware of, and no one tried to poison your hooha.”

  “My what?”

  “Your girly bits!” she shouted.

  “You’re twisted. They tried to poison my actual pudding—banana pudding that is.”

  “Well damn. What a waste.”

  “Who you telling. It was damn good when I tasted it earlier in the day,” I sighed. “Anyway, I called because I need to bust out of this joint. Want to help?”

  Amy giggled. “Of course I do!”

  ****

  I counted the guards that were stationed around me. Two underneath the balcony and two outside both doors. The only way out was through the window like before, but I wasn’t sure when there would be a shift change.

  “So here’s what you need to do,” Amy said through my headphones. “Run the water in the sink and shower—that will be enough to distort their hearing. I’m at the mouth of the bridge in Sheunta village with Jackson. It’s as far as we can get, but Jack can see your balcony from here. I’m channeling the frequency they use on their radios to request the guards presence in the throne room. I’ll let you know when they’re gone. Afterwards, you need to repel down and we’ll guide you to the front to avoid anyone seeing you. Don’t forget your hoodie!”

  Escaping Castle Mac—as Lucian calls it—was a lot harder this go around. I had to go out and formally introduce myself to the guards so I could learn their names as well as learn the ones from underneath the balcony since I couldn’t go down and meet them myself.

  Taylor and Martin were called into the throne room and I got my cue from Amy to climb down like Rapunzel.

  “Alright, Kenz, there’s a guard coming around the corner, you need—”

  I didn’t wait for her to finish, I heard the crunch of his steps and as he turned, I elbowed him in the face, knocking him out cold. “Done. What’s next?”

  “Well that’s one way of doing it,” Amy mused. “Two more are on the way.”

  I pulled my hood over and walked toward them. I was almost to the bridge.

  “Hey!” one of them called out. I punched the first one in the gut and he doubled over. The other guard went for the walkie talkie on his hip, but I slapped it out of his hand. Sending a round house kick to his head, and punching the other one in the face.

  “Night night, boys,” I said and sprinted to the bridge.

  “Kenz, hurry!” Amy shrieked. “Someone must have sounded the alarm. Guards are being called to your room.”

  I ran across the bridge, pumping my arms and legs like an Olympic gold medalist. I skidded to a stop just as I saw Jacksons big ol’ frame wave me over. I followed as they ran through the streets.

  “Run, Kenz, don’t stop,” Amy said out of breath. “They’re crossing the bridge now.”

  I ducked and swerved around people, I could hear the guards screaming for the town’s folk to get out of their way.

  “I’m going to the Apothecary, I’ll meet you at Lucians in thirty,” I gasped as I ducked through a side street, a short cut to the pharmacy.

  “10-4,” Amy said and ended the call.

  Cosima’s Apothecary was a few feet away when I heard the yells. I ducked into the shop, the bell ringing overhead and sprinted up the stairs to Scarlet’s second floor apartment. I burst through the door to find her in front of the TV playing Xbox.

  “Dude!” I panted. Scarlet hopped off the sofa as if I’d found her in a compromising position. “We gotta go!”

  “But—but I’m about to join a team,” she stuttered and pointed to the TV filled with zombies. She slipped her head piece around her n
eck, moving the microphone away from her mouth.

  “No time. The King’s guards are going to be here any minute and we need to go.”

  “Oh!” she squeaked. She went to the book shelf and grabbed a rolled up poster. “Ready!”

  “Leave your gaming stuff,” I said exasperated.

  “Right!” she dropped her controller and head piece on the recliner and adjusted herself.

  “Is there a back exit?” I asked.

  She grinned. “Follow me.”

  Chapter Twenty One

  “I did some thinking,” Scarlet said as she unrolled a poster on Lucian’s dining table. “I remembered my mom talking about the Sisters of the Sight a few years ago and I saw her use this map to find them.”

  “Do you know why she was looking for them?” Lucian asked.

  Scarlet shook her head. “All I know is that she had urgent business with them. I dug these maps of Caledonian Forest and found where the Sisters might be.”

  “This is amazing, Scarlet,” I beamed. The forest was vast, but it wouldn’t be impossible to navigate. “We should head out right now.”

  “Whoa, Kenz,” Amy stopped me. “You can’t be serious. There’s a whole army looking for you.”

  “The forest is probably the best place for me to hide. I’ve heard the whispers through town. No one wants to go anywhere near here, and it’s literally in Lucian’s backyard. It’s perfect!”

  “Do you hear yourself?” Jackson said. “Let me get this straight. You want to go somewhere that people are afraid of going?” he turned to Lucian. “Am I the only one who thinks that’s absurd?”

  “Not at all, babe,” Amy shook her head. “You’ve done some crazy stuff, Kenz, and I don’t think you should add more to the list. Especially in foreign territory.”

  They didn’t get it. We had the upper hand. It would be the perfect time to catch the Sisters of the Sight off guard and possibly finding Scarlet’s mom in the process. It wouldn’t be far-fetched if the Sisters were the ones who were trying to kill me.

  “I’ll go with you,” Scarlet volunteered. “Anything to help find my mom.”

  “What year in the Academy are you in?” Lucian asked the witch.

  She gulped. “First year.”

  Lucian chuckled. “Deary, you wouldn’t last five minutes in those forests.”

  Scarlet’s eyes narrowed. “Watch me.”

  And watch her he did. With map in hand, and a backpack filled with essentials—Scarlet and I headed into Caledonian Forest against everyone’s protests. I couldn’t let their fear stand in my way of protecting myself and others, but I was secretly glad I wasn’t alone. It wasn’t dark out, but the trees covered the sun, making everything dimmer.

  I was also glad that Scarlet and I would have some alone time. I didn’t want things to be weird between us. I knew deep down she thought her mom was guilty, but I wasn’t going to cast judgment until I knew for sure.

  “How long have you been in Sheunta?” Scarlet asked as we weaved our way through the rough terrain.

  “A week. Just a few more days and I’ll know whether I can go home or not.”

  “How so?”

  I debated on whether to spill my guts but she already knew what happened back home.

  “I’m here for a trial—for the crimes I committed.”

  She gasped. “But he’s your father—”

  “Sperm donor!” I corrected. “Just because he’s King, doesn’t mean I can get away with murder.”

  “What do you think they’ll do?” she whispered as if someone would hear.

  I laughed. “I think their only option is to kill me, which is why I want to solve this before the trial. Whoever is after me and has your mother, is most likely the same person who murdered the Lunas of the Brooklyn Pack.”

  “I heard about that…I’m sorry for your loss.”

  I growled. “Be sorry for whoever is responsible. They’re dead meat.”

  ****

  We were lost.

  Forty minutes into our hike and we couldn’t find a single landmark or sign that we were going in the right direction. Everything looked the same, and I forgot which way was Lucian’s cottage. I felt like an idiot for not leaving bread crumbs to retrace our steps.

  “I should have brought M&M’s,” I mumbled. “Are you holding that compass correctly?”

  Scarlet exhaled loudly. “For the hundredth time, yes I am!”

  “I’m just saying…we’ve been here for hours.”

  “It’s been less than an hour!” she flailed her arms in annoyance.

  “Tomato, tomatoe. Same thing. All I know is that if our water runs out, there’s no way I’m drinking my own pee,” I mused as I munched on a protein bar and ducked under a tree branch.

  “Gross,” Scarlet grimaced. “Why would you do that?”

  “I don’t know,” I pondered. “I saw it on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy—”

  “Oh! The plane crash episode?”

  “Yes! You watch—”

  “Ahhhh!” we both screamed as we were catapulted into the air and wrapped up in a net above ground.

  “No!” I stuck my hand out of one of the holes. “My protein bar,” I muttered as I watched it fall and land on the dirt.

  Scarlets big doe eyes widened even further as she frantically looked all over the place, trying to figure out what was happening.

  “Oh my gosh, Mackenzie! What do we do?” she cried.

  I was going to respond with a clear and level headed answer, but we were startled to the point I nearly wet myself when a high-pitched scream rang through the forest.

  “Ayayayayaya!” multiple voices cried out, sounding like a damn mariachi band.

  “Shit!” I exclaimed and huddled closer to Scarlet. Not that we weren’t already close, I could see the damn freckles on her cheeks.

  “This is it,” Scarlet sobbed. “This is how I’m going to die and I never got to play the latest Assassin’s Creed.”

  I did a double take. “You’re worried about a video game? I haven’t had a proper meal since I left New York City. Now that’s something to complain about.” I stopped talking the minute I heard a twig snap. “Shhh,” I covered Scarlets mouth.

  The forest quieted and I could hear multiple heartbeats and their breaths as they inhaled and exhaled. Their footfalls were meant to be quiet but I stretched my hearing and caught the faint sound.

  “Who dares enter my land without permission?” a woman yelled. Her voice echoed through the infinite forest.

  We couldn’t see anyone so I didn’t answer. My palm stilled over Scarlets mouth, and I widened my eyes at her to stay completely still. I wasn’t going to give in without seeing who it was.

  Scarlet nodded up at the top of the net that was scrunched inward and wrapped around a branch. I quirked a brow, not understanding what she wanted to say. She pulled out her hand and began to whirl her fingers in slow motion—like she was petting a dog.

  Scarlet grunted and I looked up and noticed she was untying the knot that held the net together…which meant—

  “Fuck!” we fell to the ground in a loud thud. Birds flew out of the tree tops from the sound and I broke Scarlets fall. I gasped as she elbowed me in the ribs. “Scar—” I squeaked.

  “Sorry!” she hurried off me and extended a hand to help me up.

  “A warning would be nice next time,” I croaked as I bent over and rubbed my side.

  “Uh…Mackenzie,” she whispered.

  I lifted my head and we were completely and utterly surrounded by spears aimed at our necks.

  “I guess we’re not invited to dinner,” I grimaced and slowly straightened my body. We were encircled by what I could only describe as Amazonian women: wild hair, painted faces, and animal skin for clothing. Only thing missing was Conan the Barbarian to make an appearance and it’d be a party.

  “Ye trespassing on dangerous lands,” one of the Amazons growled. Her yellow eyes glowed in the dark forest. She bared razor sharp teeth and snapped
them like she was going to eat me.

  I flinched. “That was not our intention,” I tried to console. “We’re actually lost. If you could give us some direct—”

  “Quiet!” she barked and sniffed the air. “Yer not lost, girlie. Yer right where ye need to be,” she leered.

  “I’m not so sure,” I said. A spear poked me in the back and I jumped forward. “Hey now! Easy with the pointy things.”

  “Yer a MacCoinnich,” the Amazon said. “We feed on yer kind.”

  My blood froze.

  “What are you?”

  They laughed.

  “We’re Lunas,” the Amazon declared and I could have fainted. The group of them howled up at the sky and I assumed they were calling others like them.

  I should have been terrified. This chick literally said she eats my family member’s. Not kill, but consume for breakfast, type of deal. That’s definitely not normal. If these Amazons kill MacCoinnich’s, then they’re rebels—like me.

  “Listen, I’m not a normal Luna,” I tried to explain.

  “Oh?” the Amazon cocked her head to the side like I was a joke.

  “I don’t belong to a Pack. I’m here to stand trial for starting a rebellion,” I said. There was a pregnant pause before the whole forest erupted into laughter. The spears were slightly lowered and Scarlet let out a small breath.

  “Ye cannae be her. Yer too scrawny,” the Amazon said.

  “So you have heard of her?” Scarlet jumped with excitement. “She’s on your side.”

  “Shut yer geggie,” the Amazon snapped. “She’s no savior. A liar, yes, but not The One.”

  I frowned. “I never said I was a savior, just a rebel.”

  The woman pushed away the spears between her and me, and came closer, studying my face—my eyes.

  “If yer the savior, prove it,” she barked, her voice scratchy. “Fight my best warrior—to the death.”