Angel Blackwood

by Sophie Summers

  I look back out the large window and smile as I watch her lean her head back, laughing at something Phoenix said. They’re sitting on the grass in the backyard taking in the sun. Angel senses me and turns her head, her eyes finding mine. She stares at me so lovingly, I place my hand over my heart as she smiles. I don’t deserve her. Hell, no one deserves her. But I love her and she loves me. I want her. No, fuck that! I need her.

  I won’t let anyone take her from me.

  No one.

  Her eyes drop to where my hand is over my heart and then her sweet voice is filling my head.

  “I love you,” she says.

  “I love you more,” I respond, meaning it. I love her more than anything in this world.

  She keeps her eyes on mine for a few more seconds before turning and continuing her chat with Phoenix.

  TALON POV

  The stench of wealth and power surrounds the Crystal Bay pack. Aside from Axel, I can’t stand any of them, especially the Alpha. Caspian is a straight up prick. He thinks he can take anything he wants, as if the world is his to own and plunder. I didn’t like him the first time I met him years ago, and I sure as hell can’t stand the fucker now. I know meeting with him is just one of the things, my brother and I have to do for the sake of the pack. We know this is one of the many situations we’re gonna be put in that we won’t enjoy. We’re just gonna have to suck it up though, because it’s about keeping the pack safe.

  Keeping Angel safe.

  “You two ready?” Alpha Johnny says as we climb out of his car.

  “Yes, sir,” my brother says out loud. Alpha looks at me and I nod my head.

  Alpha puts his hand on my shoulder stopping me from closing my door. He looks me dead in the eyes, communicating through our pack link.

  “I understand you don’t want to be here. I know everything that happened between you two and my daughter now. The fact that Caspian had his eyes set on marrying Angel, well it must sting. But Angel has told me everything. Believe me, I was angry to hear that he tried to blackmail her into marrying him, but I cannot put myself first. The same goes for you, you’re no longer the priority. You have many families relying on you to keep the peace and make the right decisions.” He looks towards my brother relaying the message to us both.

  “Our pack is the strongest pack, theres no denying it. It will become even stronger with you two leading and my daughter at your side. Caspian is one Alpha you need to have on your side. I’ve seen what he is capable of when you’re not, it’s not something you should even consider. The man has a lot of issues that extend way beyond anything you’ve heard before. Now, I’m not saying suck up to the kid. What I’m saying is you both need to hold your own and let him know that he won’t ever take what’s yours, make sure he knows that both packs will only benefit from keeping this alliance platonic. I know he’s cold and detached from real emotions, but he does care about his packs safety; even if that’s the only thing he cares about.” Alpha’s forced to stop communicating with us as one of Caspian’s guards interrupt us.

  “Welcome. Alpha Caspian is waiting in his office for you. Please follow me,” the huge guy says, walking towards the front porch of the mansion.

  Alpha Johnny and Caspian speak casually for a few minutes. I can tell the fact that Caspian has not once looked at us has annoyed my brother, he’s pacing and looking at the books on the nearest bookshelf.

  “Dude, relax. He’s just trying to get a rise out of us. I can sense your aggravation from here, you need to keep it under wraps,” I link to Tyler. He immediately stops walking, moving to sit on one of the black leather sofa’s nearest to me. He looks at me and nods his head just a bit.

  “Well, I’ll leave you three to talk. I’ve got a few calls to make,” Alpha Johnny announces, before swiftly leaving the room with his phone in hand.

  As the door slams shut, Caspian’s eyes finally land on us. Empty eyes that give away nothing.

  “So I suppose we need to discuss a few things?” He says as he reaches for a glass and pours dark liquor in it.

  “Yes. We just want to make sure there are no ill feelings between the packs after all that has happened these past few weeks.” Tyler stands up.

  Caspian gestures with his glass, asking if we’d like some of whatever he’s drinking. We both shake our heads, muttering a ‘no thanks’ and trying to get back to the topic in hand.

  “How is Angel doing?” He says, returning to his desk and sitting down on a big black, studded leather highback chair.

  “She is doing great, Thanks. Now if we can get back to discussing the future of our packs,” I say, unable to hold in my hostility. I stand up and move to sit on the chair nearest to his desk. Tyler stands a few feet away, arms folded over his chest.

  Caspian lets out a chuckle and downs the rest of his drink, placing it on the table with a clank.

  “Ah.. I see. You think I would jeopardize what’s best for my pack over a woman?” He doesn’t wait for us to respond, he continues, “I have no ill feelings towards Angel. She chose her mates above everything else, I understand that.”

  “Then why did you think you could force her into marrying you? You know what she is, know how special she is and you used that against her?” Tyler speaks up, his voice rising. Caspian gives nothing away.

  “I’d do anything and everything if my pack benefits from it. I wanted what was best for my pack, to merge Johnny’s territory and mine. Only way to make that happen was to marry Angel. Since that option is off the table, I no longer have any interest in her,” he says simply.

  “Are you trying to tell us that you won’t try to overthrow our power and take our land when we become Alpha’s?” I say. I don’t understand how this man operates. He’s like a robot, you can’t tell what he’s feeling.

  Caspian chuckles again, then leans forward on his desk and entwines his fingers, “My pack has been doing just great on it’s own thus far. We don’t need your territory. Besides… taking on one Alpha is a job on it’s own, taking on two, well that’s another matter entirely. Johnny has many allies on his side. If I were go against you two, it will only create havoc on my part. I don’t want that. All I want is for our packs to work side by side as we have been doing all these years.”

  ****

  We fill Johnny in on what was discussed during the ride home.

  “I told you that his pack is the only thing that matters to him,” Alpha confirms.

  “Yeah, suppose that’s not a bad thing,” I mutter, looking out of the window.

  “Unless our pack jeopardises his in anyway. I’ve got a feeling he would do and say anything to make sure his pack comes out on top,” Tyler says from the front seat.

  Alpha Johnny nods his head, “You two just make sure you keep an eye on him. He trusts me and I know he’ll help me in any way he can, but I can see he doesn’t trust you two. Once you have that man’s trust, his loyalty knows no bounds. He will stick by you no matter what. Just don’t ever cross his pack or mess with his trust once it is earned.”

  ****

  Arriving back at the pack house, we spot Angel and Phoenix still sitting out in the sun on the grass. They’re chatting away and snacking on sandwiches. I run up behind Angel, playfully tackling her but making sure to be gentle.

  She squeals and starts laughing, pushing at my chest.

  “You’re too heavy. Can’t…. breathe,” she says between laughs.

  “You’re gonna hurt her, Talon,” Tyler says in that protective voice of his.

  “Oh chill, I’m just playing.” I move to sit next to her and snatch a packet of chips out of Phoenix’s hand. She punches my shoulder rather pathetically. I look at Angel and give her a quick kiss on her lips. “How’s your day been, babe?”

  “It’s been good. I’ve been catching up on what I’ve missed out on, apparently it’s a lot.” She looks at Phoenix and they exchange a weird look.

  She then looks up to where Tyler stands beside her, rubbing her hands over his jeans by his calves b
efore patting the ground next to her, “Come sit by us.” He looks

  down at her smiling. He runs his hand over the top of her head, through her hair, then gently sits down next to her. She leans forward and kisses his cheek.

  Phoenix turns away as if there’s something better to look at to her right. She then quickly looks down and starts picking at her nails. I look up to see Nixon walking a blond woman into his cabin, they’re laughing about something.

  “Uh… I better get home. Gotta help one of Fabian’s flings with a spell,” she rattles off.

  “You sure you don’t wanna stay for the bonfire?” Angel asks.

  “Nah, that’s okay. I think the sun has taken all the energy out of me, but thanks for the invite guys. I’m gonna have an early night tonight.” Phoenix leans down and hugs Angel.

  “Drive safe,” Angel shouts out as Phoenix walks away.

  As soon as Phoenix has driven down the gravel road and out of sight, Angel turns to sit facing us.

  “So, how was the meeting?” She says, sounding worried.

  “It went great. Things will continue to run the way things have run with your father leading the pack. He has no ill feelings towards you,” Tyler says. I then continue to give her a play by play account of exactly what happened.

  She nods her head still looking unsure, before turning her attention to Tyler.

  “Have you seen or spoken to Kate yet?” She says, her voice a little softer.

  Tyler looks down, “No, I haven’t.”

  “You need to,” she says.

  “Why? What have they got to say to each other?” I ask, confused.

  Angel looks to me, “She loves him Talon. They need to speak, Tyler needs to tell her where he stands so she can move on. They didn’t end things on a good note, believe me I know. If I was her, I’d want to know where I stood. If he doesn’t, she’ll just keep wondering if there is still a chance for them. Maybe it will help her to move on.”

  I get what she’s saying.

  Tyler pulls her onto his lap and holds her tight, “Yeah, you’re right, baby. I’ll find her tonight at the bonfire and have a word with her.”

  Angel nods her head, wrapping her arms over his shoulders.

  Chapter 29

  TYLER POV

  I find Kate standing off to the side of the crowd, looking at everyone. Even though it’s a warm night, she has a scarf around her neck that I know is only there to hide the scar that lies beneath it.

  Her relaxed posture becomes rigid as her eyes find mine.

  “Hey,” I say, giving her a friendly smile.

  “Hi,” she returns, her right hand finding her scarf and self consciously adjusting it making sure its secure.

  “How have you been doing?” I have seen her since the attack, but it’s always been at a distance.

  She looks back towards the crowd as she answers me, “I’m better today than I was yesterday. It gets better each day I guess.”

  I nod my head unsure of how to bring up the subject of us, luckily she opens her mouth first.

  “How’s… uh, how’s Angel?” She asks, actually sounding concerned.

  “She’s doing better. Like you said, it gets better each day.”

  “I'm glad.” She nods her head giving me a small smile, before quickly resting her hand back on the scarf and turning her eyes away.

  “I… I wanted to talk to you Kate. I know the way we left things were bad. It’s just that-”

  She lifts her hands up and turns to face me fully.

  “It’s okay, Tyler. I know about the mating ceremony. You and Talon are gonna become the Alpha’s of our pack, I couldn’t be happier for you. I love you and that hasn’t changed, but I know that what you feel or felt for me is nothing compared to how you feel about Angel. She’s your mate and she’s gonna be a strong Luna. She saved me and I’ll never be able to make it up to her. What I can do though, is let you go freely. I know it doesn’t sound like much, it may even sound a little selfish, because lets face it, I don’t have a choice in you two being together, but it is still hard for me. I’ve grown attached to you, always having you around and always having someone to talk to, to hold. You don’t know how hard these few weeks recovering without you at my side have been. I want to fight for you, make you see that we could have a future, that we could make it happen, but I know it’s a battle I’d lose. You belong with her and she deserves you. You are one of the greatest men I have ever met. It was so easy to fall in love with you, Tyler. I just wish it was as easy to fall out of love with you too.” She wipes away a tear and swallows the lump in her throat. I won’t lie and say that seeing her hurting doesn’t affect me because it does, but it doesn’t affect me the way it would if Angel was hurting. I don’t have that sudden need to hold her close, to comfort her like I do Angel.

  “Kate… I want you to move on-”

  “I know, and the only way for me to do that is if I stay away from you. I wish you well, I know you are gonna be a great Alpha, Tyler.” She reaches out and squeezes my upper arm gently, then walks away. I watch her as she disappears into the crowd.

  ANGEL POV

  I’ve spent the last couple of days catching up on what I’ve missed out on. It took me a while to find my strength back, but after a week, I’m able to climb the stairs without being out of breath when I reach the top and the Doc says that’s a great achievement. My mom told me about my father locking the twins up in that cell. It doesn’t seem like it affected Talon, but Tyler? I can tell he’s lost weight and he certainly didn’t seem himself the day I woke up. I spoke to my father and told him that I didn’t appreciate what he did, but I also understand why he did it. He asked me if I loved them, I told him with all my heart and with everything I have.

  That answer seemed to do the trick because the next day he made arrangements. Tonight is the mating ceremony, the night the twins and I will officially be mated.

  ****

  Standing in front of the mirror, I look at the black dress I’m wearing. My mother bought it for me, apparently Daisy designed it. I have yet to make contact with Daisy since that second time I saw her, but she wrote a little note and gave it to my mother to give to me. She told me that she didn’t have a phone anymore, but that she’d been thinking about me. She’s happy to hear that I’ve found my mate -or should I say mates- and that she prays they treat me well. There wasn’t anymore to the note, it was short and sweet. Kinda just like her.

  The sheer black dress isn’t too revealing, but it is certainly beautiful. My hair is placed in a sleek bun, my makeup light and natural. A knock on the door has me calling out for whoever is there to come in. Nixon peaks his head in and smiles.

  “You look beautiful, Angel.”

  “Thanks, Nix. You look good too. That hair of yours needs a cut though,” I say, smiling and leaning up to smooth it down. It’s grown longer than I ever seen his hair; looking messy but still managing to look good.

  Walking down the stairs towards the backyard, I’m greeted by many pack members who show their respect as I make my way to the twins and my parents. My parents are first to find me and they blabber on about how excited they are for me. I feel eyes watching from across the yard, my eyes look around to find Talon’s penetrating stare. I walk over to him and he grabs my hand, pulling me close to whisper in my ear.

  “You look georgous, Babe. How about we ditch this party for a little party of our own in your bedroom?” He pulls away and winks, I can’t help but laugh even though his little joke has caused a stir of nerves within me. I don’t let him feel or see any of that though. I know we’re gonna have to talk about being intimate sometime soon. I don’t know if I’m supposed to “seal the deal” with the twins tonight after the ceremony, but if I’m honest, I don’t think I’m ready to sleep with either of them just yet. I think my experience with Tyler has created a lot of insecurities when it comes to being intimate again.

  I lean in, kissing him gently on the lips. “Have you seen your brother?”

  H
e leans down and kisses me again. “Right over there, babe.” I follow his line of sight and find Tyler watching both of us. Our eyes meet and I can’t help but shiver. All I see is love and possession. Talon lets go of me and I walk back through the dancing crowd to where Tyler stands on the other side; our eyes never looking away. He reaches out to me before I even get to him, pulling me close and holding my face in his hands.

  “I can’t describe how beautiful you look tonight. There’s no word to describe you.” He runs his nose across my jaw, followed by his cheek as he nuzzles my neck and breathes me in.

  “Don’t think I’ll ever get over how perfect you look in a tux,” I say softly.

  “I’m not perfect, baby. Far from it, as you know”

  “You’re pretty damn close to it though.” I smile and he lets out a small laugh.

  “I love you,” he says.

  “I know,” I say before I kiss him.

  ****

  Just like the pack ceremony, the mating one involved biting and a whole lot of talk from a big book, in a language I didn’t understand. I’m not sure the twins knew either, but they gave nothing away.

  The pack created a huge circle and my mother, father, the twins and I had to stand in the middle. My mother stood firmly at my fathers side, tears of happiness falling down her cheeks as my father read the scripture to us.

  Talon stood behind me and Tyler stood facing me.

  Instead of biting my wrist, the twins had to bite my neck. I stood between the two of them as they latched on and bit.