The Alpha's Contract Luna (Alexia) novel Chapter 24

~Alexia~

"I -I." Alexia's mouth remained open. She honestly could not decide about it now, even if Kieran suggested she had every right to refuse being intimate with him.

She liked him. There was no denying that now. She undoubtedly liked him, but what was her future with him if they were not true mates? Will Kieran stay loyal under a marriage that was only imposed upon them?

"Kieran, what - what I wanted to know is... how you feel about this?" She asked. Alexia, at least, had to get his side of things.

She saw how Kieran clenched his jaws. His mouth parted, but before he could answer, his brows met, and he looked elsewhere.

Kieran was mindlinking, and she was certain of it.

"We have a visitor," Kieran revealed.

It should not concern her, but observing how he looked at her, she asked, "Who?"

"He said he is your friend from the Cross River Pack. Dean?" Kieran replied.

"Dean?" Alexia's eyes rounded. "Why is he here?"

"Drake, he - he took it all on us," Dean revealed before carelessly drinking the water the maid had given him.

Alexia's heart broke, seeing her friend's state. Dean had bruises all over his body. He had a cut on his face, his nose was broken, and he had lost so much weight.

Alexia, Kieran, Rae, and Jaxon sat in the living room where they had accommodated Dean. Immediately after Alexia confirmed Dean's identity, they rushed him to the packhouse and served him food and water.

Dean grabbed a chicken and ate it with his bare hands. He swallowed it fast. A low growl escaped his lips before he reported, "Drake imprisoned us, Alexia. Mom, dad, my sister, and Melissa's family."

"He - he said it was payment for what Alexia had done and taken from the pack. He said we would pay for it with our lives and be slaves!" Dean described. "I escaped because they took me into the forest to collect special herbs. I fell into a pit while reaching out to one, and they all just left me there to die - but I climbed. I climbed my way up and made it out. I ran as far as I could and -"

With a look of regret, he admitted, "I had to steal a car from the neighboring pack. I don't think they saw me since it was parked on the roadside."

"The only place I thought of going to was here, Alexia! I don't know where else to go," Dean said at last before crying again.

"And Alpha Roland did nothing?" Kieran asked, his voice showing a hint of resentment.

"No! He did nothing! I doubt that he knew nothing about this. He wanted us to be punished too!" Dean responded. "I hate him, Alexia! I hate our alpha, and I hate Drake!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Alexia replied, walking in front of Dean. She kneeled before him and wept. "This is all my fault -"

"It's not your fault!" Kieran corrected. "I took action on how he maltreated you! I was at fault for not cutting off your father's limps!"

Kieran turned to Jaxon and asked, "How did this happen? I thought we paid two insiders to be our ears within The Cross River Pack?"

"I just called our contacts, but." Jaxon frowned and said, "Their phones are dead. Something must have happened to them."

A low growl escaped Kieran's lips. He ordered, "Call the king and inform him of the situation. Ask for backup from The Midnight Pack and have forty of our men prepare to leave!"

"At dawn, we will depart for the Cross River Pack!" Kieran decided. "This time, Drake and Alpha Roland will not escape my wrath!"

With the arrival of Dean, the terms of their contract had to be put on hold. Kieran had to see through their plans and spoke to the king, whereas Alexia attended to her friend.