The Alphas prize novel Chapter 19

Freja POV:

I laid there in bed, staring at Cain as he slept so soundly. Everything seemed different now, my perspective of him was different now, but I wondered what was to come of our future? Thoughts of my short time with Mikael were clouding my thoughts. I wondered what he had truly meant and what dangers lay ahead for us. I considered telling Cain about Mikael’s warning, but the timing just wasn’t right.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. I placed my hand onto Cain’s mark and caressed it, still unable to fully come to terms with the fact that I had mated with him, a man that used to haunt my dreams. Everyone always told me about how horrible he is and the things he has done, but as I’ve gotten to know him, I’ve seen small glimpses of a man that no one has ever seen.

I got out of bed, walked over to the balcony door, and peeked through the curtain. The sun was rising, gracing the land with its light. Things were peaceful, but I wondered for how long?

I looked over to the bed, and Cain was still fast asleep. So, I decided to get dressed and head downstairs to get something to eat.

I crept out of the room, not wanting to wake Cain. The hallway was empty and quiet; the whole house seemed empty and quiet. I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, but no one was in sight. For a second, I wondered if something was wrong as Violet was usually in the kitchen cooking breakfast. That’s when I looked towards the clock on the wall and realized it was 5:30 am; that’s why it's so quiet in here. I rummaged through the cupboards looking for food, when I heard heavy breathing behind me. I whipped around only to see Calyx standing there with a peculiar look on his face. He looked annoyed and murderous; my brows furrowed together at the sight of him.

I stepped back a bit, being cautious. “Hey Calyx, you, ok?”

Calyx gave his head a shake. “Oh yea, I’m fine. Just glad your back.” He smiled awkwardly.

I nodded my head slowly. “Want some breakfast?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, I’m going to go for a run.”

“Ok, well, have fun.” Unfortunately, this conversation felt like it was becoming more and more awkward by the second. Calyx seemed off; he suddenly had this weird vibe about him, one that made me suspicious of him.

He stepped closer to me, and each step was more taunting than the last. “So, you and Cain have mated?” Calyx asked, with a slightly incredulous tone to his voice.

I raised a brow in question. “Yes, we have. Are you not happy about that?” I asked.

Calyx shrugged. “I just didn’t think it would happen to be honest, or happen this soon at least.” He took another few steps towards me, now only a foot of distance between us. He was guarded, on edge, and his eyes held a secret, but what?

I pursed my lips. “Oh, I see. I understand why you would think that I guess, but I’m happy we are, and you should be too; our mating will bring strength to the pack.” I reasoned with him.

He raised his hand and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, and tucked it behind my ear. I reared back slightly, as this was unusual behaviour for Calyx and made me uneasy.

Calyx grinned. “See you later, Freja.” That was all he said before leaving the kitchen and exiting through the back door.

I stood there, a little shocked, as I processed what had just happened with Calyx. He was always so kind and welcoming to me, but now, he didn’t seem like the Calyx that I had come to know. Instead, he seemed different, almost as if my return and my mating with Cain had invoked a spark of rage within him. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but one thing I knew for sure was I needed to be careful of Calyx now and keep an eye on him.

I grabbed some bread and made toast for myself. After I finished eating, I cleaned everything up and made my way outside. I scanned the yard, looking for others, but no one was in sight. I wanted to go for a run in wolf form as she was itching to be freed and stretch her limbs. I knew Cain wouldn’t allow me to go on my own, especially after what had happened, but right now, I wanted to be alone.

I took my clothes off and threw them onto one of the lawn chairs in the yard. I stood there naked for a moment, letting my exposed skin bask in the early morning sunlight. The air was cool, causing the tiny hairs on my body to stand. I called on my wolf, and in seconds, she rose from the depths of my soul, bringing on the shift.

Her paws landed with a thud on the dewy grass. She stretched her body and shook her fur as she huffed in contentment. Then, without wasting another minute, she dashed towards the woods.

My wolf elegantly ran through the woods, feeling free and at peace. She felt different today, more confident, more complete, as if a piece of her that had been missing was finally returned.

She continued to run through the forest, dodging and ducking anything that obstructed her path. Finally, we saw a small river up ahead and decided to take a break and have a drink. She slowed her pace and approached the stream. Before taking a drink, she gazed curiously into the water at her reflection, as if seeing something I couldn’t.

She shook her head, then bent down and began to drink from the river. Suddenly, her ears perked up, and her hackles began to rise. My wolf remained still and quiet; as something or someone was close by, she scanned the area and sniffed the air, listening intently to everything around us.

She began to take careful steps to the right, focused on something ahead of us. I was on edge now as well, wondering what dangers were in store for us.

My wolf stopped in her tracks, not taking a step further and lowered herself to the ground. That’s when I saw Calyx in the distance, appearing to be having a conversation with another person. But, unfortunately, whoever he was talking to was hidden behind the trees, we couldn’t see who it was, and their scent was masked.

I urged my wolf to crawl closer to them, hoping we would be able to hear them more clearly or get a better view of them. We were as close as we could get now without being detected. The other person was a female, possibly young, but the girl's scent was still undetectable.

“We need to wait until the time is right and ensure that the plan will work.” Calyx said.

“The plan will work, I’ll get close to her, wound her and then Cain will be an easier target to take down, but we need to be sure they remain separated during everything, as they are stronger together. After a few more days, the bond will have taken effect. Once that happens, the bond they share will be their weak point.” The female confidently said.

The female voice sounded familiar, and I tried to wrap my brain around who it belonged to, but for some reason, I couldn’t figure out who.

“This plan of yours better work or el….” Calyx started to speak but was abruptly cut off by the woman.

She stepped out of the tree slightly, “Or else what? Huh?” The female questioned Calyx; anger was evident in her tone.

“Or else we are all fucked, that’s what.” Calyx bellowed out, “If something goes wrong and we are caught, we all die, painfully!” Calyx said with certainty, a slight uneasiness to his tone. He almost seemed afraid, which made me wonder about what I didn’t know about Cain.

The female let out a low growl, then leapt onto Calyx, wrapped her arms around hid neck and crashed her lips to his. I started maneuvering backwards, trying not to make a sound. They were still making out pretty hardcore; I could only see a little bit of Calyx now, as most of him were behind the tree, as he pressed the female into it.

I was finally a safe distance away and entirely out of their line of sight. I called on the change and shifted back to human, grabbing my clothes and hurriedly putting them on. I started making my way back towards the packhouse and thought over everything, my mind buzzing with all that I had just learned. The truths I had just discovered, and I hadn’t a fucking clue what to do.

I continued walking and putting all the puzzle pieces together. Calyx wants Cain and I dead; he’s the one that’s been doing all of this.

I didn’t know what to think of it all, I had never thought he could or would do something like this, but then again, I didn’t really know him all that well. I was so lost in my thoughts, not paying attention to where I was going and ended up walking right into a fucking tree or what felt like walking into a tree. I stumbled backwards, and just when I thought I was going to fall on my ass, a pair of muscular arms caught me, straightening me back onto my feet.

I looked up to see Cain standing there, a brow raised and a smirk on his face. “I know you’ve fallen for me, love, but you don’t need to actually fall; it’s just an expression.”

I gave him a deadpan stare. “You’re an idiot,” I said before taking a step back from him.

His face turned severe now, and his eyes held a slight hint of anger. “Now, what in the fuck are you doing out here alone?”

He was definitely pissed at me. “I wanted to go for a run in my wolf form. She was itching to get out.” I shrugged.

Cain breathed heavily. “Then why didn’t you ask me to come with you?”

“You were asleep, Cain; I didn’t want to wake you. Besides, I’m fine, and I can take care of myself.” It irked me to my core that he didn’t see or believe in my strength. Instead, he viewed me as someone who couldn’t defend themselves.

He groaned in frustration. “What if a bloodsucker saw you alone and took you again? It's not safe yet, Freja, don’t you understand that?” He shouted at me, worry, fear and anger all lacing his tone.