The Alpha 8: Protect. Procreate. Prevail., page 14
The hatred I felt toward this man matched that of all the alphas I had defeated in the past, and I wasn’t about to let Connor walk away before I added him to the list. I wanted to kill him there and then, and I wanted to remove any and all triggers from the world so Arielle never reacted like that ever again.
But before I could do any of that, I had several questions to ask.
I also had a terrified and pregnant omega to care for.
“Aunt Eva,” I growled as I continued to stare at Connor. “Stay with the omegas and do whatever you can to soothe Arielle. Brenden, Marco, Zane, Eliza, and Kassidy, I need you five to run a few laps around the property to make sure there aren’t other werecoyotes out there.”
“I came alone, I promise.” Connor raised his hands in defense.
“And you think I’m going to believe that?” I snorted. “Brenden, you know what you need to do.”
“Of course,” my beta captain replied as he led his group outside to shift.
“I’m telling you the truth,” Connor urged. “I came alone, and I mean you no harm.”
“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” Benji replied as he came to stand beside me.
“I swear on my life,” Connor said with his hands still raised in the air. “I came here to talk, and I have absolutely no malicious intentions. I didn’t think Arielle would react like that, otherwise I would have found a different way to get in contact with you. Please, you must believe me. Gray is my second cousin, or… was my second cousin. But that doesn’t mean he and I are the same person. At least listen to what I have to say.”
“I’m bored of you already,” Kristina mumbled. “You can’t pull wool like that over our eyes.”
But I wasn’t quite sure what to believe, or what to think.
There was a look in Connor’s brown eyes that seemed genuine and honest, but he also shared the same blood as Gray. I knew that not all family members were the same, some were angels and some were devils. However, I couldn’t just take Connor’s word for it without fully interrogating him.
But first, I had to check on Arielle.
“Don’t let him move from this spot,” I said to Benji and Kristina as I released Connor from my hold.
“He’d be a fool to even try and get past us,” Kristina snickered.
“The fact he turned up at the house in the first place is a sign that he’s clearly got some sort of death wish,” Benji muttered.
In the time that I had been distracted with Connor, Aunt Eva and the omegas had taken Arielle into the living room in an attempt to calm her down. It was the first time I had been in that room, but all I took note of was a cream carpet, cream walls, and three brown couches.
The interior design was not important when my omega was in such a bad state.
Arielle still had her hands clutched to her chest, she had fresh tears in her eyes, but her breathing had calmed down, and she seemed slightly more aware and alert compared to how she was before.
Blair had her arms protectively around Arielle, and even she had a few tears in her eyes. Blair didn’t often show her emotions as much as the others did, so the fact that she was openly crying said a lot about the situation.
“Come and sit here, Jesse,” Blair said while she curled herself away from the shaking omega.
“Arielle?” I asked as I took Blair’s place.
Nikita and Hailey sat together on the couch beside me, and Aunt Eva was perched on the arm rest as she stroked Arielle’s hair.
It took a few attempts before Arielle registered my voice, but then she turned her head to look at me. My heart just about shattered as I saw the pained expression on my omega’s face, and her bottom lip began to quiver as more tears formed.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said as I pulled her in for a hug.
My arms formed a protective cage around Arielle, and I brushed one hand up and down her back as violent sobs ricocheted through her.
“You’re safe,” I whispered. “You’re so safe here, and no one, and I mean no one, is going to allow anything to happen to you. There are fifteen betas between you and him, as well as everyone in this room. I know it must be hard for you to grasp everything, and it’s easier said than done. But don’t let these fears take over. You’re stronger than that. You’re strong enough to fight this off.”
“It’s Gray,” Arielle whimpered. “He’s back.”
She was like a tiny mouse hidden within a ball of bedding. Arielle must have felt so small and weak, but that was why I had to help her understand what was really going on.
The PTSD from previous events had caused Arielle to pretty much go back in time, and it was like she could only focus on her traumatic past, and not the current day.
“It’s not Gray,” I assured her. “It’s Connor. Gray died a long time ago, do you remember?”
I had to do more than that.
I had to paint a picture in Arielle’s mind.
“Do you remember when I saved you from the cabin?” I asked as a sad smile formed on my face. “You had a little tray in your hands because you had just made Gray his dinner, but then you dropped it when you saw me. I told you that you were free from him, and that you were mine now. I saved you that day, and none of that has changed. You’re still so safe, Arielle. So safe.”
Jesse, Benji said privately to me. This motherfucker is asking to talk to Arielle.
Over my dead body, I replied as I tried to keep the snarl off my face. He’s already caused enough trouble.
Believe me, I won’t let him anywhere near her, Benji growled darkly. But I think you need to talk to him about her. Maybe try and understand why he wants to talk to her.
Okay, fine, I sighed. But I’m not leaving this room until I know she’s okay.
You’ve got all the time in the world, bro, he replied. We’re not going anywhere.
“Sweetheart,” Aunt Eva said sweetly as she leaned over to peer at Arielle. “How about I find you something nice to eat, yeah? You’re probably feeling a bit weak right now, so some food would do you some good.”
Arielle simply nodded her head, but that was enough for Aunt Eva to smile before she left the room.
“You know what I think we should do?” Hailey asked rhetorically. “I think we should all settle down and watch a movie together. Something that’ll help take your mind off things. And I might have found just the thing.”
I glanced up at the enormous sixty-five-inch TV on the wall, and I hadn’t even noticed it was there, or that it had been switched on until that moment.
But during the time that I had been comforting my omega, Hailey had managed to download a streaming service, she’d logged into her account, and now they had a variety of Disney movies to watch.
Hailey had found one movie in particular, and I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar characters who took up the entire screen.
“You said you liked Toy Story 2, right?” Hailey asked, to which Arielle nodded. “Then how about we watch that?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Nikita replied.
“So do I.” Blair smiled.
“Do you have a favorite character?” I queried as I placed my cheek against Arielle’s head.
“I like all of them,” she mumbled quietly.
“Really?” I asked. “But you must have a favorite, surely.”
“I like Woody, Jessie… and Slinky,” Arielle replied.
“That sounds like a good choice.” I smiled. “I remember when Benji tried to be Buzz, but his mom quickly put a stop to all of that.”
“I can just imagine,” Nikita giggled.
“Please tell me he tried to fly,” Blair snickered.
“Of course, he did,” I replied. “Benji would jump off the back of the couch with little cardboard wings we’d created. Then his mom would shout at him when he crashed to the floor, but Benji was able to say that Buzz doesn’t really fly, he just falls with style. However, because it was Benji, there wasn’t a lot of grace when it came to his movements. No style whatsoever.”
“‘There seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere,’” Hailey quoted one of Buzz’s lines.
My story was enough to make Arielle laugh quietly against my chest, and even though it didn’t last for long, her laughter was still enough to tell me that Arielle’s fear was slowly subsiding.
Hailey hit play on the movie, and Arielle even adjusted herself so she could see the screen better. She was still curled up in my arms, but she wasn’t as hidden, and I took that as a good sign.
The smile that formed on Arielle’s face as Toy Story 2 began to play was enough to break my heart all over the place. She was enthralled by the scene of Buzz flying through an unknown planet. And Arielle’s smile continued to widen as we realized it was just a Buzz Lightyear video game Rex was playing.
Aunt Eva returned to the room a few minutes later with a tray in her hands. There was a red mug which I assumed had some tea in it, but there were also two bowls, one of which held some strawberries, but I couldn’t pinpoint what was in the second bowl. It smelled sweet, but there was another scent that I couldn’t decipher.
But as the tray was placed in Arielle’s lap, I noticed that the second bowl had been filled with some almonds and even chunks of dark chocolate.
“I found you a small selection of foods that should help with the anxiety you’re feeling,” Aunt Eva explained. “It’s a good thing Lily’s here right now, otherwise I may not have found the almonds and dark chocolate. Oh, and the tea is mainly to soothe your throat, but also because you like it.”
“Thank you,” Arielle mumbled as she popped an almond into her mouth. “You’re always so good to us, Aunt Eva.”
“Has Lily changed her diet again?” Blair chuckled.
“Apparently she’s going vegan again.” Eva smirked.
Lily was the worst vegetarian I had ever come across, but at least her new diet had come in handy.
A calming presence took over the room as Arielle enjoyed her snack, and we all settled down to continue watching the movie. At one point, Aunt Eva asked if anyone else wanted some food, because none of us had eaten since lunch, but we all said we were fine.
I had been too stressed to even think about eating, and I knew Blair, Hailey, and Nikita felt the same way.
As much as I wanted to remain in the living room and stay with my omegas, Benji and Kristina were still watching over Connor, and I knew I had to speak to him. My anger from earlier had settled down, so I was in a better headspace to actually hold a conversation, and at least I could spend the rest of the night with my omegas once Connor had left.
Or been fucking slaughtered by fangs.
The jury was still out on which option I’d be going with.
“Will you be okay if I leave the room for a moment?” I asked Arielle.
My omega had a strawberry held between two dainty fingers, and she sliced through the fruit with her teeth as she thought over my question.
“Where are you going?” she questioned.
“I need to go and speak to Connor,” I said carefully. “But he won’t come in this room, and you’ll have everyone else around you so you won’t be alone.”
Arielle didn’t seem overly impressed, and her lips pursed together as she stared directly at the TV. But then she closed her eyes and slowly nodded her head.
“Thank you,” I said as I placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’m so proud of you, Arielle. Honestly, you’ve done so well this evening.”
As soon as I stood up from the couch, Nikita was quick to take my place, and she threw her arm around Arielle’s shoulder as she made herself comfortable.
“C’mon, let’s have some girl time.” Nikita grinned.
I gave Nikita a subtle wink, to which she just smiled and nodded.
They all knew what to do, and Arielle couldn’t have been in a better place.
As I left the living room, I noticed that the majority of my betas had taken position outside to watch over the house, but Hope, Jackson, Lily, Holly, Frederick, Cameron, and Finn were all standing in different parts of the foyer. They all had their eyes trained on Connor, so even if he’d tried to get away, he wouldn’t have been able to get very far.
I suddenly overheard Blair mention that she needed to use the bathroom, so I halted my steps and waited for her to leave the room.
I had a feeling she was up to something.
Unless Blair told Arielle that as a way of reassuring her she was going to return. However, Blair never normally told us whenever she needed to go to the bathroom, she’d just leave the room, so I was interested to see if she really did need to go.
Do you need to use the bathroom? I asked her privately.
Of course, I don’t. Blair smirked. But I didn’t want to say that I was about to scare the living shit out of Connor.
Try not to kill him just yet, okay? I winked. I should at least get an answer from him before you throw him in a ditch.
I can’t promise you anything, Jesse, Blair snarled. I can’t even put into words how much I love Arielle, so it’ll be hard for me to hold back.
And Blair was right, because as soon as she made her way over to Connor, she grabbed his neck with both hands as she stared straight into his eyes.
Connor looked like he was about to shit his pants, and Benji and Kristina just snorted as they took a step back, but I made sure it didn’t get too out of hand.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t rip your head straight from your shoulders,” Blair snarled as she tightened her fists.
Connor’s brown eyes bulged, and his face turned bright red as he struggled to catch a breath.
“Blair,” I said calmly as I placed one hand on her shoulder. “Let him go. Remember what we just talked about?”
“Are you here to hurt her?” Blair demanded.
“N-No!” Connor shook his head from side to side.
“As much as I hate to admit it, I think he’s telling the truth,” Benji said. “The betas outside haven’t seen anyone, so we’re pretty sure Connor came here alone.”
“Is that right?” Blair asked. “Did you come here alone?”
Connor nodded his head, and then after a long second, Blair finally released him.
“Just know that I will find you if it turns out that you’ve been lying to us,” she growled. “We don’t appreciate Mackenzies coming into our home, so you better remember that, and remember that Kristina and Aunt Eva never miss their targets… And there just so happens to be a rifle three feet away from you.”
“Please,” Connor said with his hands up in defense once again. “I was telling the truth when I said that I didn’t mean you any harm. I did come alone, and I’m sorry for making Arielle react like that.”
“How do you know her name?” My omega frowned.
“Blair,” I said with a bit more force. “She was Gray’s omega, so of course Connor would know her name. Why don’t you go back into the living room, and I’ll sort things out here.”
My feisty lynx omega took another long look at Connor, and then she turned to face me, and her angry expression instantly began to settle.
“I’m sorry, Jesse,” she sighed. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I understand.” I smiled. “We’re all feeling the same way. But I know Arielle would appreciate you being with her right now.”
“You’re right.” Blair nodded. “Thank you. And… Actually, no, I’m not sorry for almost strangling you, Connor.”
“I…” Connor glanced around him, almost like he didn’t even know what to say.
Blair raised up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss on the lips, and then she gave Benji and Kristina a smile before she turned to walk back into the living room.
“Alright, let’s go and sit down,” I said as I headed for the kitchen. “You need to tell us everything, Connor, and I’m not going to take any bullshit answers.”
“Yeah, otherwise we’ll have Blair return,” Benji snickered.
Connor didn’t say a word as he followed me into the kitchen, and as he chose a seat at the marble breakfast bar, he hunched his shoulders and let out a deep breath. His hands became lost in his black hair, and Benji and I exchanged confused looks as we watched Connor crumple in front of us.
It could have been the multiple death threats he’d received since arriving at the house, or perhaps he was relieved that I was willing to talk to him. But either way, I wasn’t quite sure why he’d reacted like that.
Instead of saying anything, Benji and I took the two stools on either side of Connor, and I briefly thought about my first question before I asked it.
“Do you know those werecoyotes who chased my betas through the forest this evening?” I asked.
Connor slowly straightened up, and as he did, I noticed that he had a small hook-shaped scar under his right eye. It was just as pale as the rest of his skin, and it would have been easy to miss, so it must have happened a long time ago.
“Yes, they’re a part of my pack,” Connor replied. “But I–”
“Your pack?” Benji asked.
“You’re an alpha?” I frowned as I noted that he must have taken plenty of anosmiacs before coming here.
“I am.” Connor frowned.
I already felt slightly uneasy having Connor Mackenzie and Arielle in the same house, but that feeling increased dramatically when I realized he was an alpha. He could have been after my omegas, and if that was the case, then he definitely would have been dead and buried within the span of a few minutes.
“Please, just hear what I have to say,” Connor said as he turned his head to look at me. “I know how it looks, especially since some of my betas were in your forest this evening–”
“Why were they here?” I asked. “I’m assuming you’re the coyote alpha I was told about, so your pack lives hours away from here.”
“Yes, we do,” he replied. “But it’s easier if I start from the beginning. I am nothing like my cousin, and I despised how he controlled his pack, especially Arielle. Originally, Arielle was supposed to be my omega. I was the first one to come across her, and–”
“But she’s Jesse’s now,” Benji snarled.
“I know, I know,” Connor said. “I’m not here for her, or any of your omegas for that matter. They’re yours, and they’ll always be yours. Trust me, I can smell that they’re thoroughly claimed, which I find… interesting. Most of them wouldn’t interest me either way, of course, but Arielle doesn’t smell appealing to me. I’m experiencing no frenzy being near her.”
