The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

“Then we give the position to Todd after he chooses a female to mate with, or we find a mated pair of Alpha blood who are not the direct heirs to their own Pack and ask them to take over permanently. You would be moved to the LaCrosse Pack under the guardianship of your Uncle.”

“What about my right to lead the Pack?”

Ricardo leaned forward. “The only way you lead this Pack is by agreeing to mate Beta Todd,” he said. “It’s not the worst outcome; you are still Luna, your bloodline remains in this Pack, and Todd is a strong wolf and will be a good mate to you.”

I just shook my head no, I couldn’t believe it. “I don’t…”

“We don’t need an answer immediately,” the Chairman said. “At the end of the three-day mourning period, the new Alphas will be announced. You just need to tell us your choice.”

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Day of Tania’s Rescue

Talia’s POV

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We left after I made sure Tania had eaten all she could and had plenty of juice. I was still in shock over her appearance; she was thin and weak, while my body was solid muscle. The past four years had treated us far differently, and my heart broke every time I looked at her.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I was happy she had good clothes now; she had jeans, boots, a clean shirt and a leather jacket. I put my extra clothes in my storage on the bike, and she kept the backpack on as we got on my Harley. I fired it up and headed east towards Texarkana.

The road noise made more difficult to talk, especially since she didn’t have wolf hearing. When she was injected with an overdose of wolfsbane, it killed her wolf and prevented her from being able to shift again. The loss of her wolf affected everything we had in human form as well; the rapid healing, the strength, and the enhanced vision, smell and hearing. It rendered her as weak and desensitized as any human, and I’m sure she misses it greatly. I couldn’t imagine being apart from my wolf nature, my constant companion in my mind, and my powerful fur side.

We had ridden for a few hours and had taken off our jackets in the rising heat of the Texas day. The wind kept me cool, but Tania was not very comfortable behind me. She was sweating through her T-shirt and couldn’t seem to cool off. When we stopped for lunch, she was tired and couldn’t stop yawning. “Tania, what’s wrong?”

She ran her hands across her upper arms. “I need my shot,” she said. “After a night we’d get our shot, and we’d sleep until the next town.”

“Shot?”

“H,” she said. My anger spiked again, and I wished I would have captured them and made them suffer. They got my sister hooked on heroin. “I’m all right, I can ride,” she said.

“It’s only going to get worse. You let me know if it gets to be too much, and I’ll find a place to stop for the night.”

“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said.

As soon as she was gone, I called Jarrod’s house. His day butler answered, he had been his familiar for years and ran the daytime staff that cleaned and maintained the historic mansion. “Malcolm, it’s Talia,” I said. “I may be later than I expected, and I’m going to need some help when I get there.”

“Of course, Ms. Talia. Master left me instructions to provide you with whatever you need.”

“My sister Tania was hooked on heroin while she was being held. I need a doctor to see her, and we need to plan ahead for her detox.” I’d heard horror stories about going cold turkey, and I wasn’t looking forward to the pain my sister would face.

“Of course, Madam. We have a doctor on retainer, she’s very discreet. I will inform her of the need and make sure the room is prepared for her.”

“Thank you, Malcolm. I look forward to seeing you again.”

“The staff is thrilled you are coming, as is the Coven. Dinner will be your favorite.”

“See you soon,” I said as I hung up. Tania was coming back out, she didn’t look good. I threw money on the table to cover the bill and went to the bathroom as she went out to sit by the bike. When I came back out, we got back on the road.

Tania’s symptoms got worse as the day went on, and she was barely awake as we pulled past the gates into the courtyard of the estate. Tania was awestruck as we walked in, me carrying my bags and her the backpack. The meticulously manicured formal gardens, the fountain and the cobblestone paths led to the deep and tall two-level porches in front. “Welcome to Mort De La Nuit,” Malcolm said as he opened the door and welcomed us in. Maids took our bags and walked up the grand staircase with them. “You must be tired, come, we have drinks and refreshments waiting in the salon.”

“Thank you, Malcolm.” We followed him towards the back of the large building, until we reached a sitting room overlooking the gardens and the pool. The ceilings inside were twelve feet tall, with huge windows that opened at the top to let the hottest air out. Air conditioning had tamed the heat and humidity, but large ceiling fans kept air moving. Antiques were everywhere, and maids we passed were scurrying about making sure everything was ready. He set us at a small table, bringing us pitchers of iced tea and lemonade.

Although he was as non-threatening a man as I’d ever met, I could see how Tania watched him and kept her distance. He allowed me to pour the glasses, staying farther away than normal. “I’ll inform the Master you have arrived,” he told me. “When you are done, the maids have taken your things to your room and will take your laundry from you. I assumed you would not want to be separated from your sister?”

“Never again,” I said. Tania looked relieved.

“I’ve taken the liberty of putting a second bed in your room,” he said.

“Thank you, Malcolm. It’s good to be back.” He smiled and left, and I made sure Tania drank plenty of lemonade and ate some pastries before we went upstairs. She was not feeling well, and it would only get worse.

Malcolm came back a few minutes later and whispered to me from across the room that Jarrod would like to see me as soon as Tania was settled. He had been informed of her treatment and that her wolf was gone, and no human could have heard that. I helped her stand, and we walked together up the main staircase to the second floor.

I walked down the familiar corridor to my room, which overlooked the pool and gardens on the back side. The room was large, as were all the guest rooms, since none were used by the Coven. The rooms along the front housed the Familiars, the trusted staff and willing blood donors for the vampires. Being familiars to vampires was a choice; the group was intensely loyal to Jarrod, and most had been with him for decades. After four years in hell, I couldn’t imagine what Tania thought of the four-poster bed, the antique armoire, or the huge marble-tiled bathroom. “Come on, let’s get you clean,” I said.

I helped her shower, getting in with her, then went to my armoire and found a sleeping shirt. As soon as I had her tucked into the smaller bed, she was out like a light. I dressed in a loose hunter-green dress and matching heels and went out of the room. Malcolm was waiting with one of the maids. “Louisa will stay with her and inform us if our guest awakens or is distress,” he said. “She should not be alone while undergoing this trial.”