The Alpha's Call Book 2

LYLA

My hand trembled as I reached for the cards on the table—death was hanging over the lovers like a dark omen.

“Do you want to know more, girl?” The witch arched her eyebrows as my hand hovered over the deck.

But then I pulled it back.

“I…I don’t believe you,” I said, fighting the tears that were starting to form under my eyelids.

The witch just laughed at me. “Believe what you want…but my cards never lie.”

“Bullshit,” Teresa said, swooping to my defense. “I’m sure you stack the deck with death so you can peddle all your protection spells or good-luck charms.”

“No charms or spells will protect her from what’s coming,” the witch responded ominously.

“That’s it, we’re leaving!” Teresa shouted, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet.

As she dragged me back through the curtain, I looked over my shoulder.

The witch sat calmly, still wearing her crooked smile, and it left me deeply unsettled.

What if what she says comes true?

When we reached the street, Teresa began pacing back and forth, fuming.

“That fucking fraud! I should’ve never made you go in there.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said, my voice sounding a bit hollow.

“Lyla, please tell me you didn’t believe that garbage,” Teresa said, grabbing my shoulders.

My silence spoke for me.

Teresa gave me a concerned expression. “Seriously, that bitch is just trying to scare you into buying her leftover cigarette ashes to sprinkle on your doorstep. She’s a con artist.”

“It just… It felt like she knew things about me,” I said.

“That’s how they get you. They make generalizations that sound specific, but really they could be about any girl that walks in there.”

I nodded and smiled, trying to placate Teresa, but I still felt sick inside.

Whether the witch was a fraud or not, she was definitely right about one thing…

When it came to having two mates, there couldn’t be love without loss.

Someone was going to get hurt.

I didn’t want to hurt either Caspian or Sebastian.

But if the witch’s prediction is true…

It will be far worse…

CASPIAN

Music from an old record player flowed through the dining room as I watched Sebastian wobbling precariously on a ladder, attempting to rehang the chandelier.

Is it bad that I kind of want him to fall?

Sebastian had been a thorn in my side since I’d met him, and now that I was forced to live with him, I felt like I’d been pushed into the whole damned rosebush.

Now he wasn’t just a thorn in my side, he was a thorn in my…

My everywhere.

“Shit, this is heavy,” Sebastian muttered, teetering back and forth as he tried to attach the giant light fixture to its hook.

“Need help with that, big guy?” I asked, unable to hide my contempt.

“I’m fine,” Sebastian growled. “Though I could do without you standing around watching me like a creep.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll just make myself a drink,” I said, walking toward the bar.

The villa may have fallen into a state of disrepair, but at least there were still some bottles of old scotch lying around.

Suddenly, almost in slow motion, I saw the ladder tip to the right. Sebastian’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening.

Oh, for fuck’s sake!

I lunged for the ladder and managed to keep it stable, but the same couldn’t be said for Sebastian.

He came crashing to the ground along with the massive chandelier that he’d been trying to hang.

Hundreds of crystal gems shattered as they hit the floor.

Sebastian gingerly got to his feet, surveying the mess that he’d just created.

“Damn, that must’ve been really expensive,” I said.

Sebastian let out a roar so loud that if the chandelier hadn’t already been broken, it certainly would’ve been then.

The crystals crunched beneath his feet as he stormed out of the room.

I shrugged, continuing to the bar to pour myself a drink.

Looking at the remnants of the chandelier, I thought of the frustration in Sebastian’s roar.

He probably feels like his whole life has come crashing down…

I took a heavy swig from my glass of scotch.

I’d better be careful, or I might start sympathizing with the devil.

As much as I hated to admit it, Sebastian and I were a lot alike.

Both our fates were tied to the same woman.

And no matter how much we tried to outperform each other, Lyla rendered us both weak to her whims.

The only real difference between us was that Sebastian was an alpha—born into an elite bloodline, everything handed to him on a silver platter.

Whereas I was a beta’s son, in line to take my father’s position someday. I’d never have what Sebastian had, simply because of lineage.

And just as Sebastian had done nothing to become an alpha; he’d done nothing to deserve Lyla.

He was her destined mate, bonded to her through some feeble howl.

I was only Lyla’s second-chance mate, but I’d been with her for two years before Sebastian came along. Our connection wasn’t just handed to me.

I gripped my glass tightly, trying to quell the anger rising inside me.

I’d worked for our love.

And I wouldn’t let a spoiled alpha get in my way.

I’ll just have to work even harder.

SEBASTIAN

Fucking hell!

I tore down the hallway, digging my claws into the wall and shredding the wallpaper as I went.

I knew I needed to get my temper under control, but lately everything was setting me off.

My claws stopped as a framed photo obstructed their path of devastation.

The photo was so dusty that I couldn’t even tell who was in it.

Taking a deep breath, I retracted my claws and slowly wiped my palm against the dirty surface.

I was suddenly staring back at myself—well, myself at age seven. I looked so young and innocent.

And next to me were both of my parents, adorned in their royal capes and crowns.

A dark feeling came over me.

My parents had been far from perfect, but they hadn’t deserved what happened to them.

They’d tried to stop Silas from turning all those human women into feral half-breeds in his perverse hunt to find his mate.

But then he’d found her…

And that half-breed had murdered my parents.

I stepped back from the photo and looked down at my hands.

They were shaking.

For a moment it looked like they were covered in blood.

Ella’s blood.

Just like I could never forgive Silas for what he did, he would never forgive me for my sins.

I slumped down onto the floor and stared up at the happy royal family.

Would that smiling boy in the photo ever be me again?

I was forced into this alpha role before I was ready.

Sometimes, I’m not sure if I even want it…

And now my council has sent me away to hide my inadequacy as an alpha.

In their eyes, I was making my pack look weak.

And maybe they were right.

My council didn’t trust me.

I wasn’t even sure if I trusted myself.

How can I be the mate that Lyla needs me to be?

Will I always suck at being an alpha who takes charge of his own life?

LYLA

Teresa slurped loudly, sucking at the straw in her tall lamp-shaped glass.

“Goddess, I love hurricanes,” she said, finally reaching the bottom of her frozen cocktail. “Best drink ever created.”

After the tarot reading, I’d wanted to forget my so-called future.

And drinking had seemed like the fastest solution.

But now we were in danger of forgetting a little too much.

“Okay, I’m cutting us off,” I said. “We still have to stumble home.”

“Reed is in for a surprise when I get back to the hotel,” Teresa said, grinning.

“Please, spare me the details,” I laughed.

We paid for our drinks at the street-side bar and began walking down the mostly deserted road.

“I’ll take a taxi from your hotel,” I said, realizing there was no chance these shaky legs were making it much further.

“It’s close,” Teresa said.

But as we ventured deeper into the narrow alleys of the French Quarter, my senses started going wild.

I thought I heard footsteps behind us, but all I could see were shadows.

“Teresa, maybe we should go back to the main str—”

Two figures suddenly emerged from the darkness. The moonlight glinted off their sharp claws.

“Hey, pretty ladies…you have anything to offer us tonight?” one of the men sneered.

His friend grabbed Teresa’s purse, and pulled her in as she held on tight.

“Hey, hands off!” she screamed.

“Yeah, I have something for you,” I growled.

I lunged at the man who was holding Teresa, and swiped him across the face with one of my claws.

The second man wrapped his arms around me, but I broke loose and elbowed him in the nose.

“Teresa, run!” I shouted, grabbing her by the hand.

We darted down the dark alley, but stopped when we realized we’d hit a dead end.

I whipped around to see the two muggers closing in on us and looking very pissed off.

Is this why they call it a dead end? That’s fucking ironic…

I held up my claws and stepped in front of Teresa.

“Stay behind me,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure I could take on both men.

But luckily I didn’t have to find out because a loud clattering from the rooftop made us all look up at the same time.

A deep voice emanated from above the alley: “So you think you can prey on young women? Not in my city.”

A man stepped to the edge of the roof and was illuminated by the moonlight.

He was dressed in black from head to toe, and he was wearing an intricate opera-style mask that obscured the top half of his face.

On his head was a wide-brimmed hat, and on his waist was a sword.

“Oh fuck! It’s Night Star!” one of the muggers shouted, fear in his voice.

Who the hell is—

But before I could even finish my thought, the man—Night Star—swooped down into the alley, landing between us and the muggers.

He drew his sword and brandished it in an impressive display of prowess.

The men tried to run, but Night Star leapt forward, slashing them across their backs.

Teresa gripped my arm as we watched him artfully carve up their exposed skin. The men screamed in pain; Night Star’s slices were lightning quick.

He stood back and let us admire his work…

The muggers’ backs were now host to several bloody stars.

They limped out of the alley, whimpering.

My gaze locked with Night Star’s and I opened my mouth to thank him, but before I could even speak, he turned on his heel and pursued our attackers.

A moment later and he was lost to the shadows again.

Something tells me they won’t get very far after he turned their backs into mincemeat…

“What the fuck just happened?” Teresa said, still holding my arm in a vise grip.

“I don’t know…,” I said, staring at the spot where the mysterious man had just been.

There was something curious about that man…

I didn’t know whether it was his scent, or his eyes, but…

I have a feeling that this won’t be the last time I cross paths with Night Star.