Fated for the Alphas: The Complete Collection (Nine Book Paranormal Romance Box Set) (4 page)

“Taken me where?” Lia asked.

Ronan sighed. “Are we at least going to tell her about the prophecy?”

“We already did.”

“Not all of it.”

“Fine.” Kane looked down at her. “Della had a crazy dream that we needed to get you for some reason.”

Ronan groaned. “I know you don’t like prophecies, but Lia needs to know.”

“She can ask Della. Later. I’m not interested in all the hocus pocus.”

“Anyway,” Ronan continued as if he hadn’t heard his brother, “Della had a dream about the future. In it, a voice said, ‘The pack will prosper, and a failed witch will lead them.’ I didn’t think we’d do it on our first try, but we found you. Our failed witch.”

Lia clasped her hands in her lap. This was a lot to take in. “Even if it is me, why should I lead you? Why should I care about the pack?”

Kane growled low in his throat. Lia fought the urge to hide under the table.

“It’s a fair question, Kane.” Ronan laid a hand on her arm. She burned at the heat of his touch, the weight of him. Suddenly, she had a terrible desire to see him naked again.

“There’s no reason for you to care yet,” Ronan continued. “We hope you will, in time. We do need you, Lia. Without an Alpha female, a pack can be…”

“Volatile,” Kane finished. “One or more of the pack’s females may want to be Alpha themselves. It can lead to chaos. It’s already started in our pack. We can’t have all the females vying to be Alpha. They need someone to keep them in line.”

Lia shook her head. “Why not let one of them be Alpha female, if they want to be?”

“Because of the prophecy,” Ronan said. “It has to be you.”

They were trusting their pack to a dream? “But what if Della’s wrong?”

“Della’s never wrong. She wants what’s best for the pack. She wouldn’t mislead us. You’re the failed witch. You will lead the pack with us as your mates.”

Lia’s head was spinning. “My mates? Both of you?”

“If you can handle it,” Kane said.

Ronan slapped the table. “Don’t joke about this. You know the risks. I’ve never heard of three Alphas, this might not work.”

“What is it, little brother? Are you scared?” Kane gave a mocking grin. “It’ll be fine. We get along, Lia’s strong enough. It works for the rest of the pack—”

“They aren’t Alphas,” Ronan growled. “They don’t experience the Delirium like we do. They don’t drown in it. They can come up for air.”

“Delirium?” Lia asked. It sounded painful.

“Mating Delirium.” Kane ripped off one of his shirt sleeves. “It’s most potent during the full moon. An Alpha… he tends to lose control. Especially the first time he takes his mate. He’s drawn to her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get her.”

“Including killing his rivals,” Ronan said. “Which is what we would see each other as, Kane. Lia should choose one of us, so the other can bow out gracefully.”

Kane ripped off his other sleeve. “I don’t think that’s going to work.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“I don’t plan to bow out gracefully, dear brother. Do you?”

Ronan rose from the table. “I’ll have Clove bring Lia some food. We can discuss this later.”

“We can discuss all you like,” Kane said. “In two weeks, it’ll be settled either way.”

Ronan left without another word.

“Sorry about him,” Kane said. “He can be awfully touchy.” He pushed the bench from the table so forcefully that Lia nearly fell off. “I have business to attend to. I’ll see you later.”

She wanted to ask him not to go, but had the feeling that wouldn’t have stopped him. Kane loped into the sunlight, looking more like a wolf in a man suit than a human.

Sighing, Lia laid her head on the table. It had been a long night. At this point, she’d really like to get some sleep. Her mind was jumbled with fearful questions. They both wanted her? Could she handle that? And there was a chance they could kill each other? If they did, would that be her fault? She had only just met them, but she would prefer that they not murder each other.

“Here you go.” A woman—it must be Clove—dropped a plate of food in front of Lia. It clattered on the wooden table.

“Thanks,” Lia said. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, but it was meat, and it was steaming.

Clove looked her up and down. “Looks like you need it. Enjoy.” Turning on her heel, she disappeared into a darkened room.

Lia’s face heated. Did Clove mean that she looked tired? The alternative hurt to think about, but the way she had looked Lia up and down… and all the other shifters were shaped like athletes…

A few shifters, still in human form and clothes, filtered into the room. Some sat at the far end of the table. A knot of three women kept glancing her way, whispering and giggling.

Lia stared at her plate. She had been given a slab of meat, but no utensils. How was she supposed to eat? None of the shifters had any food, so she couldn’t copy them. Would it be worse to pick the meat up with her hands, or ask for a knife and fork? She honestly wasn’t sure.

More shifters returned to the den. Some stood in tight circles, some sat at the table together, but no one was left out. Except Lia. They seemed to make it a point not to talk to her or sit near enough that she could start a conversation. She was so tired that she didn’t really care. She just wanted to eat.

Lia raised her hand to her plate just as one of the women giggled at the other end of the table. She put her hand back in her lap. Maybe Kane and Ronan should have just eaten her. There was still time.

The knot of three women whispered louder, but still not loud enough for Lia to make out more than a few words. If she weren’t so tired, she could have turned one of her ears into a bat’s. Maybe she would later. At least she’d know what she was up against.

Staring at her plate, Lia sighed. She didn’t know she could feel so lonely in a crowded room. She wasn’t feeling very hungry anymore. Kane and Ronan had wanted her to come with them, but only because of a prophecy. That wasn’t much better than not being wanted at all.

Kane and Ronan returned, sitting at the empty end of the table. It was bad enough that they were avoiding her like she was some kind of leper, but they were also conferring in whispers. Poking at the meat slab, Lia considered walking out of the den and not stopping until she’d reached an ocean.

“Hey.”

She looked up. Someone was finally talking to her?

“Yeah, you.” It was the woman with the red hair—Sequoia. “Get out. We don’t want a witch in our pack.”

What would Sequoia’s reaction be if Lia just happily left?

Kane gave a warning growl.

“Now, now, Sequoia.” Ronan leaned back on his seat. “We can’t help where we come from.”

She looked like she had bitten into a lemon and found piss inside. “You’re one to talk, Ronan.”

Kane climbed onto the table, crouching low. He was coiled, ready to pounce.

Ronan laughed. “I’d take that back, Sequoia. Kane doesn’t take too kindly to jokes. You were joking, right?”

“Of course, Alpha. Alphas.” Sequoia bowed, showing the nape of her neck. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Ronan said. “I won’t always be around to protect you from Kane. Or from Lia, for that matter.”

“Her?” Sequoia raised an eyebrow. “You can try to make her an Alpha if you like. Her funeral. She won’t survive the Bite.” Snatching the meat off Lia’s plate, she took a bite and sauntered out of the den.

“Sequoia!” Kane roared.

“Flint, Duke.” Ronan called forth two shifters. “Go watch Sequoia. Keep her away from Lia… and Kane.”

They nodded, and ran to obey. Lia didn’t envy them their task. Sequoia didn’t seem like a barrel of laughs.

“Get off the table,” Ronan muttered.

“Why?” Kane asked.

“It’s weird. Humans don’t do that.”

“I’m not human.”

“Well, Lia is, kind of. Just be normal around her.”

Kane scowled, but jumped down. “I am normal.”

“If you say so.”

The brothers sat across from Lia, Kane vaulting over the table to take his seat. Ronan gave him a disapproving glare.

“What was that about a bite?” Lia asked. She tried to keep her voice low, but all the shifters probably had excellent hearing. Damn their ears.

Ronan sighed. “You aren’t supposed to know about that yet.”

“And when did you think would be a good time to tell me? As you were biting me?” Lia crossed her arms.

He scratched his head. “If it’s any consolation, I hear that it doesn’t hurt in the moment. At least, not much…”

“Not much?” The last word came out a little high pitched. “Not much? Is that supposed to be comforting?”

“Please, Lia. I didn’t want to overwhelm you on your first day here. I wanted you to get some food first. Some rest.”

“Could you maybe just not bite me?”

Kane snorted. “You’re going to be our mate. You must be Bitten.”

“Mate? I’ve never even kissed anyone. What makes you think I would want to be your mate? I don’t even know you.”

Kane stared at her. His eyes were bright gold. She hadn’t noticed before.

“You’ve never been with a man?” he asked. “How old are you?”

She shifted in her seat. “Twenty-one.”

“Are you serious?”

“Why, how old are you?”

“Twenty-five,” he said with a tone of lofty superiority. “And much more experienced, it seems.”

“Thanks for rubbing it in.”

He waved her away. “Your inexperience is no matter. We will teach you.”

“What if I don’t want to be taught?” Lia asked.

Kane rested his cheek in his palm. “This human is testing my patience.”

Maybe it was the lack of food and sleep. Maybe she still felt wounded over being cast out of the coven. Maybe she was just tired of his attitude. Either way, Lia had had enough.

“Could a human do
this
?” She shoved a hand at him, palm out.

Kane sat up, wide eyed. He looked down at his chest, patting to test for damage. Blinking, he looked up, then laughed. “Was something supposed to happen there? Should I be worried I’ll turn into a frog?”

Lia growled and lashed out again. This time sparks flew, catching Kane’s clothes. He shouted as his shirt began to smoke, then burn. Shouting, he beat at the flames.

“You can’t defy me. I am your Alpha!”

“You’ll never be anything to me!”

Kane had put the fire out, but his clothes still smoldered. “That’s it.” Launching himself over the table, he picked up Lia under one arm. She kicked and screamed, but it was like fighting a mountain. He took her down a narrow hall, stopping before a dark doorway.

“Stay here until you learn some manners.”

He tossed her into the darkness. Lia landed on something soft, but still had the wind knocked out of her. Before she could get to her feet, she heard the scraping of stone on stone. She looked up in time to see Kane moving a massive boulder across the doorway, his muscles straining. Lia got one last look of the satisfaction on his face before the boulder slid into place, blocking all light and plunging her into blackness.

Chapter Three

Great.

Ronan watched Kane drag Lia away. It was so good to see them getting along.

Kane returned to the mess hall, breathing heavily. “What?” he asked. “Why are you all staring at me?”

The others looked down. They knew better than to answer.

“So you’ve locked our future mate away,” Ronan said. “Good plan. What’s next? A forced slumber party? Going to paint your nails together?”

Kane snarled. “She just needs some time alone to learn respect. And I need some time alone so I don’t rip her apart.”

“Oh, right. Homicide is a completely reasonable reaction.”

“She just tried to kill me, in case you’ve forgotten. She threw fire at me!”

Ronan picked up the remains of Lia’s meat, tearing off the part Sequoia had touched. “Maybe you could be nicer.”

“Tell that to the person throwing fire!” Kane growled, pacing the hall. “I need to go. Before I rip you apart, too.”

Ronan let him go. Kane was no use when he flew into one of his tempers. He’d better check on Lia, though. He knew from experience that Kane’s ire could be… traumatizing.

He walked out of the mess and into the corridor. Oh, no. Kane hadn’t actually taken the boulder off its track, had he? How had he even been able to lift the damn thing? Kane must have really been livid.

With a resigned sigh, Ronan leaned against the boulder. Here he was, as always, cleaning up after Kane’s messes. He put all his frustration into heaving the boulder. It groaned in protest, but sullenly slid back into place.

Ronan could smell her inside, the taste of her fear rising out to slap him. He clenched his fists. He could kill Kane for this.

“Leave me alone!” Lia shouted.

“Hey.” He lifted his arms to show he didn’t want to hurt her. “It’s Ronan.”

“Oh.” There was a sniffle in the darkness.

“Can I come in?”

“Do I have a choice?”

He loved that, the spirit in her that couldn’t be crushed by fear or doubt. “You always have a choice with me.”

“All right, then.”

He sidled in, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. Where was she? He wished he could see her face. It was pitch black in this cursed hidey hole.

Fumbling in the blackness, he finally found the ledge, and the oil lamp that sat there. The matches were right beside it. He struck one, lighting the lamp. It filled the room with a warm glow. It felt much better than blackness.

Lia was in the corner, on a straw mattress. She’d found a blanket to draw around her. Strewn around her were piles of knick knacks. Papers, bottles, jars and cans, lengths of twine and rope. Odder items, like a bust of Caesar and an armored helm. All found or stolen by past and present pack members, though there were a few things that Bitten members had legitimately owned in their former lives. Ronan picked up the set of car keys that had to be Cage’s or Duke’s, shaking his head. Did they really think they’d ever drive again?

“What do you want?” Lia asked.

“Oh. Sorry.” He set the keys down and picked up the plate he had brought. “I thought you might want this.” Ronan put the plate in front of her. “You really should eat something.”