Hidden Alpha [Alpha Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (3 page)

She couldn’t possibly deny him any request when he looked at her with pleading eyes. She didn’t know Anya that well, only from parent teacher meetings, class parties, and field trips, but she had grown close to Dmytri and Adryk while she had been their teacher.

She wiped his tears away one last time. “Are you sure that their uncle won’t mind? I’m not family.”

He pulled her into his arms again and held her tight. “Yes, I’m sure. We need you there with us.”

She wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, but she agreed to go with him. “Okay, Chase, anything you want. I’ll go with you.”

When they went back into the classroom, both boys asked Chase what was wrong. They had always been overly observant and knew something wasn’t right.

“Uncle Devlin called, and we have to go to the hospital.” Both boys jumped to their feet and tried to drag Chase out of the room. Chase held Miss McKinnon’s hand and led her to the Tahoe. They got them both buckled up in their booster seats and headed to the hospital. Amalya reached out and held Chase’s hand.

Chase held Amalya’s hand all the way to the hospital. When they arrived at the hospital, he kissed her hand softly and thanked her for being with him. They got out of the car and helped the boys from their seats. As soon as he was by her side again, he took her hand into his. It seemed like he needed the contact, and if she had to admit it, so did she. Just the feel of his large hand wrapped around her smaller one calmed her. She was worried about going into the hospital. She wasn’t sure who Devlin was and what his response would be to someone outside of his family intruding at this time of sadness. Still, Chase had asked her to come with him, and if she could help him through this in any way, she would do anything he asked of her.

Amalya sometimes volunteered at the hospital, so she was able to lead them directly to the maternity ward. Walking toward the nursery windows, Chase held Amalya’s hand with a boy on each side of them. The boys let go of both of them at the same time and ran toward another man that was staring into the window of the nursery with tears rolling down his cheeks. Chase dropped her hand at the same time and took a step away from her. She tried not to read too much into it but strangely felt alone. He had only been holding her hand, but she felt the loss of heat through her whole body.

The boys yelled, “Uncle Devlin,” and he turned and knelt on the floor, lifting them both into his arms. Dmytri, always the more observant and caring, asked, “Uncle Devlin, what’s wrong?” The man let out another sob and pulled the boys into him again and held on. He looked over their shoulders at Chase then Amalya then back to Chase with a questioning look. Chase just shrugged his shoulders. She wasn’t sure what the look was all about, and she was getting more and more worried that the welcome by the other uncle wouldn’t be a warm one.

The man set the boys back on their feet and led them to the steps next to the windows so they could see in. He pointed to one small, clear crib with two baby girls cuddled together in it. “They are your sisters. Why don’t you stand here and watch over them for a minute so I can talk to Uncle Chase.” Both boys nodded at him as they waved to their new sisters and talked to them through the glass

* * * *

Devlin kissed them both on the tops of their heads and ruffled their hair before stepping back and turning to look at Chase. While he had been paying attention to the boys and babies, Chase had moved closer to him. Now only a few feet away, Chase was able to take two big strides and pull him into his embrace. This was what Devlin had needed since something had gone horribly wrong after the delivery. He had been pushed out of the room while the doctors had tried to save his sister. He had been pacing outside her room for what seemed like hours when her doctor came out of the room. He didn’t have to hear the words to know that his sister was gone. The doctor had explained to him that they had tried everything but couldn’t stop the bleeding, and they lost her. He had given Devlin time alone with her to say his good-byes. He had stayed with her until he knew that Chase would be getting close. He didn’t want Dmytri and Adryk to see their mom like that. He had just left her room and was checking on the girls when Chase arrived with his nephews and a female he had never met.

Chase held him close while he sobbed into his shoulder. He inhaled a scent that was
his
Chase, and it started to calm him. Chase was always his anchor when he needed one. There was something different with Chase’s scent, but Devlin couldn’t figure out what. He didn’t care at the moment. He just needed Chase. Devlin lifted his head and looked into Chase’s emerald eyes. “Thank you for being here.”

Chase replied, “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” before softly kissing his lips.

One gentle kiss wasn’t enough for Devlin when he was so lost. He needed to feel Chase and know that, no matter what, they still had each other. He nipped at Chase’s bottom lip until he opened for him. He explored the inside of his mouth with his tongue. It only took a second for Devlin to realize that there was something off with the way Chase tasted, too. Chase usually tasted like the grape Blow Pops he insisted on always having in his mouth and something that was all man and all Chase. He found no trace of grape on his lover’s tongue. All he could taste was white chocolate mixed with Chase. It didn’t taste bad, just different, and Devlin couldn’t understand where that flavor was coming from. He pulled his head back and buried his nose in Chase’s neck again, trying to figure out what the scent and taste were and why they were on his mate. He could smell a slight scent of jasmine. It wasn’t overwhelming, but just enough to know that Chase had come in contact with something or someone that smelled strongly of the night-blooming flower.

He pulled back again to study Chase. He looked like he had something to tell him, but Devlin couldn’t sense any guilt. So whatever Chase had to say to explain the differences couldn’t be what Devlin was thinking, because the only explanation Devlin could think of was that Chase had been hugging and kissing someone else. He knew Chase would never cheat on him, but his brain was not firing on all cylinders right now. He was becoming upset thinking Chase had been unfaithful to him. “Chase, why…” He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

When he inhaled, he caught the jasmine scent again. This time it was stronger and laced with sadness and anger. He looked over Chase’s shoulder to the female that had walked in with his family. He had seen her when they walked down the hall, but he hadn’t been paying close attention. Now that he thought about it, he thought it had looked like they were holding hands when he had first seen them. Then on his second look they were standing a few feet apart. He had chalked it up to the stress of losing his sister and feeling like his world had fallen apart. Now he wasn’t sure. He looked back to Chase’s eyes, silently begging him to say what he dreaded wasn’t true. When all Chase did was look back at the female, smile, and hold out his hand, beckoning the female closer, Devlin had his answer. Something was going on with the female, and Devlin knew he wasn’t going to like whatever it was.

* * * *

Amalya had stayed in place when Chase had walked away from her and went to console his friend. She knew the other man must be Devlin, and he and Chase were obviously close. With them both being Dmytri and Adryk’s uncles, she had thought they were brothers. When Chase had gotten the call at the school, he had called the other person ‘baby’ and told them that he loved them. Hearing it was Devlin, she had thought he was the baby brother. Now, after watching them kiss, she was angry. She couldn’t believe Chase would kiss her like he had and bring her here when it was obvious he was in a relationship with the other man. Along with the anger, she was having a hard time controlling her confusion. She was angry with him but had an almost overwhelming urge to comfort both men. Although she didn’t know the other man, and she was angry with Chase, she couldn’t bear to see them hurting. Adding to her embarrassment, watching them kiss had turned her on and made her want to join them. Now both males were staring at her. One with a look of seething and one with adoration. Chase was holding his hand out to her, waiting for her to come closer.

She glared at him before meeting Devlin’s eyes. “I’m sorry” she whispered. She wasn’t sure how he knew what had happened, but it was obvious from the look he gave her he knew that something had happened. She didn’t want to make a scene in the middle of the hospital, so she took a step back, planning to leave.

Before she could turn to walk away, the other man had closed the distance between them and held her by both arms, preventing her retreat. And he was far from gentle. She was going to have bruises the shape of his fingers. She didn’t try to struggle. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were together. I’ll leave and stay away. I’m sorry. Just let me go, and I’ll be out of your way.”

He studied her but didn’t loosen his grip until Chase came over and pried his fingers from her arms. “What are you doing? You’re hurting her. Let go.” When she was released, she turned to leave, but Chase stopped her this time by grabbing her hand and pulling her back to him and inspecting her arms where she could feel bruises were already starting to form. She tried to slap his hands away, but all she got for her troubles was a glare and a “hold still” from him. Thinking he was just a man concerned for a woman and would let her go when he was satisfied she was okay, she stopped moving and let him look her over. His fingers traced the marks, and she thought she could see tears shining in his eyes again. When he went to kiss a particularly dark bruise, she heard a growl before Chase was hauled backward and the other man was between them, right in Chase’s face, arguing with him.

* * * *

Devlin had had enough. He knew something had happened between Chase and the female. That much was clear. The female had said she was sorry and tried to leave. Problem was, she shouldn’t be the one apologizing. Chase should be. They didn’t know this female, so she probably didn’t know they were together. But Chase,
his Chase
, knew better. They had been mated for eleven years and had even left their birth pack to take over the pack here just to be together. When Chase had defended the female and was being so gentle and caring toward her, he had almost lost his temper further. When Chase bent to kiss one of her bruises he had caused, it had pushed Devlin over the edge. He couldn’t stand by and watch while he lost his mate. He had acted on instinct, ripped Chase away from the female, and gotten in his face. “What do you think you are doing? Who is this female? What happened between the two of you? How could you do this to me? We are mates.
Mates.
Don’t you know what that means? You promised forever.
You are mine.
”

Chase didn’t answer. He just stared at him and blinked rapidly. Devlin could feel his world falling apart. He couldn’t think of a reason for Chase to treat the human female the way he had unless there was something romantic going on between them. He had just lost his sister and knew if he didn’t do something he would lose Chase, too.

Devlin studied the female. He couldn’t image what Chase saw in her. Yes, she was pretty, but neither Chase nor Devlin had ever been with anyone but each other. They knew they had another mate out there somewhere and had agreed that no matter what happened, they would never be with anyone other than each other and their other mate when they found her. They had both been attracted to females in the past, but neither of them had ever acted on their attraction. It seemed strange to say, because they had been together for eleven years, but they wanted to ‘save themselves’ for their mate.

Devlin placed a hand on each side of Chase’s face and looked into his eyes. He whispered, “Chase, please explain this to me. I don’t understand. I thought you loved me. Please.” Chase still didn’t answer, and it was driving Devlin crazy. He looked over Chase’s shoulder at the female who was trembling and rubbing her arms.
Serves her right. No one touches someone else’s mate.
Devlin didn’t care that she was human and probably had no idea what was going on. He didn’t even care that he had hurt her. All he cared about was what was going on with Chase. He couldn’t lose his mate.

“Please, Chase,” he begged.

* * * *

Chase couldn’t believe what was happening. Being an alpha as Devlin was, fate always made sure that your bloodline would be carried on. That was how they knew their other mate had to be a female. But now that he had found her, not only did Devlin not recognize her, but he was being hostile and jealous toward her. Chase didn’t understand. He knew she had to belong to both of them because fate would never be so cruel as to mate him to someone that wasn’t Devlin’s other mate also. He looked into Devlin’s denim-colored eyes and placed a hand on each cheek. He answered the most important question first. The rest they could sort out if he could convince Miss McKinnon to stay and talk to them. “Of course we are mates. I love you, and that will never change,” he whispered as he wrapped one hand around Devlin’s neck and pulled him into his mouth. He kissed him gently while whispering against his lips, “I love you, baby. Never doubt that.”

Devlin pulled away from the kiss and blinked back tears, barely able to whisper, “Why?”

Chase massaged the back of Devlin’s neck with one hand while he feathered his thumb over Devlin’s lips with the other. “Don’t you know who she is?”

Devlin shook his head “No, I have never met her. But that doesn’t explain why you smell like her and why she keeps apologizing.” He narrowed his eyes at Chase. “Why is she apologizing anyway? What did you do?”

Without any hint of remorse, Chase stated matter of factly, “We kissed.”