The Lost Mate (Alpha Inc. Book Two)

The sound of utensils hitting the fine China, and the distant chatter of the house spilled down the long hallway on the first floor. I'd slipped out of the kitchen after grabbing a quick bite to eat, so I could exchange my books for new ones in the library. The moments alone in the library were my favorite. It was kind of Jason to convert the extra office to a library for me, and one he wouldn't let me forget. The thought of his fingertips against my skin brought back too many unwanted memories. Being promised to him still left a horrible taste in my mouth. Even after all these years. My time at the kingdom could have been worse, I knew that, but it wasn't what I wanted. I didn't deserve to be ripped from my family, and my life. No one did. When they took me from the woods that day, my entire life changed for the worst. Seeing the hopeless look on Emily's face as they dragged me away. It still haunted me at night.Not to mention the struggle of the two boys we met in the woods. I b

I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was the closeness of our bodies, for such a long period of time, or the fact that his smell had my head swimming. I knew wolves talked about smelling their mates, but I didn't realize a human could as well. Thinking about laying on the futon without him made my body shiver. I hated the idea of being without him. However, I was scared of his touch. Not because I feared Marcus, but because of what Jason's touch did to me over the years. Marcus nodded slowly, dropping the water bottle in his hands into the trash can in the corner before flicking off the lights. Fear strangled me. So many times Jason had come into my room at night, when I was sleeping, and touched me however he wanted. It took tears and screaming for him, and a lie on my part, to get him to stop. He planned to deflower me when we were young, but his father told him to honor his future queen. When his father died, it was as if a switch flipped off, and he would stop at nothin

Marcus rounded the corner of the bedroom door, glancing briefly over his shoulder before disappearing. Jessica rambled on about finding me some clothes, while I cringed at the thought of being dressed like a Barbie doll. My thoughts wandered to what Marcus' mother was speaking to him about. Was it about Jason and the lycans? Did she know more than she originally said? "What size bra are you? 32B or 32C?" she asked, eyeing my boobs as if I weren't attached to them. A blush traveled along my face, and I hated myself for being so timid. I wanted to be the girl I once was before everything happened. When I danced around in my room with Emily— "Emily," I blurted out, not realizing I'd even spoke aloud. "He'll go after Emily."Jessica stopped her rampage of words. "What?" "Emily. My sister," I said. "Have you seen her? Jason will remember, and go find her. He'll hurt her—," I shoved past Jessica and ran into the hallway. Marcus stood with his back to me, tension rested in his wide shou

I sat on the couch, tears dripping down my face as I silently cried. I'd become accustomed to it over the years, crying in silence. So that Jason wouldn't hear me, and prey on the weak like the vulture, I knew him to be. Marcus stood at the window, one hand in his pocket, and the other scrolling on his phone. I could tell he'd known Hex a long time, and the fear of him dying because of me felt deafening. I hadn't even realize someone knocked on the door when Marcus walked over to answer it. A blond-haired man stalked inside, with a tall red head behind him. I stood, out of habit, and interlaced my fingers in front of myself. The man stared at me with a kind smile. He looked a little like Marcus, with blond hair, but his eyes matched their mother, Barbie. "Well, you must be Lilly," he said, offering me a handshake. I took it carefully. "I am.""I'm Scotty, Marcus' other brother. This is Heather."Heather looked exotic, and something about her screamed paranormal, but not a wolf. I'

Marcus was different from anyone I'd ever met. The way he watched me, how observant he was while I ate, making sure I ate. He'd been right. Jason never cared that I ate anything. Most of the time there wasn't much left after the lycans finished their meals, or he forgot to come get me from my room.So the hardly there dinner was all I had. It was more than enough to keep me alive, but I partially thought he enjoyed me being small. He always commented on liking 'small-framed' girls.I was definitely that.I slid the last piece of pineapple past my lips, and savored the taste of it. The lycans didn't have much of anything other than meat. Even their snacks, as you would call them, were beef sticks and slices of meat.The pineapple brought me back to my youth. My mother would cut them up and put them in my lunch for school.Marcus grabbed my empty plate before I could, and tossed it into the dishwasher, before turning to face me. "You like pineapple? Noted.""It's been a long time since