Marked by the Alphas

Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Elara POV

“Urgh, for fuck’s sake,” I mutter under my breath as I step away from Braden and wrap my arms around my body, protecting myself from Anton’s death glare. I am not ashamed of my body, but sharing it with a creep like Anton is not on my priority list.

Braden pulls off his flannel shirt and throws it around me. The gesture makes me tingle, and I smile gratefully at him.

“I asked you a question, Elara,” Anton says, jutting out his pointy chin. “What’s going on here?”

“You have eyes,” I cross my arms and cock my hip. “I think you can tell for yourself.”

Braden scoffs behind me, and Anton’s wolf flashes in his eyes.

“I don’t appreciate being spoken to that way.” Anton’s voice drips with wicked satisfaction. “You’ve gotten yourself into some pretty deep shit here, and I can sure as hell make it deeper.”

I am well aware that I am pushing my luck if I do not comply. What is the punishment even for being caught with a vampire when I am not even supposed to know they exist? I guess I am about to find out.

“Look, whatever you’re going to do to me or yell at me about, can we just get it over with?” I ask him.

“Yes, Anton,” Braden surprises me, and I swing around to look at him, and an amused expression crosses his face. “Let’s get it over with, shall we?”

“Wait,” I glance from Braden to Anton, his fists clenched by his sides. “You know each other?”

“Oh, yes,” Braden replies, “We go way back, don’t we, Anton? Unfortunately for me.”

“That’s enough, Braden,” Anton growls, reaching into his pocket and unearthing a small pouch. He reaches into the pouch and holds out a small handful of sandy-looking powder.

“What the fuck?” I frown.

“Anton,” Braden jumps forward, throwing out his arms. “Don’t do this, Anton.”

But he is cut off as Anton takes a deep breath and blows the powder straight into my face ... and then everything goes dark.

Kane POV

“Where the hell have you been?” I growl when Axel enters the office. “I had to face the High Elder alone, and ...

“I was with Alice,” he cuts me off, and instantly, I am furious, forgetting about the vampires.

“What the fuck, man?” I growl. “I told you ...”

“She was with Dad,” he shouts, and my words dry up for the second time in one day.

“What?” I ask, dumbstruck.

“I swear that’s what she said,” Axel repeats. “She was with Dad.”

“That’s ... that’s ridiculous,” I shake the image of Alice and Dad grinding together on a hot, dark dance floor out of my mind. “He knows we love her. For goddess’ sake, he saw her sneaking in and out of the mansion for the past two years when she came to see us.”

I cannot believe this ... but then, Gustav just told me that my parents were the ones responsible for making sure none of us knew what really happened in the Great Wars. If they were capable of telling a lie of that magnitude, then who knew what else they were keeping from us?

“I know,” Axel sighs. “It’s insane.”

“It’s a lie,” I shake my head. “That’s what it is.”

“Actually, it’s not,” Dad’s low, gravelly voice booms around the office as he sweeps inside. “Alice was with me.”

“What the hell were you doing out all night with our mate?” I stand up so fast, my chair flies over and lands with a crash on the wooden floor. freewёbnoνel.com

“What the fuck has gotten into you?” I yell at him. “Why do you think it’s okay to keep this shit from us? Or manipulate us like we are still children? You have given up the Alpha title to us. We’re not your fucking puppets. You, of all people, should know what that looks like. You should know what kind of trouble that could cause!”

“Have you forgotten who was Alpha first? Father rolls his eyes. “I know what I’m doing, Kane, and to be frank, it doesn’t concern you.”

“Goddess,” I slam my fists onto the table, my wolf surging to the surface. “If one more fucking person tells me ...”

“I’m sure Father has good reason for holding back.” Axel calmly interjects, turning to Dad. “But if you could share, Dad, it would help all of us.”

“Don’t even try to reason with me,” Dad barks out a short, mirthless laugh. “No one would’ve known who Alice had been with if she hadn’t opened her big mouth and told you. So why don’t you sit back down and shut your mouth?”

I see red. Axel’s rage shoots through my body, mixing with my own in a swirling lava rushing through my veins. I stomp over to Father, his lips curling up in a smirk as I get closer. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

“Leave it alone, Kane.” he holds up his hands.

“Like hell I will!” I snarl. “If it comes down to choosing between my reputation and you, I’m choosing my reputation every time. You’re not going to be the reason the pack stops respecting us. I’ll banish you and Alice before I let that happen. You won’t keep things from me anymore, Father. I won’t stand for it.”

“Are you sure about that, son? He scoffs, his lack of reaction even more infuriating. He is doing everything he can to remind me that my power was in his hands, and I will not stand for that. “There are things you might not want to know. And once you find out, there’s no going back.”

“Oh, like what?” I roll my eyes. That was the understatement of the fucking century. “You don’t want us to know about vampires?”

Axel’s head whips around to face me, his eyes wide. I did not even have a chance to catch him up on everything Gustav had told me. But now is not the time to explain.

“Or you don’t want us to know how you made a deal at the end of the Great Wars to ensure none of us knew vampires ever existed?” I snarl. “Is that it?”

Father’s face drains of colour, and I smirk, satisfied. I caught him off guard.

“You weren’t there!” he growls, his wolf flashing in his eyes. “You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”

“I made you, son,” he creeps toward me slowly, his claws emerging as he does. “I gave you this title whether you deserved it or not. And I can take it away ... just like that.”

“You fucker,” I am not ready to back down. I feel my own claws rip through my skin, but I stop abruptly when my senses are suddenly overwhelmed. The same spicy, ancient scent I smelled that day when we found Elara by the lake.

I freeze and turn towards the door just as Braden rushes in. Before I can turn my fury on him, before I can wrap my hands around his slimy little throat, he speaks.

“Elara’s been kidnapped!”