The Alpha’s Contract  (Contract by Alpha’s #2)

The Alpha’s Contract (Contract by Alpha’s #2)

By Caroline Johnson

Chapter 0061

A rare flicker crossed her mind—a darkness she had long suppressed beneath the person she had become. Most would have found it unsettling, but to me, it was captivating. I wanted to draw it out, to see it fully revealed.

A sharp knock at the door cut through our conversation, accompanied by Raven’s distinct scent. Neah’s thoughts shifted, revealing her quiet relief at the interruption.

“Come in,” I called out.

Raven stepped inside, her gaze moving between Neah and me as if assessing the situation. “Hey,” she greeted. “Can I take Neah shopping?”

“Shopping?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow.

“A few of us are heading into the city. I thought she might want to join. Or am I interrupting something serious again?”

I turned to Neah, still tuned in to her thoughts. “It’s up to you.”

She hesitated before shaking her head. “I’m not... I’m not ready for that,” she murmured, her eyes flicking toward me. “It might not be safe.”

“It’s neutral ground,” Raven insisted. “No one can start a fight there. Plus, I’ll be with you the entire time.”

“Who else is going?” I asked, curious.

“Klaus, for one,” she listed off a few others.

“Klaus? Shopping?” I smirked. That wasn’t exactly his scene.

“He wants to pick up more books. You know how he is—won’t risk them getting delivered in case the pages arrive creased.” She rolled her eyes. “Also, I figured you’d prefer us to have a chaperone.”

“So, you dragged him along?”

“Exactly.”

I turned back to Neah. “She’s not wrong. The city is neutral. And I trust Klaus.”

Her voice dropped as she whispered, “What about Trey?”

I narrowed my eyes at Raven. “I assume the city isn’t somewhere he’d go.”

“If there’s a problem, we’ll get her out,” Raven reassured.

Stepping closer to Neah, I gently turned her to face me fully. “Raven has been going to the city since she was a kid—she knows it better than anyone. But if you don’t want to go, that’s fine too.”

She lowered her gaze. “You don’t want me to go. I can feel it.”

“I’d rather have you somewhere I can reach easily,” I admitted. “But keeping you hidden won’t help you move past your fears. I trust my sister. I trust Klaus. They won’t let anything happen to you. And if someone tries? They’d be making a very stupid mistake.”

“All the wolves know who my brother is,” Raven added. “Salem made sure of that.”

Though she claimed not to blame me for Salem’s rejection, the bitterness in her words made me wonder. I let it slide, keeping my focus on Neah. “The choice is yours.”

“What if I…”

“We trust that you won’t,” I interrupted.

I felt Raven’s eyes burning into me. I hadn’t told her yet.

“What?” Her gaze snapped to Neah as the realization hit. “Are you seriously telling me she’s like that thing you killed?”

“Yes.”

“So she’s not a wolf?”

“Technically, Lycans are part wolf,” I explained.

“Technically?” she repeated, incredulous.

“Yes.”

Aero groaned in my head. This is going well.

“So the guy in the dungeon—the one claiming to be her brother—he’s the same?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re letting him live?”

“For now. Are you questioning my decision?” My tone left no room for argument.

Raven quickly softened, shifting her focus back to Neah. “Are you okay?”

Neah shook her head.

“Then you need this trip,” Raven decided. “Get away for a while. Clear your mind. And spend a ridiculous amount of my brother’s money.”

Neah’s blue eyes darted to me.

“It’s your choice.”

She hesitated but ultimately agreed, though she spent the next hour making sure I was comfortable with it. Even as she got into the car, she asked one final time.

“Just try to enjoy yourself,” I told her.

Raven tugged her into the vehicle. “I’ll keep an eye on her. If it’s too much, we’ll come right back.”

Eric watched the car pull away. “You don’t usually go for the clingy ones.”

“This is different.”

“Because she’s your mate? Because you marked her?” He raised an eyebrow.

“She’s not clingy out of possessiveness—it’s fear. She just needs time.”

“And Raven? How’d she take the news?”

“She was more focused on the fact that I’m letting Devon live. Took her a second to realize that if she wanted him dead just for what he is, she’d be a hypocrite for not wanting Neah dead too.”

“Raven doesn’t warm up to people easily,” Eric noted. “She must really like Neah. She’s never invited any of the others out before.”

I nodded. Raven had always been more comfortable at the hospital than in social settings.

“There’s something I need you to do,” I said as the car disappeared from view.

“You want me to watch her?”

“Just as a precaution.”

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