Kestrel
Istumble and almost fall.
“Ugh! What happened?” I look up and see the guarded look on all their faces. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” Blaze asks curiously.
I scowl and run my fingers through my hair. “No,” I snap in irritation.
“Come on, let’s go get some food and find a bedroom for you to claim,” Blaze murmurs and leads me into his house. The dilapidated house, because from the outside, it looks amazing, but inside it is a nightmare coated in three inches of dust.
“You’re not going to tell me what happened, are you?”
“Nope.”
I grumble. There’s only one person who could have caused this kind of reticence, and that’s Jay.
I’m not going to ask what he said. That’s between them.
There are boundaries you have to respect with alters, and one of them is not babysitting what the others do.
It’s disconcerting, though, having this feeling that I’ve missed something important.
Jay is entitled to have his time and say what he wants to say and do, and he needs no one’s permission. Those are the rules we’ve established. As long as what we do doesn’t end up getting us hurt, imprisoned, or in a dangerous situation, we have a right to our privacy.
The house is a one-story large layout, almost cottage. It’s got wood log walls, a massive fireplace, and five bedrooms.
I wander around, opening and closing doors, investigating each and every room. It’s very contained, very practical. There’s no personality to this place.
I whirl around, studying Blaze.
“It’s very boring,” I say flatly.
“It is. I own it, but I’ve never stayed here.”
I make a sound that is perfectly neutral and slip past him, heading back to the kitchen, which is almost primitive. I stare at it and look at the hand pump. All the horrors of the world can’t beat this.
I’ve fallen into my very own horror movie, and there’s no way out.
“We aren’t staying here.”
Blaze puts a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t tell me you're scared of a little work?”
“No, I’m scared of whatever disease we might catch from drinking whatever metal that thing is made out of. It’s probably full of some ancient toxin. Plus, you know, where’s the toaster?” I whine.
“You can cook toast over a fire.”
“Do you have bread?”
“No.”
“I have to make bread from scratch and somehow cook it in that ancient old can just so we can toast it on an open fire?”
“Breathe, Omega.”
A low, angry whine comes out of the back of my throat. “I can’t survive in these conditions.”
“But I will be here with you.”
I stop mid freak out, twisting to stare up at him. “You’d better have a really big dick because that is the only thing that’s going to make this kitchen okay.”
Blaze tosses his beautiful mane of black hair back and laughs. He is gorgeous, but not enough to make this okay.
I open a cupboard and turn to glare at him as several mice skitter out and hightail it across the counters.
“Blaze,” I singsong.
“Surely, you’ve lived in worse?” he says in amusement.
“I have,” I agree, “but I don’t want to. This is going to make me unhappy.”
His eyes get all half lidded, and he watches my lips as I approach. “Will it? There’s nothing I can do to make it better?”
I moan softly, ready to drop to my knees when his eyes get all intense and dangerous. I slide my hands over my hips, swaying closer and closer until we’re almost but not quite touching.
His breath fans my face, and all it would take is one little lean to have my lips touching his, but that’s not the game.
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
“Oh, gee, I’d love to, but we need to rest up.”
“Alpha,” I whine.
He stiffens like I’ve hit him with a live wire. “Cheating.”
“I always cheat. You should remember that.”
“So do I,” Blaze says, and suddenly his alpha scent is pressing me back. Strong, dangerous, intoxicating. My will vanishes, and it’s all I can do to stay upright, clinging to my sanity as my body tries to shift into a heat I haven’t experienced in years.
“Bad alpha,” I murmur when I get control of myself.
“I think I might like hearing you swear at me. Though hearing you beg, too, will be priceless.”
“You had me all fooled. I was thinking you were the nice one. So playful and cute,” I say with a smile. I bite my cheek, drawing blood as I force myself to step back. “Dangerous, naughty alpha.”
“If it helps, I have a really big cock, and I know how to use it,” he says with amusement and fierce intelligence.
I turn away, letting out a frustrated growl, trying to clear my head.
His arms come around me, and he walks us across the room, but I’m lost in the feel of his hands on my ribs, sliding up and cupping my breasts, his lips grazing my neck.
When his hips pin mine to the counter, I can’t even fight him.
Not even sure I want to right now.
“I could have you right now,” he whispers in my ear. “If I wanted, you’d do anything I say. You’d even say thank you.”
“Only because I’d let you, and because you asked so sweetly,” I say in a husky murmur back.
His hand slides down, and he reaches between my legs and cups my pussy, then pulls up, dragging me up on my toes. The delicious and painful friction sends pleasure dancing along my nerve endings and leaves me boneless and panting against his chest.
“Let me talk to Merle, and I’ll give you everything you deserve.”
The cobwebs of his seduction are ripped away.
For one blinding moment, all I can do is stare out the window and see nothing but my rage.
But it’s enough.
I come back to myself and find Blaze unconscious on the floor.
“Interesting strategy, Raptor.”
I get a loud and clear, ‘he deserved it’ before she just kind of fades from my consciousness.
I rub my temples because, despite the fact that, yes, I agree, he did deserve it. I knocked out one of the alphas.
Hmmm.
Looks like I need to make a safety exit. I hop up on the counter, force the window open, and slip out the back.
Fuck these alphas.
Merle makes a protesting sound, but she quickly vanishes again, leaving me stuck. Do I go or stay?
If I stay, I might end up being killed.
No, they wouldn’t do that to Merle.
Would they?
But they might hurt me to get her to come back. Nope, I’m not doing it. Luckily, I have a fucking great memory, and one of the things I do remember clearly is Merle looking at someone’s map. So, I know roughly where we are. There is a town close by, one that I remember King mentioning.
One with a couple of omegas who might be persuaded to help me.
I decide not to stick around and find out what they have planned for me.
But half the fun is getting away, and this is going to be great fun.
It takes me until midnight to get to the town. I walk in, wondering which house to go and smash on, then I catch the scent of alphas.
I turn in that direction and knock on a blue door.
The alpha that opens it is huge and older.
I give him my most winsome smile. “I’m looking for Bonnie or Meg.”
His scowl gets dark. Props to him for recognising a threat, even looking as cute as I am.
“Who are you?”
“I’m…” I hesitate, “Merle.”
His eyebrows raise. “I was told you couldn’t talk.”
“Couldn’t, shouldn’t. It’s a work in progress.”
My stress is starting to show, and he’s sensing it. I probably should have spent a little bit more time working out my story.
“Listen-”
“Nope,” I say, pushing my way in and slamming the door closed. “Sorry, listen isn’t going to work.”
He considers me carefully. “Is that Pix’s alphas out there?”
I glower at the floor. “Yes.”
“And…?”
“They want Merle back,” I pout.
“Huh. Do you want a cup of coffee? Let’s go have a nice chat.”
I follow the big, burly alpha into his kitchen and find a couple of people already in there.
“This is my eldest son, Mark.”
Mark is pretty and seems solid. His whole vibe is this steady, calming, dependable strength that I want to lean into. But in the back of this house, I can smell Pix everywhere. The other person is an omega with a shrewd gaze and friendly smile.
“My name’s Yvonne.”
I bob my head. “Mer-”
“Uh-uh.”
I heave a sigh of pure exasperation. “Fine, I’m Kestrel.”
Mark leans on the bench, watching me intently. “You smell like Pix’s alphas.”
“My alphas,” I snarl defensively, “though they are being complete twats right now.”
“Do you want to explain that?”
Pix stalks straight into the house and grabs me by the arm. “Get out.”
I hiss at him; he hisses back.
“Pix!” Yvonne snaps. “Let her go.”
He drops my arm and stands stiffly. “This isn’t Merle.”
“We know. We were talking to Kestrel,” Mark says and salutes the omega with a steaming mug. “Get with the times already, Pix.”
Pix glances between us, glaring intently at me. “What did you say to them?”
“I told them about how you’re all small-minded walking penises with big dick energy but no follow-through,” I snarl back. “Teeny tiny dicks. Really disappointing. All the way round.”
Mark collapses on the counter, laughing silently.
“She’s not who she says she is.”
“Neither are they!” I say at once. “I know who you all are, I told you that before.” My announcement, which doesn’t come from me, hits the room and turns it deadly and dangerous.
What the fuck, Raven?
Oh, man, she is going to get us killed.
“Be very careful, Omega,” Mitchel says in a dark voice.
I turn and glare at him. “Or what?”
I slap a hand to my mouth. “Sorry, that wasn’t me. I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me, Mr Serial Killer,” we mock.
RAVEN!
“You do not know who you are messing with.” The danger in the air has turned sharp, and stolen the light from the room.
I sigh heavily. “Actually, I kinda do.”
Yvonne’s eyes widen while Mark leans on the counter, laughing still.
“I like her.”
They all glare at him.
“I can’t tell you how or why, but I do have a message for you,” Raven and I say together. “It is part of the reason why we were heading this way.”
What? We were? When were you going to share this with the rest of us? I snarl at Raven in my head. As usual, she doesn’t answer me.
“We?”
I fight hard but let go, letting her take over before the headache becomes unbearable. She holds on, then steps back, like it was all a test or a game.
I try not to howl in rage.
“Mm, we. Raven says Father knows who you all are. Has done for years. If you have contingency plans, the time is now.”
“Raven?” Yvonne asks sharply, standing up straight. “You know Raven?”
Pix growls. “She is Raven.”
All eyes fall on me.
“Kind of. We are…Raven and Kestrel at the moment,” I say in exasperation.
“Call Desi, Sari, and Bonnie. Get everyone here now,” Mitchel snarls and whips around, glancing at me.
Pix looks lost. “Raven? As in?”
I go and take a seat at the counter, watching the chaos, watching the comprehension bleed into Pix’s eyes. The knowledge that I’ve always been in his life, one way or another, even if he’s never met me. I am, after all, an honorary member of the RIP Alpha club.
Whoops, should probably have mentioned that earlier.
When the others show up, so, too, do our alphas. The packs collide, past and present, future and all that potential for anarchy.
I sip the coffee I’ve been handed and watch them all file into the house.
“You ran away,” Blaze growls.
“No, I knocked you out, then relocated for my own protection. I had a job to do here anyway, so two birds and one stone while I was flying past.”
“She talks!” Desi squeaks.
“It’s a miracle. Now, if only I could walk on water, that would really blow your mind.” I wink at the poor, confused alpha.
Mark doubles over, struggling to breathe. “Pix, if you don’t want her, I’ll take her.”
“I can’t get a hold of Sari,” Bonnie murmurs.
I don’t react, not even showing I’m paying even the slightest bit of attention to the omegas.
“We’ll try her later.”
I set my coffee cup down, watching as Roseland silently walks into the room. He’s a jaguar among wolves.
“Does everyone here know about the serial killer known only as Father?” I say, watching Roseland and only him.
The room goes still, the stillness that only comes from people suddenly feeling a chill of danger so extreme they react without conscious thought. Detective Aaron Roseland turns very slowly, so he’s facing me.
“Raven.”
No one hears him speak. Raven and I lift our mug to him. His face softens, and he sags before he moves towards me like I’m all he can see.
But I’m confused because how does he know Raven so well? But she won’t explain, so I don’t bother trying to ask. I just focus on the information she wants me to share.
“Well, I’m here to tell you he knows about each and every one of you, and he’s coming for you. You should all run, and you should run right now.”
Mitchel turns to Yvonne. “Go pack your bags. We’re in the wind.” He whirls back and glares at me. “How do you know Father?”
“He taught me everything I know,” I say softly.