Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
Nolan sent a quick message through the mind-link, informing everyone in town that it was now safe to return home. My birthday had quickly gone downhill, though I had no one to blame but my Father. I still considered it a blessing that Nolan was my mate, even with the problem of Tristan’s stubborn mark.
When we arrived at the packhouse, Dad had taken most of the elderly home in his truck. Grandma had already baked up a storm in the kitchen and was putting her cookies and brownies into Tupperware containers. They each had their own ways of coping with stress. Despite Dad’s injured knee, he insisted on being hands on. Grandma liked to bake enough pastries for the entire country.
The smell of Grandma’s pastries filled the house, and I couldn’t help but meander into the kitchen.
Tupperware containers were stacked by the dozen, and I watched as Grandma wiped down the counters with a rag, humming softly to herself. A relieved grin formed on her face as she caught my eye, pulling me into a hug that soothed some of the unease in my stomach.
“How’s Sean and Mason doing?” She asked.
“They’re alright, just helping the others clean up.” I sighed, giving her a tired smile.
“It seems we weren’t the only one’s busy.” Nolan commented, stepping into the kitchen.
A soft smile had formed on his face as he looked at my Grandma, one that made me want to ask about his family. Grandma gave Nolan a gentle nod, a bright smile forming on her face.
“Welcome to the family, Alpha.” Grandma chuckled, “I’m afraid I’ve raided your kitchen.”
“Would you mind passing some of those out to some families tomorrow?” Nolan asked, eyeing the dozens of Tupperware containers. “Save a few for us, of course. Daisy didn’t save me any the last time.”
Grandma’s eyes brightened at Nolan’s words, and I snickered as she shot me a knowing look. She had always judged someone’s character on whether or not they liked her cooking, and so far, Nolan was passing.
“Of course, I will.” Grandma nodded happily.
By the time Dad had brought all of the elderly home, Sean and Mason had returned to the house. The four of them piled into Dad’s truck, and headed home. I was practically swaying on my feet, and didn’t argue as Nolan led us upstairs.
“You smell like d***h.” Nolan chuckled dryly, picking up a strand of my hair and breathing deeply. His face contorted in a grimace, making me roll my eyes and smack his shoulder.
“You don’t smell so wonderful yourself, mate.” I smirked, making a show of sniffing him and nearly gagging.
“Keep taunting me and neither of us will get any sleep tonight.” Nolan muttered, though a rare smile had formed on his face.
The two of us hopped in the shower, and I used my remaining energy to scrub the scent of d***h from my skin. The steaming water released some of the tension from my body, but my mind was clouded with worry. There was no way Nolan would agree with my plan, but it was our last resort. The Vampire
King would grow tired of taunting us, and we needed information before that happened.
Nolan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed Tristan’s mark still lingering on my skin. The wound Nolan had left on my neck was healing, revealing a cobalt blue mark beneath the scab.
“His mark is still there.” Nolan growled lowly, tracing his finger over it with a dark grimace.
“I asked the shadows. They said I have a mate for each side.” I frowned, “I asked them to remove it, but the price was too much.”
“What did they ask?”
“They wanted our mate-bond.” I spoke softly, tracing my finger over the wound I had left on Nolan’s blemish-free skin. “I couldn’t part with what I feel for you. Not in a million years.”
“And what about this Vampire?” Nolan snarled, “What do you feel for him?”
I looked into his eyes, holding his dark stare. I let the truth ring through the mate-bond, soothing his aching heart.
“I feel nothing for him, Nolan. Nothing compared to the way I feel for you.”
Nolan scooped me into his arms, placing a fierce kiss against my lips. There was little restraint as our lips collided, my back slapping against the tiled wall. Desperation, love, and jealousy flashed within the kiss, and I devoured each emotion as the sparks lapped my skin. We only pulled away once our lungs were devoid of oxygen, our lips sore and bruised.
My mind was still reeling as we slipped into bed, the silk blankets grazing my b**e skin softly. Nolan pulled me into his arms, and I inhaled the clean scent of him. All man, mixed with spices and earth. The sparks that ran across my skin lulled me, making my eyelids heavy.
“Tell me about your family.” I found myself asking, my voice a sleepy mumble. “I hardly know anything about them.”
“My Mom’s name is Claire, my Dad is Killian. They had a rough start as mates, but it worked out in the end. I have an annoying little brother, Brandon, and a couple cousins.” Nolan’s voice was gentle, his hand tracing circles along my spine. “What else would you like to know?”
“Where are they now?” I asked, my words somewhat slurring together. “How did they have a rough start?”
“I sent them away when all of this began. My Mom, Dad, Brother, Aunt, Uncle, and cousins are all someplace safe.” Nolan replied, “As for my Mom, she dealt with some things when she was younger, things that came back to haunt her. Dad wasn’t so understanding at first, but eventually he came around.”
“They sound really nice.” My voice came out soft. Anything else Nolan had said fell on deaf ears, as I had already drifted off to sleep.
I woke to an empty bed, holding the pillow Nolan had been sleeping on. His side of the bed was still warm, letting me know he hadn’t been up for long. I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, and headed down to the kitchen. Nolan smirked as I walked through the door, one of my Grandma’s cookies in hand.
“Cookies for breakfast?” I asked, an eyebrow raised. I made myself a cup of coffee and drank deeply, letting the warmth seep through my body.
Nolan snorted at my comment and took another bite, “Can you blame me? You and Zeke ate everything last time. I never thought lavender cookies would be this good.”
“Never underestimate Grandma’s baking.” I shook my head, grabbing a cookie for myself. “She’ll have you on the ground if she hears you doubted her incredible skills.”
“Just as I have no doubt, she could defeat me.” Nolan chuckled. His carefree attitude was short-lived as last night’s events came to mind. Nolan knew I was coming up with a plan of my own, that I wouldn’t allow Breyona and Giovanni to suffer. “Care to tell me your plan concerning Breyona and Giovanni? I watched you mull over it for hours last night.”
The kitchen was the last place I wanted to have this conversation, but Bran, Zeke, and Nolan’s Beta were all still asleep. It was better to get it off my chest now, as I was unwilling to negotiate.
“I’m going to turn myself in.” I nodded, stilling the turmoil in my gut. At first, Maya was completely against the idea. She hated the thought of being unable to reach me, the thought of me being in danger. As the hours passed, she had come to agree. We had no information regarding where Breyona and Giovanni were being kept, and we hadn’t the time to send spies out into the world.
“No.” Nolan stated, simply put. His face contorted into a grimace, one that made my heart ache. “They’ll k**l you, Daisy. Have you thought any of this through?”
“You know I have, and I don’t think they’ll k**l me. I’m the Vampire King’s only daughter, he needs me to take the throne. My Mom’s d**d, so he can’t have any more children.” I said, taking a deep breath before launching into the details of my plan. “I’m going to turn myself in and gather as much information as I can about where their headquarters are. We know nothing about the Vampires, Nolan. We don’t know where they sleep or where they come from. When this war happens, we’ll be blind. We can’t afford to let them have the advantage.”
“And what about your heat?” Nolan asked, his voice growing darker with each word.
That was one of the downsides of this plan, that my heat would quickly be approaching. I had around a week, perhaps two, until my heat hit with full force and I’d be willing to mate with anyone. A she-wolf’s heat didn’t start until after she was marked, a way to speed up the mating process.
“I’ll have to get my information before that happens.” I grimaced, knowing how bad this plan sounded. “I have two weeks at the most, but I’ll get it done in a week. I won’t be anywhere near them when my heat hits. I’ll find a way to mind-link you, then you and a group of men can come and meet me at the entrance to where ever the Vampire’s go during the day.”
Nolan remained silent, clearly at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected me to think this through so thoroughly, but he knew I was right. We needed this information at all costs. It could be the tipping point of this entire war.
“And what if they place silver on you? You won’t be able to contact me. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for this pack.” Nolan shook his head, his lips set in a grim line.
“Tell me you wouldn’t do the same.” I pressed, “Tell me you wouldn’t risk everything for this pack’s safety. I’ll figure out a way around the silver, I’ll send the shadows to tell you if I must, but I need to do this.”
Nolan closed the distance between us, taking my face in his hands. His grip on my face was gentle, as were his lips when they met my own. It was nothing like last night’s kiss. The kiss was one of boiling, consuming fear. I could taste the terror on his lips at the thought of losing me. His tongue grazed along my lower lip, slowly begging for entrance. Just as I allowed him access, he pulled away, leaning his head against my own.
“Don’t you dare d*e on me, Daisy.” Nolan murmured, those honey-colored eyes burning into my own. My stomach fluttered unhappily at the thought of leaving Nolan, but we needed this information. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do to return to Nolan and this life I had built for myself.
“I won’t, I promise.” I murmured softly, running my hands over the rough stubble that coated his jaw. “I’ll always find my way back to you.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?