The Alpha's Long Awaited Mate

Chapter 9: Isn't It Suspicious

Michael stared at his brother in confusion. Did he somehow find out about Dani and is trying to distance himself? “Listen, Mike. I’m serious. I’ve been thinking about this since I turned 19 last month. Some things started clicking into place, but I don’t know how it’s possible, but there is NO other explanation.” Mateo pleaded with him. “Okay, Teo.” Kade consoled. “Just tell us what your thinking.” Mateo went to his brother, who was still looking at him like he was crazy. “Lift your shirt.” He commanded. “What?

 Michael asked. “Just do it, Michael,” Kade commanded. Michael lifted his shirt showing the mark of his lineage as a Swiftfoot beta. “Tell me again about the Swiftfoot mark,” Mateo demanded from him. Before he could protest Kade commanded him to just do it. Michael huffed. “Mom is a Swiftfoot. Her father, her grandfather, and all the fathers before then have always been betas to the pack. It has been that way for centuries. All members of the Switchfoot tribe have the marking. Mother, Granddad, everyone. If you’re born female, your sons are destined to be the beta of the pack, regardless if you marry an alpha. On the eve of their maturity, usually 18th or 19th birthday, the mark appears like a birthmark on the ribs.” “So, ONLY members with Swiftfoot blood have the mark, right? Dad doesn’t have it It’s not in his blood.” Mateo stated. At Michael’s affirmative, Mateo lifted his shirt, displaying the Swiftfoot mark. Michael was stunned. He rubbed the mark, making sure it wasn’t a tattoo, or some joke his brother was playing, but no. There it was, plain as day and embedded in his skin like a birthmark.  “What the hell!” “Look I read through some of Mom’s, Laurie’s, journals in her library one day, maybe like 2 years ago. She was saying how I felt more like hers than anything. It said I even had her and YOUR matching cowlick. How the hell is this happening Mike?”

                 Michael didn’t answer, just grabbed his phone and called his mother and told her to get to Alani’s home asap. Kade went upstairs to check on Alani, who was still blissfully asleep. He mind-linked with some of the pack warriors and told them to head to this side of the territory and secure the perimeter tightly. He didn’t like this one bit and had a sick feeling of dread. By the time Laurie arrived, Kade was back downstairs. “Mom. Look at this.” Mike said. He and Mateo both lifted their shirts, showcasing their matching marks. Laurie looked confused. “Mateo, you got a tattoo? You know how I feel about that, even if it is the Swiftfoot mark.” She admonished. “It’s not a tattoo Ma,” Michael said. Laurie’s head went back in confusion. “It has to be.” “That’s what I thought too. Touch it. It’s not raised or anything. It’s on his skin like a birthmark, in the same place, just like yours or mine.” Laurie touched Mateo’s mark. Tears came to her eyes. “How? This makes no sense.” “I don’t know mom,” Mateo said. “There’s no way that you’re not Barlow’s son, you and Michael are identical images to him, in build and looks,” Laurie said, more to herself. “Do you think Dani is a Swiftfoot.” “No,” Laurie said immediately. “There is no way. My uncle keeps the full lineage and lets me know whenever a new member Is born or married into it. He is very meticulous. She is not a Swiftfoot.”

                Mateo was silent. “Mom. Remember when you caught me reading your journals that one time.” Laurie looked at him. “You wrote that you felt I was yours. That I even had your cowlick. What if-what if somehow I’m yours?” “How would that even be possible?” Luke exclaimed. “I mean, Dani would need Aunt Laurie’s eggs for that to happen!” Laurie paled and collapsed into the couch. Michael and Mateo rushed to her, taking a hand, asking if she was ok. She nodded and looked at Mateo's tears in her eyes. “A long time ago, before we had Michael, Barlow and I didn’t think we could have children. I may be of the Swiftfoot lineage, but I wasn’t born a shifter. I was turned, you all know the story of the attack not long after Michael was born. But before then, I was just a normal human, part of an extraordinary tribe. My mother wasn’t a shifter either. She was a healer, just like me. I was dealing with endometriosis when I met Barlow. I still was before I was pregnant with Michael. Barlow was for sure that I was his mate, but I wanted to wait. I told him that I may never have children, and I didn’t think the moon goddess would grace him with an infertile mate. He was so supportive and he pushed me to store some of my eggs. We went to a clinic, fertilized some of my eggs and put them into freeze. If we made the decision to make a go of it, we would do IVF. A month later, I was attacked by a rogue and turned. I forgot all about them. A month after the attack, I was pregnant by Michael. I can't believe I forgot about them.”

                Kade was livid. “Call the clinic, as soon as possible, Aunt Laurie. If Dani has done this, then this has to go deeper than her just wanting to be the Luna of a pack. Uncle Barlow was deliberately targeted by her.” “How come you’re not mates if you have a child together?” Everyone whipped their head around to a sleep ruffled Alani making her way down the stairs with her air cast walking boot on. Kade went to her, picked her up and sat her next to his aunt, kissing her forehead. His aunt smiled at that. “It’s weird. We did mate, but his bite caused me agony. It burned me like he was biting me with silver. I still have the scar, but we’re not mated. Then Dani came along.” The men looked at each other, confused and concerned. “How could his mark burn you? This makes no sense.” Said Kade. “Kade,” Alani said. “Can you go to the bookshelf in my room. On the second row, 4 books from the left side, there’s a book by A.P. Mortimer. Can you grab it? It’s the only one on that shelf by her.” Kade looked confused but did as his mate asked. When he came back with the book, he rolled his eyes. “Babe, this is not the time for one of these fantasy novels.” “Shush,” She said. “I remember reading this, it was a super popular book. I first read it when I was in middle school. A.P. Mortimer was one of the first people to make shifter romances. I brought it because, in this book, she talks about how the bite of the male lead was cursed and burned his mate.” At everyone’s shell-shocked expression she continued. “It’s weird but, the leads were mated, but not really since the villain cursed his bite. Then using magic, she compelled him to mark her and they were mated. They ended up having a child, who was half wolf-half witch. Look I know it’s weird but maybe this Dani is a witch?” “But I’m not her son,” Mateo said. “Well maybe it’s not exactly the same as the book, but when Mortimer came out as a shifter, she said that this book was based on events of her family’s life. So her mate’s bite was cursed. Only because a witch was in love with him, but still, if this really happened to A.P. who’s to say that it can’t happen to you? It was a popular story; it wouldn’t be hard for someone to get the idea.”

                The group of them looked at her. Kade, knowing that the Coven and wolves weren’t on the best of terms. If it was bigger than a stray witch, they would have an issue on their hands. Just then, Michael’s phone rang. “Hello. Father.” Michael stopped, his eyes alighting with fury. He growled and stalked to the windows surprised to see the perimeter of the home tight with pack security. “Kade, did you secure the perimeter?” Kade nodded and Michael went back to his call. "Understood. No, she’s with me now. No. What?” Michael growled, his eyes burning fury, turning to Alani. Kade’s wolf immediately rose to the surface, growling in a challenge. Michael fell back. His eyes still burning with anger at Alani. “Affirmative.” He ended the call. “Alani, just how did you come upon this position?” He asked her. “What the hell?” Kade growled at him. Luke stepped up, placing his hand on his brother’s chest stopping him. “She was a recommendation, Michael. From Blair.” “You know Blair?” “She’s been my best friend since we were in diapers. What’s going on?”  Alani asked, concerned at his hostility. “Explain yourself!” Kade growled. “I apologize Alpha. Alani. That was dad. He told me to get mom secured. It seems that they reached the council. It looks like Dani and father weren’t mated at all. They were trying to break the bond only to be met by a compelling spell. Once the spell was broken, Dani’s mark disappeared. It seems she may have been after dad all along. When they chained took her, she was screaming that the alpha will be next.” “What does that have to do with me?” Alani asked, a little perturbed by his attitude still. “My dad just ‘found’ Dani to be his mate 21 years ago. She says that the Alpha was next and suddenly there you are, his mate. Don’t you think that’s suspicious?”

 Kade growled at him then. His wolf fighting to the surface, angry at Michael for the implication. Alani looked shell shocked. “Mate? What do you mean mate?” Michael paused at that. Alani had paled, Kade was livid. “You didn’t tell her that-“ “No I didn’t! It’s not something you just drop on someone!” “Kade? What’s going on? What does he mean? I just signed up for a job that Blair recommended me for. I don’t-“ Laurie touched her shoulder, seeing Alani becoming hysterical. “Why don’t you boys take this upstairs? I’ll speak with Alani.” They nodded. Kade kissing Alani’s forehead first. “It’s alright, love. I’m not pushing you into anything, okay?” She nodded. He sent a withering stare to Michael and stalked up the stairs to the office, his presence commanding that they follow. “One thing Alani,” Michael said before he followed. “You said you know Blair. Blair Winthrop from Catamount Falls, an hour away?” “Yes, we’ve been friends since we were babies. Her parents have been employed at the lodge since we were children.” “Your family works at Catamount Mountain Lodge?” “We own it.” He raised his brows at that then nodded. “My apologies, then. I know Blair and if she recommended you then I know you’re good.” With that, he left. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” Laurie said. “Do you know what it means to be the mate of a wolf?” Alani shook her head, then nodded, then shook her head again. She gave a little laugh. “Just what I’ve read in my books. I mean I know some of it may be close to the truth, but I’m not sure if it’s all real.” Laurie just nodded. “Well let me tell you what you need to know.”

While Laurie was speaking to Alani, Kade, Luke, Mateo, and Michael were in the office upstairs. Kade was trying to reign in his temper. His wolf was rabid against the slight his beta dared to make against his mate. Kade reined him in, knowing that even if he was wrong, Michael had his right to suspicion. Kade would have thought it was suspicious too if he hadn’t smelled her, had her the way he had. His heart knew that this woman was his. He paced back and forth. At a loss. “I think it’s safe to say that maybe Mateo is your full brother. I’m not sure what s**t Dani was pulling, but this is more than I could have imagined.” Michael nodded. “I apologize for accusing your mate Alpha.” Kae nodded. The apology calmed his wolf. “But now I have to think that possibly Alani’s fall was not an accident. Dad said that Dani was smug until they got closer to the council. He said she became jittery and made several calls. With her saying that you were next, I can’t help but think she had a plan in place.” Kade growled at that, his wolf sensing the danger in Michaels's words. “How would they have known about Alani though?” Mateo asked. “Me smelling for the first time was in town. We were in public. Anybody could have seen the moment we had. If they know what to look for, they could have an inkling that she was my mate. If they’re actively stalking me, they might try to take out any imminent threat to their plan.” Kade was livid, concern for his mate coursing through him. “Dad said to protect my mom. He thinks that Dani had something planned for her if he ever found out about the spell.” Just then, they heard an explosion go up. They raced down the stairs and outside. Three miles away, there was a fire blazing. It was in the direction of Michael and his mother’s home. Kade roared in anger. “Everyone! Get secured on our side of the compound! Now!”