ALPHA NOCTURNE’S CONTRACTED MATE CHAPTER 51
Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 51 It’s Fine
It was almost 4 pm when Adam and Ann arrived at Lexi’s nondescript little house. Ann knocked and smiled rea*s*suringly at Adam as he looked around at his surroundings dubiously.
“Are you nervous?” Ann asked with what she hoped was a rea*s*suring smile.
“No,” He answered a little too quickly as Ann squeezed his hand gently.
Adam sighed heavily and ran his free hand through his hair again.
“Okay, maybe a little. I feel like we’ve been pushed into this…” he started hesitantly before the door was flung open and Lexi’s beaming face appeared in the doorway. “Bestie!” She shrieked, throwing her arms around Ann and throwing me a wink. “Gosh, it feels like forever since you were here last. Look at you now, bringing a hot hunk of man meat along with you.” She sighed dramatically and placed a hand on her chest. “I’m so proud.”
Ann swatted her on the arm playfully and laughed as she blushed slightly.
“Behave. You’ll scare him away before we’ve even started.”
Adam shifted slightly on the spot and offered her his hand with a serious expression on his face.
Lexi looked from his hand to his face and snorted loudly as she pulled him forward into a bone-crushing hug.
“In this house, we don’t shake hands, we hug, wolf boy.”
She sniggered as he reluctantly patted her awkwardly on the back.
“Come on, let’s get you inside and ready for the journey.” Lexi led them through the tiny entrance hallway that opened out into a cozy living area. It was tastefully decorated with a warm color scheme but still managed to retain its welcoming, homey feel despite the modern aesthetic.
“I’d offer you a drink but I remember my first time using a portal.” Lexi grimaced.
“That bad?” Ann asked with a slight hint of uncertainty in her voice as Adam trailed slightly behind them.
He still wasn’t fully convinced that this wasn’t some elaborate scheme to weaken him and wrench his pack from his grasp and was scanning the room for anything that felt out of place.
Ann and Lexi sank down onto a couch and chatted happily while he paced the perimeter of the room slowly. “Relax fur ball, nothing is waiting to jump out at you. You’re both quite safe here.” Lexi snorted in amusement. “Adam, come and sit down,” Ann said placatingly at the fierce glare that Adam had directed toward her best friend.
He begrudgingly approached and tentatively took a seat on the armchair in the corner. He felt safer with his back to the wall… there was only one direction that any possible attack could come from then.
Ann sighed and reached over to pat his hand rea*s*suringly.
“Adam, I promise it’s okay. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t trust her completely.”
Adam nodded curtly, but said nothing, glaring across the room warily, his eyes darting guardedly from area to area.
“Dad shouldn’t be too long,” Lexi said as she returned her gaze to Ann.
“Oh! Your father is coming too?” Ann asked in surprise. “I thought he couldn’t leave his realm?”
“He can’t leave for long… let’s put it that way. He’s in the process of rounding up some… disobedient denizens of his realm.” Lexi chuckled.
‘Disobedient daemons? Who’d have thought…’ Maeve sniggered.
“I know, I know, I can hear Maeve’s sarcastic comments already. He has his own concerns about you both coming to his home.” Lexi said staring pointedly at Adam. He narrowed his eyes at Lexi and a low rumbling emanated from his chest.
“Just what exactly are you inferring?” Adam asked in a low tone.
Lexi grinned at him as she gazed at him shrewdly.
“Well, you aren’t the only one concerned with security. Think of it from his point of view. Most Daemon and werewolf interactions over the past few centuries have entailed the unquestioning slaughter of his race. He would be stupid not to be wary of you both, don’t you think? He is inviting you both into his home, after all.”
Adam’s mouth set into a thin line as he considered her words. She was right. They both had reason to be cautious. In Adam’s mind, he was walking straight into danger and would be extremely vulnerable while he was there, as would Ann.
But he could also see her father’s point of view, inviting an unknown Alpha into his home in order to fake a mating bond, at the request of his daughter. He was potentially leaving himself open to an attack from the inside.
“That’s fair. I can a*s*sure you that I wish only to erase suspicion from within my pack. There are other issues at play here that I’m not comfortable discussing yet though, such as the reason behind my need for a contracted mate in the first place.”
A slow smile spread across Lexi’s face that Adam couldn’t decipher the meaning behind.
“Oh, you sweet innocent little puppy.” She crooned, “You do realize that you can’t hide anything from my father …or from me for that matter?” Property © .
Adam stiffened suddenly as Ann frowned at her friend, her unusual eyes suddenly glowing slightly, the luminescent red in her black irises creating a frightening effect.
“There’s nothing that can be hidden from a Daemon, sweety. It’s in our very nature to see into another’s soul. Without you ever knowing, we can see your darkest fears, your most treasured memories, and the measure of your soul.” She intoned in an almost ethereal voice as the air in the center of the room began to distort.
Adam stood abruptly and reached for Ann, pulling her over to him as Lexi chuckled.
“Adam, please… it’s fine…” Ann said as she struggled against the vice-like grip of his hands and he growled in response.
Lexi smiled as the air seemed to condense around itself, exploding into a silvery, shimmery oval that appeared almost like a mirror.
“Don’t worry, Alpha. If I didn’t think you had well- meaning intentions towards both Ann and my father, then I wouldn’t have offered a solution. I can see the darkness that clings to the soul of both you and your wolf, and my father will too… although I am sure he will be able to give you more answers than I can. You have nothing to fear from us.”
As she finished speaking two figures stepped through the portal that had appeared in her living room and Adam’s face froze in a mask of shock.