Alpha Nocurne's Contracted Mate

Allen took the awe filled chatter between the specialists as a positive sign. They were horrified and terrified at her sheer power
as the flames had incinerated the corpse in seconds, and the image of her blazing eyes set within her perfectly calm face and
flame wreathed body had seemed almost deity-like.
He wouldn’t be surprised at all if, at least for these three men and those that listened to them, she became an almost mystical
figure.
However, Lexi was unnaturally quiet as they continued on towards the next site and both he and her father had noticed the
subtle shift in her aura and the almost depressive cloud of misery that seemed to hang over her.
Allen reached for Lexi’s hand wordlessly as they walked, intertwining their f*ingers together and squeezing her hand lightly as
they walked. She turned to him and smiled half-heartedly, but Allen could see the doubt and worry in her eyes.
Lord Brarthroroz stopped suddenly and stretched.
“We’ll need to take a little stop for a moment,” He announced, “Need to feed the hounds for their work. A little reward always gets
them working a little faster.”
The specialists didn’t object, merely taking a look at their equipment and nodding before swinging their backpacks down on the
ground before them and squatting next to them, rummaging through the bag for a snack and a drink.
Allen smiled gratefully at Lord Brarthroroz who winked in response before he wandered off happily to where the hellhounds sat
expectantly, with their drooling tongues hanging out the sides of their terrifying m*ouths.
“It’s almost as if you two planned this.” Lexi smiled ruefully as she allowed Allen to lead her off to the side a little way towards an
old stump and indicated for her to sit.
“We can both feel that there’s something wrong with you. Talk to me Lexi, what’s wrong?”
Lexi sighed and purposely avoided the soul-searching gaze he was currently fixing her with, instead watching the antics of her
father tossing small pieces of soulstone toward the hellhounds who bickered with each other for each one thrown their way.
“Lexi...” Allen pleaded with her, lifting his hand to her face and gently guiding her face back towards him, forcing her to look at
him again.
“It’s nothing Allen...”

“Bullshit.” He hissed fiercely, “I know you Lexi. Any other time you would have been poking the others about how awesome you
are trying to provoke a reaction, but you’re just... silent.”
“You’re always telling me to stop so maybe I’m just taking your advice...” Lexi countered defensively.
“Again, Bullshit Lexi. You never listen to me and there’s zero reason that you would now. Just... don’t shut me out. Tell me what’s
wrong.”
Lexi chewed her lip as she looked at his imploring eyes, hating that the sight of it made her melt and that he could push through
her usual defenses with ease.
“I’m fine, Allen. Just... I wasn’t expecting the way I reacted to be so... terrifying.” She said finally as he frowned in confusion.
“I don’t think you were terrifying... you looked pretty badass to me... beautiful as well if that makes you feel any better...” He said
with a small smile trying to make her feel little better but it seemed to have the opposite effect as she tutted and stood up, pacing
angrily away a few steps and wrapping her arms around herself.
“That’s not what I meant.” She snapped irritably as Allen moved to stand at her side.
“Then tell me Lexi,” Allen snapped back in frustration as he reached for her arm, “Let me at least try to help.”
“You can’t help with this Allen. As much as I want you to, you can’t.” she hissed, “The daemon soul that whispers its desires in
my heart each time I pull from its power and feed it with the energy I consume... it’s getting harder to resist it Allen. You are
mated to the soul that derives its power from my mother, the ancient magic of the earth, not light, not dark but gray in its
application. It doesn’t hunger for destruction but rather for life and all that comes with it, including death. You are my grounding,
my stability for that soul, and your mere presence soothes its cravings. But my daemon soul ... it...” She trailed off, not wanting
to hurt him with the words that were nothing but the truth.
“It needs Greyson.” He finished for her, his m*outh set in a grim line.
The sour look and hurt on his face tore Lexi apart and she wished for what seemed like the thousandth time that her life wasn’t
as complex as it was. It was all she could do to nod wordlessly as Allen sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to
his chest and rubbing her back gently.
“We’ll find him, Lexi. If anything had happened to him, I think that you would have felt it. Even though you aren’t marked. For now
though, do you really think your father would let anything happen to you? That I would?”

“You don’t understand Allen, I could feel it. The desire to consume everything around me and take its energy for myself... what if
I give in? What if...”
“Enough Lexi.” Allen said sternly, “You cannot live your life on what if’s and if it came down to it and you were teetering on the
brink of destroying not just me, but your father and friends too, I have to think that your other soul, the one that I claim as mine,
would stop you somehow.”
“But what if it doesn’t? What if... “ She whispered tearfully.
“Do you know what I think? Each of your souls are clearly intelligent enough to know what they desire. If that’s the case, then
they both know that both of them live inside of you, in balance. If one of them were to succeed in consuming the other, then
honestly, don’t you think it would destroy you and thereby itself?”
Lexi blinked up at him, a little bewildered. “I don’t know. I hadn’t considered...”
“If one of your souls is stupid enough to lead to the destruction of the vessel that holds it, then quite honestly, your ancestors
cannot be as intelligent as I was led to believe.”
Lexi could feel the daemonic energy’s fury at his words, but she had to admit, Allen was right. Would it really risk the destruction
of itself?
“You’re both wrong.” Lord Brarthroroz said quietly as he approached them, “The energy you hold in itself is not intelligent, Lexi.
What matters is who controls that energy and the intention of those it is mated to.”
“Then surely, Greyson wouldn’t allow it to destroy her..” Allen asked with a confused frown as Lexi looked toward her father with
the same look.
“No. Greyson wouldn’t allow that.” Lord Brarthroroz answered mysteriously with a thoughtful expression on his face.
A moment of silence passed between the three of them as a sinking feeling seemed to hit Allen’s stomach. Why did there seem
to be something more behind his words?
“Let’s keep moving.” Lord Brarthroroz continued abruptly as he began directing the hounds and the specialists packed their gear
away.

As they made their way towards the next site, with Lexi’s hand held tightly in his own, Allen couldn’t help but wonder what Lord
Brarthroroz wasn’t telling them.