Behind The Alpha Book 8 ADAM

ASTRID

My eye opened to darkness. I almost forgot where I was until my eyes fell on the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.

Adam is sleeping soundly. He looks so peaceful, I don’t want to wake him. He should wake soon. We have to find a way out of this cave before the Vampires find us.

I sit up, stretch and stand. I grab my pack and walk through the small tunnel to the lake to clean up. After, I come out and walk back up to the hole.

I up at the broken ceiling and scan the walls. I look around the floor with a sigh and my hands on my hips.

“Impossible.” I chew my lip and leave the cave.

Traveling back down to the next level where Adam is, I feel something. There’s a definite temperature change.

I try to sense it as I step around piles of rocks and Adam’s feet. I stop at the left side tunnel and stare into the blackness.

Raising my hand to the entrance, I feel a small gush of warm air come from it.

Curious, I walk into the black. The air increases a degree or two, the deeper I went.

My brow cinches as my eyes adjust and I’m stopped by a cave in. There’s heat coming from it. I place my hand on a stone and it’s certainly warm.

“What did you find?” He deep, quiet voice traveled down to me and I turn.

“You’re awake.” I smile.

He nods. “Surprisingly. I drank a lot of your blood. My shifters running the pack while my vampire sleeps it off.”

I shake my head. “You are very strange.” I giggle.

He arches a brow. “So are you.” His emotionless tone makes him sound so attractive and mysterious. My wolf lets out a little yip in approval.

I turn to the rocks. “I think there’s something here. It’s warmer.”

He walks up to the blockage and lays his hand on it. He looks it over. “Stand back.”

The cave lights up with yellow from his eyes and he takes off his jacket. I watch in amazement as his chest coats with white fur and his head turns to a very large wolf. His arms grow and his hands turn to long clawed fingers.

The lycan growls as he grabs a boulder off the top and pulls it off. He grabs another and another. He pushes and shoves the rocks. As he does, the air rushes in and it’s hot. There’s a hint of light that increases as he removes the rocks and the breeze smells fresher.

He shifts back and sticks his head into the gap. “A way out.” He mumbles.

“Really?” My eyes widen with excitement.

He grunts and shifts again.

He puts all his power into it and dig us out.

His lycan grabs his jacket and enters the hole he made. I crawl over the rocks behind him as his lycan enters the other side. I see the exit and start to laugh with relief.

Adam shifts, shrugs his jacket on and proceeds to the end.

I have to shield myself from the sun as I enter the desert and Adam stops. The wind from the mountain range tosses our hair as I see what he’s looking at.

The crack spreads far. My heart sinks when I see the broken city on the horizon.

“My bike is this way.” He grumbles as he turns away from the ravine.

“I know.” I say as I put a hop in my step to catch up.

I parked beside him. It’s how I knew he was up there, though I didn’t really think I’d find him in the pack house. I had a bit of an intuitive feeling that he would be there.

We hopped on our bikes and started the engines.

“I need to get to Falcon.” He says as he prepares to leave.

“What about my people?” I ask as I turn my head to him.

He side eyes me. “Soon. I just need to collect someone important to my mission.” He looks ahead. “Then we'll deal with your monster nymph.”

“Than...” I was about to thank him, but he hit the throttle, spit dirt off his tires and joined the highway that rode along side the crumbled mountain.

“Okay.” I sigh, tick my head and leave right behind him.

****

We made some stops along the way to eat and rest.

He didn’t talk much. The moment I tried to question him about the thoughts that still haunt me, he changes the subject to my problem with Iris.

“She came out of nowhere. We were in our first month and had built up so much in that time.” I say as I kick back with my boots at a fire he built.

The desert sky was a blanket of stars and the moon was full and bright. The mountains were like black backdrops on the night horizon.

I flip the rabbit Adam caught for me as I relive the horror of the first attack.

“Eight left on the hunting party. Three came back with barely their lives. They were frozen, scared and adamant at what they saw.” I say as I poke at the flames.

“What did they see?” Adam asks. He’s leaning on his elbow next to me.

“Iris. At least, I think it was. They kept calling her The Snow Queen. She attacked them. They were unprepared.” I mutter.

“The rest…dead?” He asks.

I shrug. “She took them. We never found them. We assumed she killed them and froze them to the mountain somewhere. I told Christian we needed to fight back and he agreed, until he came back with an icicle spear in his stomach. He almost died.” I flip my rabbit again.

“What do you mean…until?” He furrowed his brow in curiosity.

I glance at him. “I don’t know. You’d think almost losing your life to the Snow Queen, you’d want the upmost revenge, but he changed.”

“How so?”

“He…wanted her alive…kept saying he could reason with her. He just needed to talk with her. In the meantime, more people were disappearing while he stalled.” I say as I pull out my done dinner.

I pull off some meat and pop it in my mouth. As I chew, I offer some to Adam.

He shakes his head and puts his hand up. “It’s alright. I drained its life before I killed it. I’m full.” He smirks.

I chuckle and go back to eating.

“So you think she did something to him.” He states.

I nod and lick my fingers. “I know she did. My brother may be diplomatic, but never this much. The Christian I know wouldn’t let anyone live that threatened his people.”

“Maybe he knows something we don’t.” Adam suggests.

“Something that would warrant such mercy?” I question.

He ticks his head and lip. “Possibly. It would make sense. Wes said she was protecting her snowflake. Maybe Christian wants to help her do that to stop the killing.”

“Maybe. He won’t tell me. Maybe he’ll tell you.” My eyes connect with his and looks down and picks at the sand.

He lays on his back.

I drop my food. “I still haven’t really thanked you for the other night. I just want you to know that it was a really special moment for me.”

He closes his eyes and rests his laced fingers on his chest while crossing a leg on his propped up one. “Finish your rabbit and get some rest. We leave in a few hours.” He grumbles then falls silent.

I pick at my dinner while glancing at him every few seconds. My thoughts on this are all over the place. Is he purposely being cold or does he really not feel what I do?

I decide not to poke. We’re at a point where he’s not as irritated with me as before and I want to keep it that way.

Eventually, I'll find out the story of Adam Spencer and I can’t wait to hear it. I need to know what kind of history this man has. How he came to be. Both me and my wolf want to know more about the man behind the cold green eyes.

I just hope he let’s me in more than he has.

****

Another day, brings us into Falcon Ridge.

We drive up the main street and park on a quiet side street nowhere near the Security Unit.

“What are we doing?” I ask as he dismounts.

He checks himself in his side view mirror then stands. “Breaking someone out of prison.”

I smile and huff out a small giggle. “You must be kidding.”

He side eyes me with narrow eyes. “I don’t kid.”

I was about to ask for explanation, but the wind exploded, sucking my hair forward and I was pushed to my handle bars by the gusting downburst created by his sudden speed run.

I shove my hair out of the way and Adam is gone.

“What?”

****

ADAM

I ran through doors as they opened. People were just shocked enough when they felt me pass, but not enough to question it intently.

I ran to the cell block where Michael was held when I last left him.

I had made my reflections disappear so, I won’t be on any cameras. They’ll see Michael escape, but won’t know how or by who. They can chase ghosts.

I stop at a glass wall and cross my arms.

He’s laying on his cot, looking sickly.

“Michael.”

He lifts his head and his uncovered eye turns to anger. He sits up and springs to his feet.

“Where the hell have you been? You said you were breaking me out of here.” He grits as he rushes the wall.

His yellow/green eye glares at me as he rubs his shaved head. There’s a scar across his skull.

I motion to it. “What happened?”

His fingertips lightly trace it. “Just a little brain surgery…they want to fix me.” He grumbles as he looks to the floor.

I shake my head at the archaic assholes. “They can't fix you. Only you can do that.”

His brows come together. “How do you mean? I can’t be fixed.”

“You can. You just have to say yes to me and want to be fixed.” I tilt my head to him.

He spins and walks away. “What’s it matter? My mate…my ex mate…hates my guts…My Alpha and best friend, can’t even look me in the eye. What’s the point of fixing me?” He sits on his cot and holds his head. I can feel his depression and regret, but I also feel something else. Like a thick, black oil slick oozing just below the surface. It pulses with his heart and calls out to him. The power it holds can’t be delivered.

I place my hand on the glass. “Those are consequences that are paid. I think you’ve paid enough. Now, Lefu must not be allowed to take from you anymore. All you’re doing is making him stronger. Is that what you want?”

He rolls his eyes to mine. “No.”

“Redeem yourself. Start new. Join me. Use the power he gave you against him. Send him to hell.” I lean to the glass and stress my case.

Michael is key to weakening the demon. His soul is what started it in this time, his soul will be one of many to finish it.

He sucks in his top lip and stands. He slowly walks to the glass. He looks at me and tilts his head. “You think I can kill Lefu?”

I nod. “I do. With my help.”

He studies my unblinking eyes as I stare at him. “What do I need to do?”

I push off the glass. “Hold your breath.”

He stitches his brows together. “What?”

In a blink, I break the glass wall with my fist at his neck. I grab his shirt and drag him out of the prison, across the property and through the streets to the bikes.

Astrid is almost knocked off hers with a yelp and Michael falls to his knees, coughing.

“Get up. You know how to drive?” I grumble.

He tries to catch his breath as he eyes the motorcycles. “Yeah. What the fuck…”

“No time.” Sirens and alarms rise from the prison. “Astrid, you’re with me.”

“What did you do? Who is this?” Astrid looks Michael over with confusion as she gets on my bike behind me. Michael takes her bike and starts it.

I glance over my shoulder. “I’ll explain later.” I turn to Michael. “Follow me.” I instruct as I spin my bike around and speed through the city.

Michael is hot behind me. The two bikes hit the highway and disappear into the trees of the surrounding forest.

I may get a lot of backlash from what I just did, but I don’t have time to continually explain myself.

If people want me to save this damn planet…

They’re just going to have to trust me.