Behind The Alpha Book 8 ADAM

ADAM

The lectures went on and on about responsibility and respect. If they only knew, they’d shut up, but we’re not ready for that conversation.

Much to my irritation, they agreed to stop hounding me if I agreed to one, simple thing.

Join Quinten Preston’s youth support group for troubled lycans.

I really needed this to stop, so I agreed. I’ll humor them, for now. It’s not like my lycan is like all others. He may have a short temper, but that’s his nature. No amount of therapy will change it. No matter how much Hunter insists. He may have actual mental problems, but I don’t. I just hold a high regard for my privacy and there’s very valid reasons for that. Remember that heartache I talked about? Yeah, that’s why.

So here I sit with my mother as we drive to an area outside the broken wall. The construction development is coming up fast.

Quinn's Group home for lycans, is actually needed. I do agree with that. The lycans I have run into so far are in desperate need of help if they’re to survive. The lycans today are impulsive, reckless, self-destructive and angry. From what I learned, Quinn is like me. We both turned extremely early and grew up fast. We both have strong intellects too. I wonder if it’s a hybrid thing. I don’t know much about my mother’s hybridization. I never asked. It doesn’t matter how it happens, only that it does…every time.

I will admit, I may not have full control of my lycan right now. I’m still developing so, he has to have a certain level of control in my body. My shifter is content, but my vamp side fights constantly and it aggravates.

“This will give you social opportunities outside the Hive, Adam. It’ll be a good thing.” She says as she watches the road.

“I don’t need friends.” I mumble.

“Everyone needs friends. Don’t fool yourself. I was once like you. Then I realized what I missed when I lost the Hive. We all need people who will support us. Your father and I won’t be around forever.” She says.

“Neither will I.” I whisper.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I groan.

She tilts her head to me. “Adam, just try and make friends.”

I sigh and adjust myself in my seat. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” She says as she turns onto the recently built bridge that will take us out of the mountain wall and along the ravine.

Just on the other side is what looks like a cross between a ranch and recreation center. The sign above the door says ‘Youth Support Group’.

We park in the lot and get out.

We both cross to the doors as other parents escort their kids to the building. A lot of them look like street kids and they all smell of lycans.

My mother holds the door as we walk in. The small front lobby has posters of inspiration hanging on the walls.

One sort of resonated. ‘Only you can control your future.’ It has a picture of kids in school. They look happy.

I almost wish that was true. It’s hard to control something that was stolen from you. There’s no reason for it either. No explanation as to why me? The only control I have is when my future ends. That’s it. Everything else is in somebody else’s hands. I don’t know whose, but I’d love to find out. Then maybe I could rip his heart out.

Seeing that poster rose my blood heat and I felt my heart start beating. I quickly shut it down. I don’t need to be flipping out in a room full of lycans.

We approached a door with a sign on it that said ‘Lycan support group’.

My mother opens the door and Quinn is in the middle of the floor and there’s a semi circle of kids all around him.

“It’s bullshit.” One kid who looks like three other kids says.

“Why do you say that, Caleb?” Quinn asks.

“Because. Why do we have to be suppressed? They should adjust to us.” Another says.

“Well, Chris. Why do you put a muzzle on a dangerous dog? Why cage a tiger? It’s not just for your safety, it’s for theirs too. If they were allowed to be free, they could really hurt someone. The animal would be destroyed. Until we find a better solution to the blood addiction, this is what we have to do to keep you and everyone safe.” Quinn explains.

“Yeah, but we can’t have babies.” A girl says.

Quinn nods. “I get that. It’s hard. Again, it’s only because of what we could become. It looks bad now, but we’re trying new things every day. Hopefully, we can correct that.”

He looks our way and excuses himself. He gets up and walks our way.

“Lainey. This must be Adam.” Quinn smiles. I don’t return it.

“Yes. This is the lycan support group?” She asks.

“Yep. How are you, Adam?” Quinn asks.

“Fine.” I glance around the eyes staring at me.

“Um…Why don’t you find a seat and introduce yourself.” Quinn suggests.

I grunt and walk away. My hearing picks up their conversation.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. He’s sneaking out all hours of the day. He won’t tell us anything. I think his lycan growth spurts are affecting him.” My mother informs.

“Is he suppressed?” Quinn asks.

“We tried.” She sighs. “His vampire is unique. It heals it out. None of us can do that. His lycan can’t be suppressed.”

Quinn crosses his arms. “There’s not supposed to be a cure.”

“It’s not. Only Adam can do it. We tested his blood on others and it didn’t remove the suppression.”

She’s right. My body can’t be tainted by chemicals outside the standard weaknesses of the creatures in me. Silver, iron, wolfsbane and belladonna. Anything else doesn’t work. If my vamp can’t heal it, the other two can. I’m not meant to be shut down.

Quinn rubs his neck. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing. He can’t be used to break the suppression.”

“In the meantime, he’s always so angry and distant. He doesn’t have the same vampire control. We think his lycan is adapting all three creatures and it’s doing what it wants. We don’t know what else to do.” She says.

“We'll help him. We have a great group of kids here. We’re also building a school and have rooms for those who want to live here. Adam’s welcome if he likes.” Quinn offers.

“I’ll speak to his father. Adam I’ll pick you up in four hours.” She yells to me.

“Whatever.” I mumble. I feel my lycan itching to get out.

I find a seat and sit in it. Just then an explosion of black smoke fills the room and I’m engulfed in a dark cloud. I wave the smoke from my face and two boys are standing in front of me. They look alike with black medium length hair, blue eyes and flashy smiles. They are both built and one is obviously younger than the other one.

“HEY!”

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

“UGH! I'M DYING FROM SMOKE INHALATION!”

“QUINN, MAN. COME ON!”

“Guys. I told you. No smoking in the group room.” Quinn scolds from the door.

“Gotta make a good entrance, Q.” The older one holds his hands out and flashes a smile.

“Your dad may like that, but we don’t. Knock it off.” Quinn shoots them a warning look.

They turn back to me and smile. “I’m Braydon. This my little bro, Raegan.”

I arch a brow. “Braydon and Raegan?”

“Our dads idea. He’s Darcy Bourne. You’re Hunters kid, right?” Raegan motions to me.

“Apparently.” I mumble. I try to listen to Quinn as he talks to more parents. I’m also scoping the exits. I no longer believe this is a good idea.

“What’s your name?” Braydon asks.

“Adam.”

“Is it true you’re a triple hybrid?” Raegan smirks.

The kids all mumble as they watch our interaction. Apparently, I’m some sort of rumor. “Yes.” I say impassively.

“Cool. We're hybrids too.” Raegan thumbs between them. Braydon nods and another explosion of smoke happens.

I clear the air and they’re sitting in chairs on either side of me.

“Guys!!” Quinn yells as the room complains again.

“Sorry!” They both say.

“How do you do that?” I side eye them both.

“A little gift from our mom.” Raegan shrugs.

“Not much of a gift.” I mutter.

It’s not really impressive. Vamps can run so fast, you could technically call it teleporting.

“It’s a great gift!” Braydon smirks. “Lots of people are impressed by it.”

I cross my arms and cross my feet as I kick back in my seat. “Who would be impressed by that?”

They both look at each other then at me. “Girls!” They both say at the same time.

I roll my eyes and shake my head.

“Ok. Braydon, Raegan. Settle down please.” Quinn says as he takes his seat.

They sit back and the circle goes quiet.

“Adam. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the group?” Quinn motions to me.

“You already did.” I mutter.

He huffs a chuckle. “True, but why don’t you tell us about yourself?”

“No.” I say bluntly.

“Ok. Well, whenever you’re ready.” He moves on and talks to more kids then looks at his watch.

He claps his hands and sits up. “Ok, guys. Chore time.”

The room groans.

“Don’t give me that. You like it.” Quinn grins.

“Yeah, right.” Quinn’s quadruplet brothers say in at the same time.

I also found out his twin sons are part of the group, Theo and Levi. They also get up with attitude.

Quinn chuckles as he stands. “Just for that, you guys are on fence crew. Adam, you can join them. Everything’s outside. I want that fence repaired guys. No goofing around or you’ll be running laps until sundown.”

Braydon and Raegan clap my back. “Let’s go. It’s not hard and we're almost done.”

I grunt with a nod as I follow the eight boys outside.

Under the blazing sun of the afternoon we dug holes and put posts in.

There was a girls team on the other side of the yard.

Braydon had the head of his shovel in the dirt. He was leaning on the shovel, gazing at the girls.

“Man. What I wouldn’t give to hit that.” He grins.

I stop, wipe my brow and look in the direction that he is.

I see a woman with ash blonde hair and brown eyes. Her smooth skin is tanned and her shorts are small. She’s attractive, but I’m having trouble relating to what Braydon is feeling. Mostly because I’m not interested in, well, anything.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Isn’t that Quinn's sister?”

He turns to me. “Yeah. So what.”

“So…” Reagan plants his shovel in the dirt. “She’s like 10 years older than you.”

“I like older women.” He shrugs.

“You’ve never even been with a girl, never mind women. You wouldn’t even know what to do with one.” Raegan snorts.

“See, that’s the beauty of older women. You don’t have to do anything.” Braydon throws out a curt smile.

Raegan shakes his head. “Dude. She wouldn’t want a virgin.”

Braydon scowls. “Who said I was?”

“Your hand doesn’t count!” Raegan laughs.

“I’ll beat you.” Braydon drops his shovel and gets in Reagans face.

“Try it, tiny.” Raegan smirks.

“Boys!”

We turn to Quinn who’s standing at the backdoor.

He places his hands on his hips. “Get that fence fixed!”

The boys groan and get back to work.

As we shovel, Raegan glances at me. “What about you? You gotta girl?”

I fill my shovel with dirt and toss it to the side. “No.” My unmoved expression apparently confused them.

“Why not? Don’t you like girls?” Braydon asks as he puts a post in the hole.

“No.” I answer bluntly.

“Oh. You’re into guys.” Raegan winks at me.

“No. I’m not.” I mumble.

“So…you don’t like girls and you don’t like guys.” Braydon steadies the post as I fill the dirt around it.

“Yes."

Raegan stops and leans on his shovel. He arches a brow. “Ok. So, who do you like?”

I stand, run my fingers through my sweat soaked hair. “No one.” I say dryly and push past him. I pick up a board and some nails.

“Well, you can’t just like no one. There has to be someone you like.” Braydon says.

“There are more important things to do than like girls.” I grumble as I line up the board with the other board on the previous section of fencing and start to nail it to the post. Raegan hammers the other side.

“What could be more important than girls?” Braydons brown shoot up.

I hammer the last nail in and turn to him. “Building a fence.”

“You’re weird man.” Braydon chuckles as I grab another slat.

“Totally weird.” Raegan chuckles too.

When your mind is closed like mine is, there’s no room for flirting, talking to girls and trying to satisfy the beasts within. I need to save that energy for what’s coming.

They say I’ll be a better man for having friends and relationships, but even with these two guys who refuse to leave me alone, I don’t feel any different. I’ve never needed friends before and I'm not about to start now.