My legs protested as I pushed to keep up on the five-minute sprint it took us to get from the cemetery to the priory. It was early enough in the morning that the only people who saw us were the party-goers returning from their all-night raves.
Amazingly, we didn't look anymore bedraggled than them.
Evan led us all the way round the large priory building to a cellar entrance at the rear. The large cavernous space was filled with broken gym equipment, bikes and other paraphernalia that gets left behind in an old apartment building. Distorted shadows in the dim light added to the creepy vibe. When I brushed against the wall, the cold damp feeling was so much like the catacombs that it made me push Evan on to get up to the apartments above.
The run from the cemetery to the priory had warmed me up, but I was freezing again now. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving behind nausea that was made worse by the emptiness of my stomach. It took that opportunity to growl. Loudly.
"I've not been here for weeks, there'll be nothing in my place fit to eat," Evan explained with a shrug.
"Don't worry, Stephen's been using my old apartment. He's got to have left something," I said, remembering how rushed our trip to London had been.
We traipsed upstairs wearily, Evan stumbled, his body too weak to obey the commands of his brain. I caught his arm without thinking. Our eyes met. It was the first time I'd voluntarily touched him since he'd attacked me.
My life-force uncurled and stretched lazily like a cat waking up from a long slumber. I pushed a tendril towards Evan. The silver particles infiltrated his intense blue haze, knitting together into the unique sequence of my magic. The bright electric tone of Evan's life-force transformed into the blue of a calm summer sky. His shoulders relaxed and when he looked at me, his clear blue eyes held the easy-going expression that they had on the first day we'd met.
Lucas took my free hand, and the warmth of our bond replenished the energy that I'd used to help Evan. Ben had shown me what was possible, that my power could be used in this way, but this was the first time that I'd understood. Without the negative emotions of anger or fear driving me, my magic could be so much more than the weapon that my father had made it.
As the energy flowed through me, I felt my own strength replenish along with Evan's. Worried that I was taking too much from Lucas, I tried to stem the flow of energy that was rolling from him into me.
"No," Lucas said feeling my intention. "It's the bond. It needs to answer the call of the pack to grow. I can provide what you need. What you both need."
"What?"
The wild flash in Lucas's eyes told me that his wolf was close to the surface, barely contained by his human side. Breaking my connection with both men, I looked from one to the other.
Evan's face looked fuller, more like the man that I'd started to fall for before my father forced his way into my life. Standing tall, but with his head lowered to Lucas, I finally got what had just happened.
"Crap. Lucas, you've done it again."
Lucas looked at me, capturing me in his wolf's dominance. A low growl rumbled from deep in his throat. An irrepressible urge to lower my eyes flooded my brain, drowning my freewill. This was not right. I was no man's puppet. Not even Lucas's.
With the tiny bit of autonomy left in my mind, I called to my power. Nothing.
I couldn't fight it. I averted my eyes and exposed my neck to my Alpha, the raw heat of humiliation burning my face. Lucas huffed in satisfaction. After an uncomfortable minute, the overwhelming urge to submit eased and I lifted my eyes, furious that Lucas had pulled rank like that.
"Look, you bastard. I never asked to be bound to your pack. Neither did Evan. What the hell are you doing?"
"Come on, let's go in. I need to explain."
"Too right you do."
It was then that I realised I didn't have a key. Evan ran off downstairs to retrieve the spare set that he had to all the apartments. I couldn't help but notice the way that he brushed past Lucas. Their arms touched for a moment longer than necessary as Evan basked in the seductive Alpha glow.
That just pissed me off even more. He was going to be disappointed if he thought I was about to join in the Alpha worship. There was no way that I was going to give him the satisfaction of accepting what he had to offer.
I stripped off his suit jacket in a show of defiance and flung it at him. Crossing my arms I glared at him pushing all my anger out of my eyes.
His grin was far more attractive than necessary, and I cursed the butterfly volcano that erupted in my stomach at the sight.
Following his gaze, I realised that my low-cut gown had slipped, revealing a wide expanse of cleavage. Crossing my arms only succeeded in elevating it like the world's best push-up bra. Scowling, I held my stance. Why should I be ashamed of my body?
It was him that should be embarrassed. He shouldn't be looking.
Then I remembered about the bond-fuelled attraction. Dropping my arms, I tried to come up with a stance that would be less provocative. I failed. My skin baring gala dress had a lot to answer for. Deciding to brazen it out, I crossed my arms as they had been before, lifted my chin, and met his hot gaze with a frown that any teenager would be proud of.
Lucas's grin broadened into a huge smile that lit up his face. Determined not to admire the flash of beauty, I focused on the feeling of submission that he'd forced on me. My traitorous magic purred at the memory.
What was up with that?
Evan bounded back up the stairs obviously energized by the pack bond. I was so not looking forward to explaining what that boost really meant.
Subservience.
"I'll let you tell him what you've done," I said to Lucas, and headed straight to the kitchen.
Unease prickled all over my skin, making me itch and fidget. Had I misjudged Lucas? What if all he'd been interested in this whole time was forming his own pack?
He'd sensed my power at the gala and used the circumstances as they came to bind me to him. Now, when all this was over, he would still be my Alpha. Evan would have to deal with the consequences too, and that was my fault for being so careless with my trust. There had to be some way of reversing the process.
I opened some tins of tomato soup and heated them in the microwave. Bringing the food into the living room, I found the men sat on the floor in a tight embrace. Not what I was expecting.
"Erm, sorry to interrupt, but I think you should eat, Evan. Take it easy though, your stomach will need to get used to the food."
The men separated, neither looking at me to reply. Their gazes held for a few seconds, and then Lucas gave the slightest nod to release Evan.
When Evan came to get his food, I could see that he'd been crying. Glancing at Lucas, I was met with a look of clear confidence that all this was right and good. I couldn't help the snort that erupted at the ridiculousness of it.
"It's not what you think, Alice, not everybody has a problem with the pack bond."
"It's actually a relief," Evan said between mouthfuls of soup. "Now all I can feel is Lucas in my head, and his wolf is strong and right. Not like Jonathan. That was a sickness gnawing away at everything that was good inside me. I never thought that I'd say this, but I actually like having an outside influence to help me keep control. As long as it's the right one. You should understand that Alice, after what happened between us."
Evan looked down, ashamed of his actions while under Jonathan's control. It was right that he should be. But I did understand what he was saying.
My magic was wild and unruly. I obviously needed help to control it. Was Lucas the safeguard that I needed too?
"What about your Alpha, Lucas? Are we now bound to him through you?" Even if I could come to accept the pack bond, I really didn't like the idea of another man being able to force submission from me like Lucas had.
Lucas's eyebrows drew together and his mouth formed into an adorable pout as he considered. "I can't sense him. I don't think my wolf recognises him as Alpha anymore now that I have my own pack." A look so full of genuine affection bathed Evan and I that I nearly melted. I had to stop myself from crawling into his lap to be petted.
"Won't he be pissed? You were his Beta, right?" I asked, focusing on something relevant to our security to take my mind off how much I wanted to touch Lucas.
"I don't know, to be honest. This has never happened before. Alphas are usually born that way, and if they can't challenge for a pack, they go off to roam as loners. An Alpha usually can't tolerate serving under somebody else. I'd never seen myself like that. Not until I felt how much you needed me in the back of that van."
"Well you'd better find some answers because I think our friends have found us."
Pack politics! How will Alice cope...