Alpha's Fate (Black Moon Saga Book 2)

Chapter 21: Catching Feelings

While visiting Margot at Spirit Moon, Kylie decides to take advantage of having her dad around to help her train. It is something he has been wanting to do together as well, ever since learning that she intended to become Alpha of a pack. He has always known she was strong and fast, but never would have dreamed that he would get a chance to train like this with her the way he did with Jonah.

Nate quickly realizes that his daughter’s skills far exceed what he was prepared to work on with her, and he calls over some warriors to help him set up a more advanced training course for her. They raise the height on the hurdles and group the obstacles more closely together, which will require her to build up enough speed, keep her momentum fluid, and rely on her strength and agility to successfully navigate the course.

Adam and Tian have been working out with the others as well, continuing to focus on building up stamina for what they anticipate could be a long battle to get Kylie to her father. When it comes time for her to demonstrate to her dad more of what she can do, they decide to take a break so they can watch.

Sweaty and breathless, Adam leans against the barrier around the course sucking down a bottle of water. Tian is a contrast beside him, cool, calm, and collected as though he hasn’t just been exerting himself in training. The truth of it is he hasn’t been, not considering how much he holds back to keep the wrong people from catching glimpses of the true extent of his strength and power which far exceed the capabilities of other vampires. His more fatiguing abilities he reserves for only when necessary.

They look on as Kylie lines up at the starting block and pushes off once Nate gives the signal. She sprints across the open track, quickly adapting to the obstacles that suddenly pop up in front of, below, and beside her. The gathering spectators are growing increasingly more excited as they watch her clear higher and higher hurdles, seeming to use many of the obstacles to push off from and launch herself over the next hurdle.

Adam jogs further down the barrier to be able to get a better look as she nears the far end of the course where the hurdles seem impossibly tall. Just as he is wondering whether she can even clear them in her human form, he watches with amusement as her clothing shreds, and she appears to shift while suspended in the air.

“That rapid shifting talent you showed her costs me a fortune in new clothes,” he teases, assuming the presence at his side is Tian.

He’s surprised when an unfamiliar voice responds, “I have nothing to do with all that.”

He turns to get a look at the newcomer, surprised when he realizes it is Kylie’s old friend Pete who has joined him.

“She is quite a sight to behold, though,” Pete remarks, smirking back at him.

“I thought you were Tian,” Adam explains apologetically, holding out his hand to Pete. “Good to see you again, though. Didn’t know you were following us back here.”

“Yeah, I assumed it was a case of mistaken identity,” Pete responds as he shakes the hand offered to him. “There was a warlock back at that meeting who mentioned that he is required to stick with Tian, who was heading to Spirit Moon, so I asked if I could tag along. Didn’t really get a chance to talk to Kylie back at Tall Pines, and I assume she has questions. I just want to make sure we can clear the air before things get too serious.”

“Makes sense. I’m sure she will appreciate that," Adam nods, thinking about what he said. "The warlock, you mean Eramund?”

“Yep, that’s the one.”

“Interesting. I wonder what it means that he’s ‘required’ to stick with Tian. I haven’t heard about that.”

“I didn’t ask. Although,” Pete pauses, considering whether it’s too much of an intrusion into business that is not his, and then decides to proceed with his query anyway. “I have been wondering about Tian. I get it that you’re Kylie’s mate. I kind of already got that impression back when we were younger. Well, actually, I couldn’t tell if it was going to turn out to be you or your son. You were both protective and possessive of her. Surprised the hell out of me, if I'm being honest, because I thought for the longest time that she would turn out to be my mate … but uh, I’m getting lost on a tangent. Anyway, I get why you stick with her. But what’s Tian’s deal?”

Adam chuckles, internally fighting a battle with Kieran, who still doesn’t like Pete. The imagery of him stealing Kylie’s first kiss, and now his admission that he wanted to be her mate doesn’t sit well with them. Adam inhales sharply, letting the breath out slowly to compose himself.

“Sorry,” Pete adds sheepishly, sensing the tension from Adam and knowing he probably overstepped.

“No, it’s okay,” Adam lies, knowing that it should be okay, and the problem is his own and not Pete’s fault. “We all thought she would turn out to be Marc’s mate. I was confused about the signals, though. Part of me knew she was mine when I met her, but my better sense shut down because I never imagined I’d be given a second chance.”

He shakes his head, clearing the old memories and feelings away, focusing his attention on Pete’s face. He’s a handsome young guy, his skin slightly bronzed as though he spends a lot of time outside, his copper hair smooth and pulled back in a neat ponytail. He’s small in stature, though, at least compared to an Alpha werewolf, probably an inch or two shorter than Kylie and compact in his build.

Not Kylie’s type, Adam decides, smirking to himself as he realizes that the thought makes him feel better about dealing with Pete.

“The deal with Tian is that Kylie has some exceptional abilities. You may have noticed,” he points to where Kylie, now barefooted and clad in only a long t-shirt, is taking a second go at the obstacle course before them.

Pete nods, not following how this explains the way the vampire hovers around Kylie, and the way he interacts with her, brazenly flirting and cuddling with her right in front of her mate.

“One of the abilities allows her to connect with people’s minds, gaining insight into their moods, thoughts, and feelings, much in the same way true mates bond to each other empathically. It’s more than that, but the important thing to realize is that because she can do that, people become easily attached to her, gaining this sense of closeness that feels like a mate bond.”

Adam looks at the younger man pointedly, hoping he catches his drift. “People who have no claim to her tend to fall in love with her, basically. It’s stronger now that her wolf is unlocked and she’s been actively training her abilities, but she has always done it. I think she even managed to charm a grumpy old cat at one point.”

He laughs, his eyes sparkling as he remembers Kylie telling him about how she found Bo, and recalling how prickly the cat was with everyone else.

“So, Tian is in love with her, and you allow that why?” Pete asks, still not fully understanding. He caught the jab at himself and realizes what may have been going on the years when he got close to Kylie and expected that she would turn out to be his mate, but now it makes even less sense. Why is it allowed when it’s an old vampire, but not her good friend?

Adam makes a conscious effort not to bristle at the tone Pete is using with him, knowing it might be hard for him to hear.

“Tian is a special case,” he begins to explain. “It bothered me quite a lot initially, but we needed him to help her develop her powers and abilities. He worked with the last person who exhibited those same abilities and was our best resource. They’ve grown close in the process. I allow it because unlike with most people who become attached to Kylie, she has grown attached to Tian as well. He’s important to her, and bonding with him like that is important to her. I’ve even come to suspect that he’s meant for her, in some ways I haven’t fully come to understand or accept yet. And I allow it because Tian is mindful and respectful of my relationship with Kylie. He never acts first, and always clears it with me. We’re both close to him. He’s family.”

“I see,” Pete responds tersely, quietly considering all that Adam just revealed.

Especially the part about Kylie not usually returning the feelings of someone who falls for her. He knows that all too well, although he had allowed himself to hope for a brief moment after graduation that she might have finally come to appreciate how he felt. But of course, it was Adam who put an end to that.

“I think I get it,” he adds a few moments later.

Adam can’t help feeling sympathy for him. His features soften, and he reaches out to grasp Pete’s shoulder supportively.

“Look, Pete. That’s not to say that she didn’t feel anything. I know she cared about you. You were her close friend. Did you know she never brought anyone home from school except you? And to her birthday party, no less. You were important to her. Your lives just went in different directions.”

“Yeah, that’s an understatement,” Pete comments softly, his eyes focusing on a point off in the distance.

Adam briefly wonders what exactly happened to him to take him from the private school golden boy to becoming the leader of a renowned group of supernatural mercenaries, but knows it's not really his place to even ask.

Instead, knowing Kylie and Pete parted ways before her health took a turn for the worst, he continues explaining, “I don’t know if you realize what she went through after school. Her health … it got bad. She was quite crippled by the time she came back here and we were reunited. If I had to guess, she had too much on her plate dealing with that, and school, and work, and taking care of that damn cat.”

He chuckles, hoping that comment has the intended effect of resolving some of the tension between them, and then adds, “Keeping up with friends from high school was probably just too much for her. She barely even talked to me, and I always had to be the one to call her. We didn’t know we were mates yet, of course, but we had always been close before that.”

Adam continues catching Pete up on all that Kylie went through and what they discovered about her family and her parents. He also tells him more about the situation she currently faces, and why it is so important to her personally. Over the course of their conversation, he revises his initial opinion of Pete, finally able to see the clever, humorous, friendly version of him that he can see Kylie appreciating, but no longer feeling as threatened by him. But Pete never delves into his own background, choosing to keep the details of his experiences after high school to himself.

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Meanwhile, Tian gets distracted when he sees Eramund making his way through the crowd. He notices when Adam leaves his side but chooses not to follow because he wants to question the warlock.

“When you asked my plans, I did not realize it meant you intended to pursue me,” Tian mentions casually when the warlock joins him, not bothering to tear his eyes away from Kylie.

“I have to. That’s the deal. If you and I aren’t in the same zip code, The Council comes for me and my sister,” Eramund explains, confused why they’re even having this conversation.

It comes as a surprise to Tian. That stipulation wasn’t in the version of their agreement he submitted to Anya.

“So, your sister is with you I expect?” he questions further, now wondering whether he should ask to see a copy of their finalized agreement. Though he set it in motion, he had nothing to do with it after that, having chosen to leave it in trusted hands and return to Kylie.

“She’s in the hotel,” Eramund answers. “At least our expenses are taken care of. I hate the part where we have a babysitter, especially one who can’t seem to stay in one place.”

He shakes his head with frustration, shifting to lean against the barrier similarly to how Tian is doing.

“But I get it, though,” he continues as he gestures toward where Kylie is running the obstacle course. “I understand now what has come over you, what would inspire you to make a deal with people you probably hoped you’d never see again.”

Tian is alarmed to see the soft smile that adorns Eramund’s face and the way his eyes shine with adoration as he watches Kylie. He realizes that his old nemesis has already fallen under the effects of her bonding abilities.

“You’ve spoken to her then?” Tian wonders, knowing that the warlock must have had some meaningful interaction with her to be reacting to her like that already. He only introduced the duo to her a couple days previously and can’t recall any point where she engaged Eramund in any length of conversation.

“Yes, a few times,” Eramund reveals. “She spoke to me personally when my sister and I first arrived at Tall Pines, welcoming us, and thanking us for our involvement. She was so genuine and showed no trace of the usual scorn and loathing I’ve become accustomed to. And then the next morning at breakfast, she asked me about my magic and specializations and actually seemed interested in what I had to say. And so on. I just admire her, that’s all I’m saying. I can see why you would want to help her, and I think she’ll make an incredible Alpha.”

Tian has never seen this level of enthusiasm from Eramund before, mostly knowing him for the way he likes to create tricks and illusions and make basic conversation more complicated and frustrating than it needs to be. Even before he learned of what trouble the warlock and his sister had been causing in no fewer than three separate nations, he despised the man for the condescending way he chooses to interact with others.

“Can I ask, Tian, whether her mate, the Alpha wolf, is her true mate?” Eramund asks, a hint of vulnerability to his tone that Tian never would have imagined possible.

He sighs, already seeing where this line of questioning is headed. “Yes, he is her true mate. She is claimed, Eramund,” he responds flatly.

“And you’re certain about that?”

“Positive. She is not available.”

“I see,” Eramund responds, the disappointment clearly evident in his voice.

He sighs, sensing that Tian does not appreciate this turn of conversation, but feeling the need to continue pressing the issue.

“It’s just that I could have sworn I felt something,” he explains. “You know, the stirrings that they say a werewolf’s mate will feel. The tingles, the enhanced senses, the singular focus on that one person. A pull, you could say.”

Tian turns his head to look at the warlock straight-on now.

“No, it’s not possible,” he maintains, though he knows it is only a half-truth. What Eramund describes is not unlike what he has always experienced with Kylie, and what he experienced early-on with Ramona.

“She simply has an enhanced capacity for empathy and bonding with others, and some sensitive individuals, particularly those who have spent a considerable amount of time alone, without the experience of a significant other or being bonded to a true mate, will experience interactions with her more intensely. It means nothing,” he explains, hoping it will be enough to inspire the warlock to drop it.

Eramund grins at him knowingly. “Ah, I see. She gets to you too, is what you’re saying,” he says with a snicker. “Poor, mate-less, old vampire. She’s too young and pretty for you anyway.”

“Pot, meet kettle,” Tian retorts, leaning his body away to create physical distance between them.

“Yeah, alright. Good talking to you. Make sure you let me know before you jet off to wherever. We won’t do you much good locked up at Council headquarters.”

“Noted,” Tian acknowledges, stepping away from him to make his way over to Adam.

Adam smiles as he approaches, pointing to where Kylie is currently beating on some of the warriors as the next part of her training. “She looks good out there. Really stepping back into her body after Margot.”

“I’ve seen,” Tian agrees appreciatively. “Too bad we don’t have more time to continue training her. I have a feeling she hasn’t peaked yet, and we haven’t discovered all of what she can do.”

Noticing the man with Adam, recognizing him from the meeting at Tall Pines and remembering that he was once a friend of Kylie’s, he nods at him and asks Adam, “Could I speak with you alone a moment?”

Pete slaps Adam’s shoulder appreciatively and tells him, “Thanks for the chat, but I’m happy to make myself scarce. Catch you later.”

Tian takes the place next to Adam after Pete has left them, standing close enough that his shoulder brushes against his friend’s.

“I feel a need to warn you about the warlock, Eramund,” he says lowly, almost secretively.

Adam turns to look at him, surprised. “I thought he was someone you brought in.”

“He is, yes, but it’s not his involvement in our war plans I’m concerned about. It’s how quickly and intensely he’s feeling a pull to Kylie, which worries me. We should probably speak to her about keeping her distance from him going forward. I wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

Adam takes in the tightness in Tian’s shoulders and the way he has his mouth set in a tense line, wondering what the vampire knows that he isn’t saying, but chooses to have faith in his mate and her ability to see when someone is becoming a problem.

“We can speak to her,” he agrees, knowing there is no harm in voicing their concerns to her, but adds hopefully, “Just keep in mind that people react to her like that all the time. That boy Pete? We were just talking about how he confused their bond as kids for a mate bond, but he gets it now. Even Magnus seems to want her, but he backed off once she shot him down. She seems to always have it handled, or sometimes it goes away on its own. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Alright, I’m sure you know best,” Tian reluctantly concedes. “I just hope you’re right.”