Alpha's Legacy (Black Moon Saga Book 3)

18. Busted

I wake to the sound of Lee’s voice next to my ear softly telling me, “We’re almost there, and it would probably be better if your dad didn’t see you like this.”

He kisses my temple, and I finally start to regain my senses.

The last I remember, I was on the back of his motorcycle and we were just starting to head back to the packhouse. Now, I seem to be straddling his bike backward and clinging to him like a baby monkey. My brain can’t seem to fill in the missing chunk of time between then and now, so I have no idea how this happened.

“Welcome back,” he tells me cheerfully.

And that’s about when I realize that I no longer hear his motorcycle, and it’s not rumbling beneath me.

“Where are we parked?” I ask, wondering how screwed I am when it comes to what Tian has seen.

“Just down the road from home. I figured I should wake you before we cruise in there.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Almost the entire way,” he chuckles. “I felt you go limp and slump against my back, and you weren’t responding, so I pulled over. You were completely gone, impossible to wake up. I didn’t know if I’d be able to wake you now, either, but I figured I should at least try.”

“I’m so sorry. I knew I felt a little tired after healing you, but I thought I had successfully fought it off.”

“Well then I’m the one who’s sorry. I had no idea that having you heal me would be so hard on you. It was selfish of me to even ask.”

“No, I’m glad you did. You were in bad shape, Lee. I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time to be able to help.”

“Quite honestly? It had nothing to do with the right place or time,” he confesses, smirking at me. “I knew where you were supposed to be headed around then, and I also assumed your most likely route of getting there. I went there hoping to find you because I knew I was in a bad way. I almost blacked out multiple times just getting there, but luckily, you were late and so lost that you didn’t even realize that where you were supposed to be headed was right across the street.”

It takes a few seconds for my sleepy brain to process that, and I can’t help laughing a little when it clicks that he’s saying I was basically already to Ms. Sanchez when he caught my attention. But I’m still left wondering how he even knew I’d be able to help him.

“Who told you I was a healer?” I ask him, leaning my head back so I can see his face better. “I know it’s not something that was discussed at mealtimes.”

“Your sister,” he reveals, his expression turning serious again. “She used to come here regularly with Adam, and I’ve spent a lot of time with her.”

“Who? Margot?”

She seems the most likely since I know she’s been here quite a lot, and she’s told me that she enjoys hanging out with the Alpha’s children.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “Haven’t seen her in a while, but when she was younger, she liked to make herself my shadow. And I doubt she’d ever say the words, but I get the feeling that you’re her favorite sibling. She talks about you a lot, and now that I’ve finally met you, I can see why.”

He pulls away slightly and smiles at me, reaching out to stroke my cheek with his thumb for a moment before sighing again.

“Alright. We need to get going,” he declares. “Driving home this way was a bit slower than usual, and we’re incredibly late at this point. Like, the you-can-forget-about-dinner sort of late. It’ll be scraps and leftovers for us, I fear.”

“And probably the I-hope-you-like-the-view-from-this-tower sort of late,” I add, and though I know I’m exaggerating, it also feels like it might be true. “Tian is going to be upset, and I wouldn’t even be surprised if he wants to cancel the rest of my trip. I violated his trust and broke pretty much all my promises today.”

“So you didn’t make it home before dark,” he shrugs it off. “Just accept the lecture and tell him that it won’t happen again. Be convincing about it, even if you have zero intention of giving a crap about making sure not to be late again. I mean, violating a curfew is a pretty minor infraction, Anna Jade.”

“It feels big, though. I’ve never done anything like this,” I admit, although I’m sure he probably already suspected that based on the talks we’ve had all day. “But I agree. That’s the least of my worries. I also promised to say no if ever a chance to ride on a motorcycle popped up during my travels, and it’s just a general rule for me not to use my magic without my mom’s approval, and never outside of proper medical facilities.”

“Oh,” he says, a grin slowly spreading across his features. “Well, look at you, little rebel. I had no idea that you were breaking so many rules for me. And here I’ve been lecturing you about letting go and not caring about getting in trouble or what people might think, and the whole time, you were already putting it into practice.”

“I should probably not mention to Tian that my new friend is the sort who is so proud of me when I break all the rules,” I retort, shaking my head as I start to wiggle away from him so I can dismount his bike.

“Oh, I’m sure I’m already royally screwed as far as the impression I’m making on daddy dearest. I’m used to it, though. Adam always frowns when any of his kids want to spend time with me. Good thing I don’t care.”

He shoots me a smug, self-satisfied look as he watches me maneuver my way around him and get ready to get on the back of his bike, though I hesitate.

“Maybe I should just walk the rest of the way,” I suggest, worrying about Tian seeing me on the motorcycle.

“Somehow, I doubt that your dad would prefer you walking alone in the dark over riding with me,” he points out, and I honestly can’t disagree with that.

So, I climb on behind him, expecting him to start it back up and speed off toward the packhouse once I’m on and have my arms securely wrapped around him again. But he doesn’t. He just sits there, letting one of his big, warm hands envelop mine.

“Maybe we should tell Tian that we got distracted and lost track of time because we’re mates,” he says finally.

“What? No. And not because I hate the idea of it or anything,” I hurry to assure him, not wanting him to think that I don’t like him. “It’s just that I don’t even have my wolf yet.”

“Yeah, but I do,” he argues, missing the point.

“Sure, but there’s no way that we could know for sure until I have my wolf. No one will believe it or accept it until I’m of age.”

“My dad will, and he’s mostly the one I’m worried about. He won’t even care if you have your wolf. He’ll be so thrilled that one of your mother’s children is paired with me that it won’t even matter. He’ll want us mated by the time he transfers his power to me.”

I don’t understand why he’s being so insistent about this. Isn’t this the same guy who was just complaining about being railroaded into taking a mate just a little while ago? Why would he want that now? And what about his fated mate? Actually, I need to know the answer to that.

“What about your actual mate?”

“She can reject me privately at some point before the ceremony,” he shrugs.

“And you’re sure that’s what she wants?” I ask him, but then I realize that this is a conversation best had later, somewhere private, when we’re not already so late. “Actually, you know what? Let’s agree to talk about this later. Don’t tell anybody anything about it, not until we think it over and discuss it more. But now is not the time.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he sighs, and I can hear the disappointment there.

My mind is spinning as he gets us back on the road to the packhouse. It’s weird that he really seemed to think I would just agree to mating with him on a whim. It’s also weird that he would even want me to, especially knowing how much pressure that would put on both of us as soon as his dad found out. Why is he so troubled about his fated mate in one moment, and then so gung-ho about pretending to be fated mates with me just a little while later? If it’s no big deal to have his mate reject him, then I don’t understand why he doesn’t just do that anyway, with or without me. Actually, why hasn’t he done it already?

It’s only a few minutes later that he pulls up to the gate outside the packhouse and gets waved through by the guards outside, who don’t even bother to approach us before opening the gate. I guess that’s a perk of being the Alpha’s son. My nerves are spiking the closer we get, though, and it’s a struggle to breathe and think as I worry about how Tian is going to react.

But to my surprise, he isn’t even there to greet us when we arrive. Lee takes me to the kitchen so we can scavenge for leftovers from dinner, and everything is oddly quiet. Too quiet. It’s only making me even more anxious.

“Relax, Anna Jade,” he coaches me gently, reaching across the counter we’re both standing in front of to pat my hand reassuringly.

“Well, I had hoped that you’d be able to make friends with one of my children, though I didn’t predict that it would be this one,” a masculine voice booms from behind us. Alpha Magnus.

“Yeah, well, Maggie ditched her, and she got lost,” Lee answers on my behalf. “Luckily for her, I was already in the area. If you’re going to be annoyed with anyone for her skipping the rest of that ridiculous itinerary you gave her –”

“It should be Maggie,” Alpha Magnus cuts him off. “I know, and I’ve already dealt with her. I’m mostly just curious about this.”

He’s using his finger to point back and forth between Lee and me, and I’m guessing that means he’s suspicious that there might be something going on between us.

“She’s a cool girl, and I like hanging out with her. We have a lot in common,” Lee explains casually, shrugging it off like it’s not a big deal.

He’s also giving me a look that I hope his dad can’t see that is practically begging me to let him say more, probably about his pretending to be mates scheme.

“Well, you’re going to have to come up with something better than that to smooth things over with Tian,” Alpha Magnus responds, irritation coloring his tone. “He was not at all happy that the two of you didn’t bother to show up for dinner, and apparently, you had instructions to bring her back before dark? He’s not a fan of you, Lee, I can tell you that much, and that’s not a good situation to be in when you’re to be Alpha in less than a month.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I argue, a rare streak of boldness creeping in. “It was me. I didn’t tell him the part about us needing to be back before dark, and I got careless and lost track of time. We truly were just enjoying each other’s company, just talking. That’s it.”

“I do hope that you’ll pass that along to your father,” Alpha Magnus comments, turning his gaze on me and giving me a forced smile. “Although Leopold was well aware of the expectation to be here in time for dinner with our guests, and he is also well aware that he is not supposed to leave our territory without alerting anyone, especially not without taking any guards, and especially not when a guest of mine is in his care.”

He turns back to Lee, and I can tell that he’s glaring at him.

“That was stupid and reckless, Leopold, and I expect you to acknowledge that when you apologize to Tian personally,” he adds for his son.

“I will,” Lee quickly agrees, surprisingly without argument. “I fully intend to speak to Tian, although it will probably be first thing in the morning. It’s late, and I don’t wish to disturb him.”

I could add that Tian doesn’t sleep much so he could go take care of that right now, but I won’t. Alpha Magnus seems satisfied with Lee’s reaction, and he settles for giving his shoulder a quick squeeze before turning to leave the kitchen.

“I do hope that you have a pleasant night, Anna Jade,” he calls over his shoulder as he goes. “And I expect to see you both in the morning for breakfast.”

Lee gives me a look that I can’t quite read as he finishes his food and waits for his dad to be out of earshot, and then he leans in close to whisper, “I love it when the Luna’s children are here. He’s so much more agreeable when we have revered guests.”

“Revered? I’m nothing to revere,” I argue softly.

“Tell that to him and see what happens. Besides, you are pretty special, Anna Jade. You’re unique even among your mother’s children, and I think that’s pretty cool.”

Him saying that has me feeling all warm and tingly again, and the butterflies in my belly are back again. It’s not only nice to hear him give me compliments like that, but it’s a totally different way of looking at it than I ever have. I always feel like the freak, the odd one out, but he seems to think that’s a good thing.

That happy, excited feeling only lasts until Lee decides it’s time to lead me out to the guest house and escort me to my room. My nerves are spiking again, and it doesn’t help when we discover that Tian is already there, waiting for me just outside the door.

I can tell just from the look on his face that he’s angry. Most people would look at him and see a neutral expression, but anyone who knows him knows that no expression is a bad thing with him, especially when paired with the coolness in his eyes.

“Good night, Lee,” he says, giving Lee a pointed look that shouldn’t seem threatening, but somehow it does.

“Mr. Ambrogio, I –” Lee starts to explain, but Tian cuts him off.

“I said good night, Lee.”

“Uh, yeah,” Lee answers uncomfortably, reaching up to rub the back of his neck as he debates what he should do. “I guess I'll see you at breakfast, Anna Jade.”

He reaches out to give my hand a gentle squeeze before turning and making his way back to the stairs to head back down to the entrance, turning and giving me one last worried, apologetic look before he goes.

I glance over at Tian, and he gestures at the door. I can’t help but swallow nervously as my shaky hands turn the key and open the door. Then I watch as he strides over to a chair placed in front of the fireplace, but instead of sitting, he stands behind it and holds onto the back of it. I decide to sit on the end of my bed, not trusting my shaky legs to hold me up.

“I do specifically remember your mother saying no motorcycles,” he reminds me flatly.

Somehow, I knew that would be the first thing he scolded me for. Even though he wasn’t downstairs when we arrived, I knew we didn’t get away with it. Very little gets past Tian.

“I know, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter,” I start to explain. “I was lost, and I didn’t get to pick who rescued me or what he was driving.”

“I see. I suppose you also didn’t get to pick what happened to your clothes then either.”

“Well, actually, that’s a long story, and I will gladly tell it to you. But just give me a minute because I, well uh …”

He gives me a long, hard look, his face staying frozen in that cold, neutral expression, and I know I need to hurry up and say what I need to say.

“But I mean, whatever it was about motorcycles that my father saw in his dreams, it didn’t happen,” I go on, my nerves causing me to start rambling. “Nothing happened. Lee’s a careful driver, and he even gave me his helmet and made sure it was all safe and secure. I’m fine, really.”

It’s a bit of a stretch of the truth to say that Lee’s a careful driver because he’s actually a bit of a speed demon, but the rest of it is true. And he was careful when he brought me home. He even said that it took longer because of it.

“Nothing happened this time, but perhaps this wasn’t the time your father was concerned about,” Tian points out. “You really shouldn’t take his advice for granted, Anna Jade. He saw something that made him not want you to ever be on the back of a motorcycle, and you need to listen to him. Next time you might not be so lucky.”

“Okay. It won’t happen again,” I promise, even though it pains me to do it. I loved riding on Lee’s motorcycle with him.

“It had better not,” Tian admonishes me. “But I suppose you also have an excuse about why you failed to return before dark as I specifically asked you to. Lost track of time, I’m assuming?”

“I really did though.”

It’s becoming quite a struggle to hold back the tears that seem to want to escape. I hate disappointing him, and he’s never looked at and spoken to me like this. I’ve never really broken the rules before, though. I’m breaking my own heart here.

“I just … I really like talking to Lee, and I didn’t want it to end. It felt so good to have someone listen to me, and understand me, and want to learn more about casters instead of shunning me for being one, and I’d just lost Rowan, and –”

“Alright, that’s enough,” he cuts in, much more gently than I would have expected. “Let’s go back to what happened there.”

He points at my shirt. Well, Lee’s shirt.

“It’s Lee’s,” I sigh, dreading having to admit this part. “It’s true that I got lost after Maggie ditched me, and that it was him who came to my rescue. But what I’ve left out is why. He was in rough shape when he found me, and lost consciousness before he could even explain what happened.”

“He was injured?” Tian asks curiously, most of the traces of his anger gone now. Now, he mostly just seems concerned.

“Yeah, pretty badly. He had internal injuries as well as gaping, bleeding wounds. It was the blood that led me to needing a new shirt, which he provided for me from a storage compartment under his seat. But I swear, he was careful to give me privacy, even holding up a shirt to cover me and closing his eyes just in case.”

He studies me for a moment, nodding at whatever he sees or has somehow concluded before asking his next question.

“Then you’re confessing to healing him, against your mother’s orders and without medical professionals there to ensure your safety?”

“Yes,” I hate admitting, “but I could sense that I’d be able to handle it, and I didn’t see what other choice there was. He was in bad shape, and there’s no way that I could have gotten him to a medical facility.”

“And you didn’t think to call me?”

“I did, but you were at Redwood with Rowan, presumably busy,” I remind him, hoping that it doesn’t come out sounding like I'm pouting or complaining about it.

And then I sigh, deciding that there’s no point in holding anything back. I suspect that the “you were busy” argument isn’t really going to fly, anyway.

“Plus, I got the sense that whatever was going on, Lee was coming to me because he didn’t want the attention that going to the pack hospital would have gotten him. And I was right.”

Tian is quiet for a moment, mulling everything over, before he speaks again.

“Maximus tried to skip out on dinner, but Magnus went and dragged him out of bed. The boy showed up with a black eye swollen shut, and it was obvious that there was more hidden beneath his clothes from how he cradled his ribs and didn’t seem to have much of an appetite. Your new friend Lee didn’t happen to tell you anything about how that happened, did he?”

“He did,” I admit, hoping that Tian will keep it between us since I know that Lee told it to me in confidence and doesn’t want people finding out about it. “But he doesn’t want what he told me to become common knowledge.”

“When have you ever known me to be a gossiper, Anna Jade?”

“Well, never, but I suppose it’s your relationship with Alpha Magnus that concerns me.”

“I will use my best discretion to determine whether it is information that he needs to be apprised of,” he assures me, the serious, solemn Alpha mask sliding over his features. I don’t even think that he realizes it.

“Then I can’t tell you,” I reluctantly respond in the only way I feel comfortable, despite his assurances.

What good am I as a confidant if Lee’s secrets end up being whispered in the very ear he is trying to avoid?

“What I will say is that Lee isn’t the bad guy in this story,” I go on, hoping he will understand. “He’s the guy drowning in traditions and expectations and just trying to keep his head above water when all anyone else, including his own brother, seems to want to do is drag him down.”

Another long, thoughtful look, his lips pursed as he takes it all in and decides my fate.

“Well, then I suppose all I’ll say is that you at least owed me a phone call,” he finally speaks after a few moments have passed. “Imagine if you had been wrong about your assumption that you could handle healing him without losing consciousness. No one knew where you were. This is the most heavily guarded and monitored city that I’ve ever been to, and no one here could tell me where my daughter was all day. Imagine how it felt when to top that off, she also didn’t return when she said she would, and I couldn’t reach her by phone. I was just about to call in the troops and send search parties after you. That’s a feeling that I never want to experience again, Anna Jade. Never. Do you understand me?”

“By phone?” I ask in disbelief, knowing that I had my phone on me the entire day and I never heard a call or text come in after I contacted him.

I pull it from my pocket only to discover that the battery is dead, and then look up at him, my mouth still agape from the shock and horror of it. I didn’t even think to check it after a certain point.

“It was fully charged this morning and shouldn’t be dead already,” I assure him, hoping that he’ll forgive my error in judgement. I did call him the once, at least.

“Never. Again,” he repeats, more threateningly this time as if it’s a promise of punishment beyond my wildest imagination should I dare not to heed his warning.

“I got it,” I assure him. “Never again. I promise.”

“No more motorcycle,” he adds.

“No more motorcycle,” I concede, sighing.

“No more unauthorized healing, either. If someone needs your assistance, you call me. We’ll figure it out together.”

“Got it. I’ll call you, promise.”

“And no more Lee.”

What? He can’t ban me from a person, especially not one that I’ve grown to care so much about.

“No, I can’t promise you that,” I tell him honestly, shaking my head in refusal. “It wasn’t Lee’s fault anyway. He didn’t know that I’m not supposed to heal on my own, and he didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to be on a motorcycle either. And we both lost track of time, but it’s only because of him that we made it back when we did. I was still zoned out and just focusing on what fun I was having. It was him that realized it was getting dark.”

I make sure to look Tian straight in the eyes to add, “I like him, Tian. A lot. He’s a good guy with a bad reputation, but I think he’s good for me. I’ve never felt so appreciated by someone who wasn’t related to me.”

“He’s not your mate, Anna Jade,” he responds, pursing his lips with disapproval.

“Stop saying that, Tian. You don’t know that.”

“And you’re not even old enough to be getting involved with anyone,” he argues stubbornly. “You won’t be able to recognize your mate until your birthday. You know that.”

“But sometimes you can feel the bond before then,” I argue back. “Sometimes, being with someone just feels right. Yeah, I won’t know for sure for a couple months, but I felt it. You can’t ban me from seeing him when he might be who the Moon Goddess intended for me.”

“He’s not,” he insists flatly. “And I won’t hear any more about that right now. I won’t ban you from seeing him, but I will remind you that you’re on thin ice, and any further violations of my trust will not go unpunished. As it is, I don’t want you to leave the city, and you must be sure that I know exactly where you’re going at all times, and with whom. You must have my approval, understand? It’s for your own safety.”

I nod my agreement, watching as he steps closer and pauses at the end of my bed, studying me for a second before he decides to come and sit beside me.

“Let me remind you that it’s not me being overprotective and controlling that you have to blame for these restrictions. You’ve earned them,” he lectures, locking eyes with me again. “Your reckless behavior has shown me that you may not be as mature and responsible as I thought, and I don’t feel comfortable keeping you on anything but a short leash for now. Not here.”

That physically pains me to hear, and my breath catches. I know that Lee would tell me that I’m letting myself care too much about what Tian thinks of me, but the fact is that I do care, about his opinion of me more than pretty much anyone else’s. I will be following his rules because I don’t think I could bear having a conversation like this ever again.

But then Tian surprises me by reaching out for a hug, and I kind of collapse into his embrace. He places a soft kiss on my forehead and then pulls away, keeping his arms loosely draped around me.

“I’m going to retire to my room now. I did use my teleporting abilities a few times today, so I could use some rest,” he tells me, his tone much warmer and gentler than before. “I hope you have a good night, Anna Jade, and spend some time thinking over what we’ve talked about. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast.”

And with that, he rises from my bed and shuffles over to the door, leaving me alone to battle my thoughts and my guilty conscience.