Alpha's Legacy (Black Moon Saga Book 3)

15. The Future Alpha

Considering that Lee is a tall, heavy Alpha male, it’s quite a struggle for me to hold up his unconscious body and keep him from toppling to the ground, so I eventually just let him lean on me and put both of my arms around him. This position has worked well for me once before, so I suppose it’s worth trying again. I know I'm going to end up with his blood all over me, but I suppose that doesn't matter in the scope of things.

Pretty much the moment that both of my hands come to rest on his back, that familiar feeling of connecting to someone else’s body and life force takes over. The connection is good, but I know it would be better if I can get my hands in contact with his bare skin, so I don’t even think much about it as I slip my hands under the back of Lee’s shirt and start moving them around to find the best spot.

Once I’m locked in, I close my eyes and focus on his body’s distress. His wounds are rather severe, but not to the point that I’ll have to over-exert myself to heal them. I can sense his two cracked ribs, a bruised spleen, a broken collarbone, swelling all over his torso and hips, and then of course, the gaping wounds in his side.

I don’t know how long I spend holding onto him like that and letting my magic pour into him, but I eventually become aware of him regaining consciousness. He seems to know that he shouldn't move yet, but he carefully brings his arms up and throws them around me, nestling his head against my shoulder as if he still feels exhausted and is glad to have someone to lean on.

After a few more minutes, I can sense that his wounds and injuries are healed, and there’s no hint of any further distress in his body. Opening my eyes, I finally become uncomfortably aware of how intimately I’ve been embracing Lee and quickly yank my hands out of his shirt and step away from him. I feel a bit dizzy and tired, but I don’t think I’m at risk of losing consciousness.

“Thank you,” he tells me with genuine gratefulness.

He also reaches out as if he wants to grasp my hand, but I keep myself just out of his reach. Now that the healing part is over, I’m back to being leery of this stranger. I know who he is, but I don’t know him. Not really.

He just kind of shrugs and pulls his hand back, not seeming slighted or embarrassed by my rejection of his affection at all. I suppose that’s good. I’d hate to accidentally hurt his feelings or make him dislike me more than I’m sure he already does.

“I know you probably have questions, but I’m sorry. I don’t know you well enough to spill my guts to you and tell you all about my personal business,” he explains.

And he’s right. I do have questions. I wasn’t going to ask them, though. I’m already aware that it’s not my place to poke around in his business.

“But why don’t you sit and rest with me a minute?” he invites me, gesturing toward the ground.

I can’t help wondering if maybe I look more tired than I feel, in which case I probably should sit and rest for a bit. And if he’s offering to stay with me, even better. I don’t know him, but if I’m going to pass out, I’d rather that someone who at least knows who I am and where I belong be here to witness it.

So, when he drops himself down on the ground and leans his back against one of the buildings, I don’t hesitate in joining him. He hands me a partially full bottle of water, and though I’m not even sure where he got it, I don’t really question it. I am thirsty after all the walking around, not to mention the healing.

We just sit there for a while, quietly leaning against the brick wall of the side of the building at our backs. I don’t really know what to say to him, and he seems to be taking a minute to catch his breath and recuperate. I think. To be honest, I’m not really sure what he’s doing or thinking about, or why he wanted to sit here with me.

And then suddenly, he speaks and breaks the silence between us.

“You probably think I’m just a whiny, spoiled, disrespectful, overgrown child after what you’ve seen of me so far,” he says, though admittedly, he doesn’t seem out of breath or fatigued at all.

I guess he’s just been thinking and deciding what to say to me, which is not unlike what I’ve been doing this whole time. He’s bolder than I’ll ever be, though. It was one thing to try to strike up a conversation with his younger sister, but he’s the future Alpha here, and I feel a need to be careful about how I respond to him.

“You needed my help, so it doesn’t even matter what I might think of you. I’m a healer, and I help those who need healing.”

“That’s not what I mean,” he protests. “I wasn’t questioning your morals or ethics or wondering why you helped me. Well, I mean, I actually am wondering that a little bit, but it wasn’t what I meant.”

“Well, I have only witnessed your interactions with your father, and I get the sense that there’s something between the two of you, but it’s not enough for me to form an informed opinion of you.”

Which may be true, though he’s not wrong about the uninformed opinion I’ve developed about him. It’s been stressful sitting through meals with his family, and he’s been a big part of that. His brother is way worse, but still.

“How very insightful and diplomatic of you,” he says, giving me a strained smile. “And you know, I’ve overheard some of my siblings talking about how you’re just a brown-nosing goody two shoes, and I’d wager a guess that the way you always say stuff like that is why.”

Ouch. I’m just trying to be considerate and polite and not say anything that will upset him, and in return, he throws it in my face.

“I don’t think it’s true, though,” he goes on, to my surprise. “I think there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye, but like me, you’ve been taught and trained to act and speak a certain way. It’s the cost of being an Alpha’s dutiful child, I guess.”

He has a point there. I’m always careful about what I do and say because I’m afraid of how people might perceive me, and whether it will reflect badly on my parents. But it goes deeper than that too. I hate confrontations and will avoid them at all costs. Being “diplomatic” has served me well in that respect.

“And for the record, you’re right about there being something between my father and I,” he admits. “We’ve been at odds for quite some time now. He views things very traditionally, and I do not.”

That matches what I’ve seen from them. Their disagreements tend to be about following traditions and the various expectations that Alpha Magnus has of Lee that Lee is resistant to. Like being addressed by his full name.

I’m almost afraid to say anything more because I don’t want him to mock me for it, and I don’t know how else to talk to him. Regardless of my opinion of him, I also respect him enough that I don’t want to annoy him. I don’t even want to address him by his formal name knowing that he hates it so much.

He’s gone quiet and thoughtful again, and I just wait nervously while he mulls over whatever is on his mind. I actually don’t know why I haven’t left yet. I’m terribly late for my appointment with Ms. Sanchez. I should probably be asking him for directions and getting on my way.

“Lee, I was meant to be somewhere else right now, and I’m incredibly late. I know your dad is going to be upset about that, and Maggie might get in trouble, so if you wouldn’t mind –”

“No,” he says, cutting me off. “I know for a fact that you didn’t even want to be doing that stupid tour, and I’ve decided that you’re not going to.”

“But Alpha Magnus –”

“Is not your Alpha,” he finishes for me. “You’re our guest. That tour was meant to punish Maggie, not you, and you shouldn’t have to suffer now that she’s obviously ditched you. Let the consequences of skipping out be hers to face.”

“But Ms. Sanchez is –”

“Probably relieved not to have to take time out of her busy day to deal with two spoiled Alphas’ brats. She’s probably already figured out that you’re not coming.” He turns to me and twists his body so that he can take hold of my arms and look me straight in the face. “Come on, Anna. Stop worrying so much about everybody else and think about yourself for once. What do you want to do with the rest of your afternoon now that you’re free?”

I don’t know the answer to that because the truth is I still want to do what Alpha Magnus asked me to do because otherwise I’m just going to worry and stress myself out, and there’s still Maggie to think of. Not only is she going to get in trouble, but she’ll probably be mad at me for not holding up my end of the bargain.

But first, I need to address something that has been bothering me. Tian would normally take care of it for me, but since he’s not here right now, I guess it's up to me this time.

“My name is Anna Jade,” I finally correct him. “Casters are always addressed by their full, formal first names.”

He and his siblings all seem to want to call me only Anna, which isn’t correct, and it hits me like nails across the chalkboard when people do that to me. Plus, like Tian always says, it’s disrespectful. I can forgive it when it’s unintentional, and I suspect that may be the case now, but he’ll never fix it if I don’t tell him there’s an issue.

“Oh,” he says, seeming surprised by that, just as I suspected. “I’m sorry. I thought that Jade was your middle name, and Tian just enjoys calling you that or something.”

“No, it’s the second part of my first name. Casters only have first names, no middle or last name, but since I’m a hybrid, I took Adam’s last name to match the rest of my family. Well, except Tian. He has his own last name, though he did consider the change. My dad even took Adam’s last name because he used to be a pure-blooded caster with no surname, but my mom made him a hybrid and he wanted to be part of the Brentwood family.”

I’m well aware of how I’m rambling and talking way too fast, but my nerves are suddenly soaring to new heights. I’m not entirely sure why. Thankfully, Lee comes to my rescue and puts a merciful end to my rambling.

“Okay,” he chuckles, and his smile is finally warm and genuine, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I appreciate you sharing all that because it’s honestly rather interesting, but you seem to be talking just because you’re uncomfortable, so I’m gonna stop you before you start blurting out things you don’t actually want me to know. I do wish you weren’t so uncomfortable with me, though.”

I’m afraid to open my mouth again to even try to explain that it’s not just him but this whole situation, but I know that if I do, I’ll just start spewing nonsense again. Although I suppose it could be the way that he’s still touching me that’s affecting me so much, which would mean he's right.

I’ve never really had this much contact with a guy I wasn’t related to before. Even Rowan was mostly hands-off other than the occasional shoulder bump or poke or other cute, friendly little gestures like that.

But Lee has both hands on me, one still on my arm, and the other he’s moved a little higher to grasp my shoulder. It feels warm and strange, and I know if Tian was here, he’d freak out and demand that Lee back away and remove his hands from me entirely.

“Well, since you don’t seem to have any requests for what we should do today, how about let’s find someplace more private so we can have a real talk,” he suggests. “I feel a need to explain more about me and my dad, and I can’t really do that out in the open like this. Someone is always lurking and listening.”

I can feel the way my eyes go wide with surprise, and my hands start sweating profusely just at the thought of going somewhere “private” with a man. And he really is a man, several years older than me I would guess, though I don’t know his exact age. But deep down, I want to go with him. My opinion of him is rapidly improving, and I’m actually starting to like him. I’m also curious to know why he acts the way he does with his family, but there’s still one thing stopping me from agreeing to his plan.

“Won’t we get in trouble?”

He laughs again, though I get the sense that he’s not doing it to tease me or be cruel.

“You’re precious, Anna Jade,” he tells me, and I instantly start blushing. “If I’m being honest, it’s kind of endearing the way that you’re always so concerned about stuff like that, and unlike my siblings, I don’t think it’s an act.”

Wow. Is that what they really think? I guess they must. It kind of explains why Maggie was acting the way she was toward me, though I hate that that’s the way I come off to people.

“But so what if we get in trouble?” he continues. “First of all, you won’t be in trouble at all. You’re a guest, and you look so much like your mom that my dad is powerless to resist your charms.”

“My charms?”

I’ve never been accused of anything even remotely like that before, and I don’t know what to think.

“Yeah,” he chuckles, and finally releases his hold on me. “Well, your looks mostly, but you also have that same impossibly sweet, compassionate thing going on that your mom is known for. But regardless of why, I assure you that you have nothing to worry about.”

“It’s you I’m worried about, if I’m being honest,” I admit to him, struggling to make eye contact as the heat in my face is refreshed.

“I know,” he grins at me, and then suddenly kicks out with his legs and somehow lifts himself up off the ground in one swift motion.

He turns and holds out a hand to help me up, but I’m still so stunned by the move he just pulled off that it takes me a moment to process what he wants from me. So, he steps closer and reaches down to grab me by the elbows and pull me to my feet.

“But don’t worry about me,” he assures me. “These days, my dad is all bark and no bite where I’m concerned.”

I wonder if he’s referring to how Alpha Magnus’s aura isn’t strong enough to intimidate him anymore, or if he means something else, like that he’s old enough that his dad doesn’t really bother with punishing him anymore.

“You wouldn’t happen to be one of the casters who can teleport?” he asks me, which is another thing I didn’t expect from him.

“I probably have the power and magical capacity to do it, but I haven’t learned how yet. That’s probably something I’ll learn when I go to The Council for training.”

“Oh man,” he exclaims as I watch him visibly shudder at the thought, “That’s intense. I mean, it will be cool to learn how to use all your powers and stuff, but at The Council? Like Council headquarters? You’re braver than me, that’s for sure.”

What a strange thing for him to say because I most definitely am not the least bit brave. As a case in point, I have an urge to correct him about how he seems to think that casters have “powers” like we’re superheroes or something. We have power, a singular quality that I suppose could be likened to the energy stored in a battery, and we use that power to fuel our magical capacity or potential.

Some casters have a lot of power but not much capacity, so their repertoire is limited but they can comfortably cast their small number of spells for a long time without becoming exhausted. Others have a large capacity but limited power, so they can do a lot of different things but have to pick and choose when and how to use their spells.

And still others have immense power and capacity, and those are the most talented and powerful among spellcasters, people like my father and Anya. They can do a lot of things and sustain their spellcasting for long periods of time, plus they can also cast some of the rarer, more challenging and complicated spells that take a lot of power to pull off successfully.

I’d love to share all that with him, but I don’t want to seem like I’m always correcting and lecturing him about everything. That would only reinforce the notion that I’m a smug know-it-all or whatever it was that Maggie said about me. Lee seems to kind of like me, and I don’t want to ruin that.

“That’s not true,” I disagree shyly, which seems to be about the best I can do for now.

My body seems to have decided that everything he does and says is going to make me blush and be awkward, so adding anything more is a risk.

“Well, I think you’re selling yourself short, but okay. We’ll go with that,” he tells me, smiling at me mischievously. “But if we’re not teleporting, then I guess we’ll have to go about this the old-fashioned way.”

He reaches for my hand and captures it with his, not bothering with holding it out and waiting for me to respond this time. I guess he’s learning that I’m just going to gape at him stupidly when he does, so it’s better if he takes charge. And I really don’t mind.

We walk a little way down the alley to the other side of a stinky dumpster. Just based on that dumpster and the food and packaging I can see through the transparent trash bags piled up inside of it, I’m guessing that at least one of these buildings on either side of us is a restaurant, the sort that offers takeout. And based on what we find on the other side of that same dumpster, I’m beginning to suspect that Lee is wrong. I’m going to be in major trouble when Tian finds out about this.

Because parked just beyond the dumpster is a sleek, black motorcycle, and from the way that my heart starts racing at the sight of it I can already tell that I’m not even going to fight Lee when he inevitably asks me to get on it with him. I want to, and I’m excited to do it.

To my surprise, it turns out that the thing I really want to do with my afternoon is the one thing my mother specifically told me not to.